Are you stressed, tired or fed up? Are you desperately in need of a break or a few days off work? Do you find yourself shouting and being snappy and irritable with your kids or short tempered with your partner?
If this sounds like you, then you need to relax. As a working mother with three teenage daughters, like you, my life is a constant juggling act with my time and energy stretched to the max between family commitments, work demands and meeting general day to day living demands.
When you are stressed, mistakes happen, you over commit and struggle to be on time. Have you ever been at work, working on a demanding project when suddenly you realise you were supposed to leave work early today to take your daughter to the dentist? Your body can only take so much pressure before the effects of stress such as headaches, back pain, sleepless nights and feelings of overwhelm take over.
If you have reached this point, chances are you know you need to find a way to relax and regain your sense of balance and inner calm. Failure to do so leaves your immune system weak and wide open to catching any bugs and viruses that may be floating around your office.
Seven Super Relaxation Techniques to Manage Stress
Here are my favourite top 5 relaxation techniques. There are things I do, sometimes more regularly than others to help soothe my nerves, release tension in my body and calm my mind. Try and build one or two of these relaxation techniques into your daily day - it will make a difference, give you space to regroup, calm down and focus on what you are doing.
1. Stretch. Whenever you can, stretch your body. You can practice easy yoga poses at your desk any time you feel your mind going into overdrive. A simple exercise, for instance, shaking your hands for 30 seconds works wonders for relieving stress and re-energise your body and mind. A simple seated twist brings fresh oxygen and energy to your torso and massages your internal digestive organs.
2. Deep Breathing Exercises. These are my favourite and are one of the simplest ways to release stress and fatigue. Anytime you feel overwhelmed or not sure what to do next, then just sit down and take a deep breath in through your nose and slowly breathe out. Allow your shoulders to relax and release tension in your jaw. Repeat this cycle for 5 - 10 cycles of deep steady breathing.
3. Pretend to chew chewing gum. Seriously. Pretend to chew, really emphasise the chewing action, open and close your eyes, smack your mouth open and stick out your tongue. Gently lower your left ear to your left shoulder. Repeat on the other side. These simple facial movements help to stimulate and release stagnant energy.
4. Drink a glass of water. This will help to hydrate and stimulate your brain.
5. Smile and share a joke with a friend. Laughter is the one of the best stress relieving activities. It releases the hormone serotonin from your brain which makes you feel better. Surround yourself with positive friends who encourage you to smile and see the brighter side of life.
6. Take a day off. If you can't manage a whole day off work, then make a conscious effort to treat yourself at lunch time, or go home an hour earlier than normal. Use that time to slow down and just observe life all around you.
7. Down tools and do nothing. Sometimes the simple act of completely switching off and doing nothing is the best antidote to stress.
These super seven relaxation techniques are quick and easy to do. They offer you instant relief from stress and tension and enable you to regain your sense of balance and calm in your life. Try them and I would love to know which ones work for you.
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