


Stressors may look a little different when you open your eyes, ready to face the world again. Close your peepersĪ little darkness behind your lids can help shut out the external factors causing you trouble. The technique involves mentally imagining what you want to happen in your life, or how you want to feel. Visualize what you want or needĬreative visualization is a mindfulness exercise developed by Shakti Gawain in her book Creative Visualization. It’s fine to play tricks on yourself once in a while. Saying the alphabet in reverse temporarily shifts your focus from worrying about your upcoming date or pending performance review. Nope, it’s not an IQ test, but it is a strangely reliable way to chill. You may not have time to do your whole frame in five minutes, but just arms, shoulders, neck, and head will suffice. Progressive relaxation involves tensing and releasing muscles, body part by body part. You know how your cat will go all rigid for a second, tensing all those kitty muscles and then relaxing them? That looks kind of good, right? Well, you can try it too - or a version of it anyway. Try a quick breathing exercise to get back to a more relaxed state.
#Relax time full
The good news is that taking slow, full breaths can calm you. Whether you’re holding in your air, taking shallow sips of it, or hyperventilating, you might be adding to the stress response in your body. You’re probably already breathing - unless you’re holding your breath. Increased heart rate variability but no effect on blood pressure from 8 weeks of hatha yoga – a pilot study. Getting your noggin below your heart has restorative effects on the autonomic nervous system (ANS), lessening your reactivity to the fight-or-flight response Papp ME, et al. Put your head between your knees, or stand and hang your head and arms toward your toes. Give it a go before that meeting where you know Gretchen’s going to get on your nerves. You can meditate in as little as one minute with visualization techniques. It doesn’t require completely clearing your mind, either. No need to go on a week-long silent retreat with zen-looking yogis to snag some serenity. Trail mix, an apple, or some celery sticks provide a satisfying crunch to curb your spiral. Instead of clenching your jaw, may as well put it to work. Chewing gum: Cognitive performance, mood, well-being, and associated physiology. Chewing gum is an easy way to keep the stress monster at bay while potentially boosting your mood and productivity Allen AP, et al. Maybe you’re stuck in annoying traffic, frantically cleaning the house before your in-laws show, or hammering out that final term paper. Analgesic-like activity of essential oil constituents: An update. It may reduce stress and anxiety de Cássia da Silveira e Sá R, et al. And you know what lavender does - ahhhhh. Weird fact: Mangos contain a compound called linalool, the main ingredient in lavender essential oil. Take a five-minute break to peel, slice, and bite into a juicy mango. The sweet stuff also works for a quick energy boost. DOI: 10.1155/2014/958721.ĭrizzle honey in your tea, coffee, yogurt, or just go straight for the jar with a spoon. Neurological effects of honey: Current and future prospects. The amber elixir from our buzzy friends may help relieve anxiety, fight off depression, and even protect the brain Rahman MM, et al. As an added bonus, dark chocolate is lower in sugar than milk chocolate, but it hits the sweet tooth sweet spot. Dark chocolate (70% organic cacao) increases acute and chronic EEG power spectral density (μV 2) response of gamma frequency (25–40 Hz) for brain health: enhancement of neuroplasticity, neural synchrony, cognitive processing, learning, memory, recall, and mindfulness meditation. When you need a quick break, break off a square of dark chocolate to boost your brain health and reduce stress Berk L, et al. The effects of color on the moods of college students.
#Relax time plus
Plus just staring at a mug of the green liquid on your desk might calm you, too, thanks to the earthy color’s ability to soothe vKurt S, et al. Anti-stress, behavioural and magnetoencephalography effects of an l-Theanine-based nutrient drink: A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial. This herbal tonic gives you the benefits of L-Theanine, a chemical that can help reduce the body’s stress responses White DJ, et al.
