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You have so many things going on that it takes every bit of energy just to make it through your daily list of must-dos. And you can tell the frantic pace is starting to take its toll because your temper is flaring, you’re sleeping less, and you seem to be catching every bug that crosses your path. Stress has sunk its teeth into you.
Luckily, you don’t have to book a week at a spa or steal away for a tropical vacation to start extricating yourself from stress’s grip. (Although, clearly, these are lovely options and highly recommended if they are available to you.)
1. At the office: Do a “chair forward bend” to get stress under control fast
The office is the perfect place to practice simple stress-reducing techniques because, let’s face it, it’s one of the most stressful places on Earth: This is where your buttons get pushed as hard as they can be pushed and where you’re always expected to act with composure and professionalism.
When you have an important presentation coming up, or your boss shoots down one of your ideas in a big meeting, or your computer crashes, you can’t huff and puff, cry, or chug a glass of wine — these tactics simply aren’t the viable options here that they are in the privacy of your own home. Perhaps, with a little practice, these techniques will actually help you begin to loosen up a little more at work. You spend the majority of your waking hours on the clock — you may as well enjoy them.
In the computer crash scenario, you have two powerful tools you have on your side: your breath and gravity. Taking one or two short minutes to breathe deeply and stretch your back will help you pull it together and not burst a blood vessel while you wait for the help desk to answer your call. Here’s a great Rodney Yee video clip on how to do a chair forward bend just like what I describe in my Chill Guide.
2. At family gatherings: Use mantras to send tension rolling off your back
You might think it would be easiest to stay calm and grounded around the people to whom you are closest. The irony is that the people who know you best are also the most likely to push your buttons. Invariably, your least favorite uncle will ask prying questions about your love life, your Great-Aunt Jean will clear her throat incessantly at the dinner table, and your mom will make a comment about your hair.
Taken together, it might be enough to set your eye to twitching, make you snappy, or get you reaching for one too many glasses of wine or helpings of dessert. While you can’t stop the people you love from doing the things that drive you crazy, you can change your reaction to them.
Before your next family gathering, make a mental list of the behaviors that typically trigger your stress reaction.
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