Help
Loading...
Relax - it's National Stress Awareness Day
| Author: null null | Published: 1st November 2011 20:22 |
Wednesday November 2nd is National Stress Awareness Day, so to remind you to relax, take time out and beat stress, here are five exercises anyone can do at home in your own time. You don't even have to lie down!
Take Five Practical Exercises to Reduce Stress
Exercise 1
Focusing on the breath is such a great way to relax and calm the mind. Try this exercise. Breathe slowly and deeply in through your nose, and out through your mouth in a steady rhythm. Try to make your breath out twice as long as your breath in. To do this you may find it helpful to coundt slowly 'one, two' as you breathe in, and 'one, two, three, four' as you breathe out.
Exercise 2
If you're finding it difficult to think clearly, or your brain seems to be working overtime, try this exercise. Sway your arms and body from side to side. Now stretch your hands out in front of you and make a SIDEWAYS figure 8 or an INFINITY sign with your arms... Go up and over on the right, circle down, then up and over ont he left, circle down, then up and over again to the right. Continue drawing sideways figure 8's for about one minute, twisting at the waist in the direction you're reaching.
Exercise 3
This is a quick and effective relaxation exercise. Sit comfortably on a chair. Rub your hands together until they feel warm. Close the eyes and cover them lightly with your cupped palms. Avoid applying pressure on your eye balls. Place the palm so that the nose remain uncovered, and the eyes remain behind the slight hollow of the palms.
Make sure that no light rays enter the eyes, and leave no gaps between fingers or between the edge of the palms and the nose. You may still see other lingering traces of colors. Imagine deep blackness and focus on the blackness. Take deep breaths slowly and evenly, think of some happy incident; or visualise a distant scene.
Repeat the palming for 3 minutes or more.
Exercise 4
We're very good at noticing problems but there's usually a lot more than we realise to be thankful for. Try doing this exercise daily for a week and see how much easier it gets with practice.
Write down 5 things you have really appreciated in the last week. These can be very simple like the sun shining, or a lovely flower, a kindness or good experience.
Now write down 5 people you'd like to thank for their contribution to your life in the last month. This could be a close friend or family member, or the person who smiled at you from the bus stop.
Exercise 5
Here's an exercise to help improve your mood and lessen anxiety.
Stand or sit with the right leg crossed over the left at the ankles. Take your right wrist and cross it over the left wrist and link up the fingers so that the right wrist is on top. Bend the elbows out and gently turn the fingers in towards the body until they rest on the sternum (breast bone) in the center of the chest.
Stay in this position. Keep the ankles crossed and the wrists crossed and then breathe evenly in this position for a few minutes. You should feel noticeably calmer after that time.
Find out more about 'fitness classes for the mind' with Take Five
Report this article as inappropriate
Comments
You need to log in before you can do that! It's only a quick registration process to join the AMA network and completely free.
Help