Don't blame the day for your mood. It could be a Marvelous Monday but you call it maniac. Why are you just attempting to get over the Hump on Wednesday when you should be leaping over it. Are you only living for the weekend? Does your weeks feel like a stressful mess without any hope in sight? Stress needs to be addressed on a daily basis--yes I said daily. The last thing you want to do is to wait until something in your system breaks down, locks up, or shuts down because by that time it will be too late. You need to start implementing some stress busting techniques on a daily basis. These are 5 quick techniques that you can slowly incorporate each day and soon you will be doing them everyday. So without further ado let's jump right in and start busting this thing called stress.
- Stretch it out- Before you get out of bed and your feet even hit the floor stretch it out. Elongate your body and hold the stretch just for a few seconds. Now once you are out of the bed do some simple squats and overhead stretches. We are just kick starting our circulatory system and getting things ready for the day. You don't have to take very long doing these stretches--2-3 minutes at the most.
- Incorporate more water into your system. You should know by now you should be drinking at least six 8 ounce glasses of water--actually it's more but I will give you a break. How does drinking water assist with stress? A better question is how doesn't it help your system. Water flushes out toxin, assist with weight loss, and cleanses your system just to name a few perks. When everything is moving properly--you will definitely feel less stress.
- Take a break- This is vital if you are doing the same prolong motions throughout your day. For example, if you are sitting at a computer all day long or if you are a hair stylist on your feet for extended periods then you need to break. Once you break you need to do some simple shoulder shrugs and neck rolls to assist with your circulation and to prevent your neck, legs, hands from locking up. 5-10 minutes is all you need.
- Mediate- Now listen, you don't have to pull out your yoga mat to mediate. All you need is a few moments of silence. If you can't get it in your office, firm, hospital or wherever you may work then find some seclusion. Go to your car and sit for a few or maybe even a quiet break room. Close your eyes and then let your imagination run loose to a nice and relaxing place. If it's a snow-capped mountain or a white sandy beach go into your meditation mode. The key is to block all thoughts out and relax your mind. This one will take some time to let it all go..just practice it.
- Incorporate Deep Breathing Techniques- Deep breathing is a great way to slow down your heart rate to a normal pace, get oxygen to your muscle tissues, and to of course calm you down quickly. You can actually do the meditation and deep breathing together. The choice is yours. I listed this by itself because deep breathing is very important on its own merit. To get the most out of it, you want to inhale deeply for (4 counts), hold the breath for (2 counts) and then exhale slowly for (6 counts). Do this at least 4 times and you should instantly feel your tension melt away.
I hope some of these tips are useful to you and don't be afraid to come up with some of your own stress busters. The more you put these tips to use, it is my hope that less stress will follow you throughout the day. Enjoy your day and be stress-free.
Jenn Williams, CMT, RMP
