Here are some quick stress management strategies. Try each of these and begin to practice the ones you like best. Use those you like so you’ll have a variety of strategies to use during those many, many times each day you are learning to tame your responses to stress.
It is important NOT to do these absent-mindedly. Rather feel the tensions go and enjoy the good feelings. Learn to appreciate your body as it learns to do what you ask it to do. Practice, practice, practice.
DEEP BREATH
Slowly take a deep breath. Hold it for a count of 4. Then, gently let it all out, letting tensions go as you exhale. (Our breathing becomes shallow as we become tense. A deep breath can help more oxygen enter our system, literally breathing more life into ourselves.)
IDEAL RELAXATION
Close your eyes gently and take a moment to create an ideal place to relax.
You can make it any place, real or imagined; in the mountains, at a lake, on a meadow. ( I often go into a room with a super-comfortable chair, a great view, and favorite music playing.) Once you have created your place, go use it for a few seconds whenever you need to take a mini-vacation.
COOL AIR IN, WARM AIR OUT
Close your eyes. As you breath in, become aware of the sensations of the air coming in through the tip of your nostrils and aware of the sensations as the air passes out on your exhalation. Just focus on those sensations. You might notice that the air coming in seems slightly cooler than the air going out. Cool air in; warm air out.
Focusing on a physiological process (air in and out) can help calm our mental activity (all the words going through the mind) and result in more physical relaxation.
EYES
Doing a lot of reading? Every half hour go to a window and look at one thing far away as you can--focus on it. At night, look at a particular star or distant light. Facing straight ahead, move eyes only to the left and hold it; then right and hold it. Repeat, then close eyes gently for a moment’s rest.
SHOULDER ROLLS
Raise your shoulders as if trying to touch your ears. Then, roll your shoulders back and then just let them drop. Up, back and drop and around.
GENTLE HEAD ROLLS
Gently roll your head just three times in each direction. The axis where your head sits on your neck is delicate, so treat it with care. roll slowly and gently. Let your jaw remain relaxed and keep breathing. The neck and shoulders are common areas in which we gather tensions. Gentle movements to let that tension go helps relaxation.
DESK STRETCH
Slide your chair back from the desk far enough so you can lean forward and your head won’t hit the desk. Put your lower arms on the desk, lean forward with your head below the desk top and feel the stretch in your upper arms. shoulders, and upper back.
STAND AND REACH
Stand, feet about shoulder width apart. Arms up over your head, hands together, interlace your fingers and turn your palms toward the ceiling. Stretch, on your toes, as if to touch the ceiling. Hold it. Now, holding your arms the same way, lean to your left until you feel a good, comfortable stretch on your right side. Hold it. Now to your right. Forward. Then, just hang toward the floor, letting all your muscles loose. Bend your knees as you straighten up (to ease the strain on your lower back.)
BODY TWIST
Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart. As you exhale, slowly turn to your right and look across your back at your left heal. Hold it. Then gently the other way--over your left shoulder looking at your right heel. Do this two or three times slowly (not swinging back and forth!).
Compiled by Rebecca Sanderson
April 3, 2006
