“The Power of Three” continued
So
put aside that report for a few minutes and go for a walk
outdoors. Or for the next best thing, watch a relaxing visual
meditation video of trees or water.
2.
Give in to your afternoon slump.
Your
body temperature takes a dip in the afternoon, leaving you
in the doldrums. Can't nap? If you are at work, shut your
office door, or go into your bedroom or other place where
you can be alone, relax into a chair and close your eyes,
allowing your brain to go into a natural alpha rhythm (a
state between wakefulness and deep sleep) for ten to fifteen
minutes. (To avoid falling asleep, open your eyes when you
start seeing hypnogogic imagery).
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3.
Breathe.
You'll
breathe in and out more than a hundred million times in your
life. What if you made a tiny improvement in something you
did that often?
Try
this. Take a deep breath. More than likely, when you breathed
in, your chest rose and fell and your abdomen didn't move.
By reversing this and breathing "from the belly", you can
sooth your sympathetic nervous system and feel calmer naturally.
When
you're feeling overwhelmed, remember these easy "de-stressers".
Take a walk in the park. Or just shut your door and relax
into a chair. Fifteen minutes of "alpha time" will restore
your energy almost as well as a nap. And remember to breathe
from your belly. You can carry this technique anywhere, even
into a committee meeting or in the car with your children!
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