Guest Post: Quick Fix to Beat Office Stress
The following is the first of a three-part series on healthy habits at work by guest author Sheila Viers, Life Coach and Co-founder of Live Well 360.
When you are behind a desk all day working on a project you're passionate about, it can be challenging to take time out to take care of yourself. When you’ve got a deadline to meet, its common for exercise, healthy eating, and even taking a mental breather to fall near the bottom (or even off) your to-do list. But, a little extra effort goes a long way in productivity, focus, mental stamina, and of course, physical buff-ness!
I have 3 easy tips for taking better care of yourself while working a desk job, and even a few ways management can help too!
Tip 1: Breathe More to Think More
When you are in a relaxed state, you take deep, long breaths from your diaphragm, all the way down into the lower part of your belly but when you are stressed, breathing patterns become quick, shallow, and arrhythmic. This impacts the body's ability to behave normally.
To think clearly and help your body function well as a system, you can’t operate in a state of chronic stress. In fact, your body won’t let you. After a while, it will give out and force you to take a break!
The good news is, by being aware of when you begin to feel stressed, you can bring yourself from a state of anxiety to a state of relaxation by deliberately changing your breathing pattern.
All it takes is five deep breaths to reset your entire nervous system.
Employee tip: Several times throughout the day, stop what you are working on and take five slow, deep breaths from your lower abdomen, filling your lungs about two-thirds full. Hold it for a few seconds and then exhale, again from your lower belly.
By holding your breath for a few seconds after each breath, you cause your blood vessels to dilate signaling a drop in blood pressure, which causes your body to relax if you are feeling any stress.
The reason you only fill your lungs two-thirds full is because it keeps the blood pressure from going up by forcing the lungs to fully expand. By exhaling more than you are inhaling, you cause the lungs to move stale air completely out. This type of slow deep breathing also causes the body to release endorphins, which contributes to the feeling of relaxation.
Management tip: It sounds silly, but tell employees to take “breather breaks” throughout the day, encouraging them to step away from their desks, do some light stretching and deep breathing. Other options include encouraging daily 15-minute walks outside in the fresh air, in-house yoga classes before/after work, or paid memberships at a nearby yoga studio.
Stay tuned for tips 2 and 3!
About the author: Sheila Viers is a Life Coach and Co-founder of Live Well 360, whose mission is to inspire you to see health and fitness as something you get to do, rather than something you have to do. Best known for her uplifting perspective on healthy living, Sheila and many of her articles have been featured on health and fitness publications including Yahoo! Shine, Glo MSN, FITNESS Magazine, LiveStrong, FitSugar, Under30CEO, and FigureAthlete. To learn more about how Sheila transformed her life and her relationship with food, visit eatwell360.com. To check out the Live Well 360 line of premium fitness and yoga bags go to livewell360.com. You can also say hello to Sheila on Twitter at: @sheilaviers.
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