6 tips to reduce tension in one minute
TRANSCRIPT
Leadership-life Fit:6 One-minute Tips to Reduce Tension
Tip 1: Breathe Deeply
0 Inhale deeply through your nose—feel the air completely expand your lungs.
0 Exhale slowly through your mouth—expelling the stress and tension.
0 Repeat 6 times (or for one minute).
Murray MT, Pizzorno JE Jr (2006). Stress management. In JE Pizzorno Jr, MT Murray, eds., Textbook of Natural Medicine, 3rd ed., vol. 1, pp. 701–708. St. Louis: Churchill Livingstone.
Why it works…
One of best ways to lower stress in the body, breathing deeply sends a message to your brain to calm down and relax. Your brain then sends this message to your body. Increased heart rate, fast breathing, and high blood pressure, all decrease as you breathe deeply to relax.
Tip 2: Journal
0 Don't think about what to write — just let it happen. 0 Write whatever comes to mind—don’t worry about grammar—
you’re your own audience.0 Just let your thoughts flow on paper — or computer screen. 0 Once you're done, you can toss out what you wrote or save it to
reflect on later.
Why it works…Writing out thoughts and feelings can be a good release for otherwise pent-up emotions. Writing is thinking, so it may support you in processing through an issue that is causing you tension or stress.
Mayo Clinic Staff, 2013
Tip 3: Look up
Stare up at the ceiling and count down from 60.
Why it works…Gazing upward stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which lowers blood pressure and slows the pace of the breath. Slow, deliberate counting will also help rid your mind of distractions.
http://www.health.com
Tip 4: Engage your Sense of Smell
0Sniff citrus – the smell of citrus can help us relax by increasing levels of the stress-related hormone norepinephrine (www.health.com) .
0Try aromatherapy—inhaling the smell of lavender oil (or other essential oils) stimulates smell receptors in the nose that connect to the part of the brain that regulates emotions (Setzer, W.N. Department of Chemistry, University of Alabama in Huntsville, Alabama. Natural Product Communications 2009;4(9):1305-16).
Tip 5: Run in Place
Run in place for one minute.
Why it works…Even brief physical activity can activate your endorphins and beat stress.
Tip 6: Reorganize your Work Space
0Take one minute to reorganize your workspace leaving only what you need to do on top.
Why it works… Removing clutter eliminates distractions, decreases anxiety caused by feeling overwhelmed by piles, eliminates guilt about being unorganized, and removes frustration at not finding what we need when we need it—all of which contribute to feeling stressed.
