Health Tips
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I will take regular short relaxation or stretch breaks throughout my day
When you’re relaxed, you make better choices and decisions. Building in time for short relaxation of stretch breaks can help you cope with stressful days and situations. Below are some ideas for how to capture a few minutes of relaxation, here and there.
Relaxation
Visualization exercise: this only takes a few minutes and can be done in your office or home: Imagine white clouds moving across the sky, think about how you feel when visualizing the clouds, and how you can think about watching the clouds again to create a sense of relaxation.
Breathing exercise
(Source: http://www.helpguide.org/mental/stress_relief_meditation_yoga_relaxation.htm#breathing)
Sit comfortably with your back straight. Put one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach.
Breathe in through your nose. The hand on your stomach should rise. The hand on your chest should move very little.
Exhale through your mouth, pushing out as much air as you can while contracting your abdominal muscles. The hand on your stomach should move in as you exhale, but your other hand should move very little.
Continue to breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Try to inhale enough so that your lower abdomen rises and falls. Count slowly as you exhale.
Stretch Breaks— Try these simple stretches in your office or at home:
While seated, stretch both arms over your head for 30 seconds, the tap your feet on the floor for 30 seconds. Repeat 3-5 times.
Shrug your shoulders— to release the neck and shoulders:
- Inhale deeply and shrug your shoulders, lifting them high up to your ears. Hold. Release and drop. Repeat three times.
Loosen the hands with air circles
- Clench both fists, stretching both hands out in front of you.
- Make circles in the air, first in one direction, to the count of ten.
- Then reverse the circles.
- Shake out the hands.
Do leg extensions -- work the abs and legs
- Grab the seat of your chair to brace yourself and extend your legs straight out in front of you so they are parallel to the floor.
- Flex and point your toes five times. Release.
- Repeat.
Stretch your back with a "big hug"
- Hug your body, placing the right hand on your left shoulder and the left hand on your right shoulder.
- Breathe in and out, releasing the area between your shoulder blades.
Cross your arms -- for the shoulders and upper back
- Extend one arm out straight in front of you. With the other hand, grab the elbow of the outstretched arm and pull it across your chest, stretching your shoulder and upper back muscles.
- Hold. Release.
- Stretch out the other arm in front of you -- repeat.
The following slide presentation from Mayo Clinic demonstrates stretching exercises you can do at your desk: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stretching/WL00030
Search YouTube for stretching videos, like this one. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5OV1zqFV0k