3 minute read

With the pandemic still raging and the stress of the first weeks of the year, it seems impossible to find some time to relax. In fact, many people fear the arrival of the new year and would prefer to avoid the much feared January slope. So what can we do to make our days less stressful? Take note of these 5 movement techniques that can save you in your day to day.

1) Go for a walk

Go for a walk and if it's by nature all the better, breathing fresh air and having sunlight on your body sends your immune cells a signal to upregulate. It can also increase oxygen levels in your brain, which It increases serotonin , one of the neurotransmitters that affects mood , sense of well - being, and happiness.

2) Refocus your vision

Relax your eyes looking towards the horizon. Using all your panoramic vision is taking the entire image of the place where you are without a specific object. When we focus on an image, our nervous system prepares itself ready to act, whereas when we move away and enter panoramic vision, it relaxes. So, if you're working in front of a screen for 8 hours a day and you're starting to feel overwhelmed, turn around and walk away from it for 30 seconds, repeating this at least once every hour. Get up, look out the window, walk around and allow your nervous system to calm down.

3) Watch your breath

Practice mindfulness , Steal 12 minutes from your day to watch your breath. Observe where in your body you are feeling stress. Do you feel it in your abdomen? Do you feel it in your chest? Do you feel it in the back? Do you feel very tense in your jaw, neck or head? Use these minutes to try to connect with them. Could you assign them a sound? A colour? A temperature? yes

What this exercise does is create a bit of space between you mind and stress idea. You can watch your stress and see what happens when you try to separate yourself from it. No matter where your mind goes during these 12 minutes, if you notice that you have become distracted, just go back to your breath and notice its rhythm, notice the air moving through your nostrils, notice the temperature of the air going through them. Wherever you are sitting, make sure your hips are above the height of your knees so that you are in a good posture. If you need it, you can use a cushion or pillow. If you are having an acute stress situation, mindfulness practice will be your best ally.