Source: The Muse
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| Credit to theserialdoodler |
Back in the day, unwinding once the clock hit 5 PM meant a
pow-wow with co-workers at a local watering hole.
But as work pressures have exponentially increased—admit it,
you check office email in bed—lowering your cortisol levels requires more than
just a happy hour.
In fact, a study released this year by the Harvard and
Stanford business schools found a direct link between work-related stress and
serious health issues ranging from hypertension to depression.
“It’s the relentless demand and constant change. There is no
coming home and unwinding anymore—only the ever-present struggle to set
boundaries for when you’re ‘on’ and ‘off,’ ” says Sharon Melnick, a business
psychologist and author of Success Under Stress: Powerful Tools for Staying
Calm, Confident, and Productive When the Pressure’s On.
If this all sounds frighteningly familiar, take a deep
breath—literally.
Because if you’re finding it exceedingly more difficult to
deal with stress at work, you may need to embrace something different. And by
different we mean strategies you may have once deemed too “alternative-y.”
“You can’t manage the things outside of you, but you can
manage yourself—your physiology, your psychology,” Melnick says.
To help you do just that, we’ve rounded up five wellness
trends hitting the mainstream that are simple enough to execute from a quiet
spot in your office.
Although they may seem a bit out there to some—ever heard of
tapping?—they could be just the thing to help you reclaim the Zen that work
zaps out of you.
1. Mindfulness Meditation
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| Credit to Brown.edu |
What Is It?
A type of meditation derived from Buddhism in which you
focus on your breathing in order to remain present and in the moment.
It’s garnered attention in recent years, thanks to
high-profile converts like Steve Jobs, who practiced mindfulness meditation
regularly, and Arianna Huffington, who describes it as a way to fight burnout
in her 2014 book, Thrive.
They’re fans for a reason: A 2011 study found that eight
weeks of practicing mindfulness meditation triggered changes in the brain,
increasing grey matter in areas that help regulate emotion, learning, and
memory.
How to Practice It
Sit in a comfortable chair or cross-legged on the floor.
Then close your eyes and simply breathe, intently focusing on each breath you
take.
“Your mind will wander, and that’s normal. But bring it
back,” says Jane Ehrman, a mind-body coach and owner of the practice Images of
Wellness.
“The more you practice bringing it back, and just breathing,
[the more] you’re teaching yourself to be present and far more aware of when
your mind wanders.”
Ehrman suggests starting with five minutes a few times a
week, and then gradually building up to seven and then 15 minutes.
2. Adult Coloring Books
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| Credit to Mail&Guardian |
What Is It?
As the name implies, it’s the childhood practice of staying
inside the lines, except with more intricate patterns and pictures.
And it’s gaining momentum among members of the grown-up set
who want a little art therapy to help relieve stress.
In fact, at one point, adult coloring books outsold Harper
Lee’s hotly anticipated Go Set a Watchman on Amazon.com’s bestseller list. And
Game of Thrones fans can expect a coloring book based on the TV series to hit
stores this fall.
“When you’re coloring, all you have to do is stay in the
moment,” Erhman says. “It gets you out of your head. That’s what’s so great
about it.”
How to Practice It
Order an adult coloring book off Amazon.com, or download
free patterns and pictures online.
Then grab your crayons, colored pencils, or markers—and
start coloring away. Consider it an alternative lunchtime activity to checking
emails on your smartphone.
Where to Learn More
Check out this list to see what types of adult coloring
books are available—from hypnotic patterns to whimsical scenes—and get
recommendations on art supplies.
3. Tapping
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| Credit to the-natural-touch |
What Is It?
A stress-relieving psychotherapy technique that triggers
acupressure points on your body by tapping them with your fingers.
Also known as EFT (emotional freedom technique), tapping has
been around in its current state since the 1990s. But it garnered more
mainstream attention after tapping practitioner Nick Ortner’s book, The Tapping
Solution: A Revolutionary System for Stress-Free Living, made the New York
Times bestseller’s list in 2013.
Although it’s often been met with skepticism, a 2012 study
in the Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease found that tapping reduced
cortisol levels—and improved symptoms of anxiety and depression.
“It helps reverse your [negative] wiring,” Melnick says.
How to Practice It
Start by using your index and middle fingers to gently tap
the outer pinky side of your other hand, while stating a simple phrase aloud
that acknowledges what is stressing you out, but affirms yourself regardless.
For example: “Even though I’m up against a big deadline, I
deeply and completely accept myself.”
Then gently tap eight other acupressure points throughout
your upper body, in order, while repeating what is troubling you.
The designated points are the top of your head, your
eyebrow, the side of the eye, the bone underneath your eye, the space
underneath your nose, your chin, your collarbone, and under your armpit.
If you can’t get enough privacy to tap at your desk, try a
quick session in the office bathroom whenever you’re feeling anxious.
Where to Learn More
Check out more detailed instructions from EFT founder Gary
Craig here to make sure you’re tapping in exactly the right spots. You can also
visit Ortner’s site for a slightly modified tutorial.
4. Pranayama Breathing
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| Credit to media.yogajournal |
What Is It?
Yoga-based breathing techniques that provide a calming
effect, like alternate-nostril breathing (Nadi Shodhana) and “cooling breath,”
which helps lower your body temperature (Sitali).
Studies have shown that not only does pranayama breathing
reduce stress, but it also helps improve cardiovascular function and symptoms
of asthma.
And as more companies incorporate yoga and mindfulness into
employee wellness programs, they’re also increasing awareness of controlled
breathing.
For example, Aetna’s yoga and meditation classes for
employees teach breathing techniques, while a popular mental-wellness course
offered at Google encourages employees to take a deep, conscious breath as part
of a five-step process to deal with work stress.
How to Practice It
For alternate-nostril breathing, sit up straight, with your
shoulders relaxed. Bring your right hand up to your nose, folding your index
and middle finger toward your palm, so they are out of the way.
Then place your ring and pinky fingers over your left nostril,
and your thumb over the right nostril. (These fingers will alternate closing
and opening your nostrils as you breathe.)
Gently press down with your thumb to close your right
nostril, inhaling through your left. Then close off your left nostril, and exhale
through the right. Then inhale through the right, and exhale through the left
again. This is one cycle. Try repeating 10 cycles.
For cooling breath, breathe in for several seconds as though
you were sipping through a straw, creating a wind tunnel by curling the tip of
your tongue. Exhale through your nose.
“When you’re feeling heated, [cooling breath] can
immediately calm you down—and take your brain out of hijack mode,” Melnick
says.
Where to Learn More
There are many types of pranayama breathing, so get a
rundown of descriptions and benefits of each at Yoga Journal. You can also
watch video tutorials of alternate-nostril breathing here, and cooling breath
here.
5. Guided Imagery
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| Credit to blog.sevenponds |
What Is It?
A visualization technique that helps you relax by imagining
a calming place, or doing a mental rehearsal of a stressful situation, such as
giving a presentation in front of clients.
A variation on strategies used to help athletes visualize a
win, guided imagery is now popular as a wellness technique.
A 2015 medical study, for instance, showed it significantly
decreased anxiety levels among patients undergoing an angiogram, while the
Cleveland Clinic says it can have a positive effect on your heart rate and blood
pressure.
That might be why Richard Branson put guided imagery on
in-flight meditation channels on some Virgin Atlantic flights, allowing
stressed-out travelers to transport themselves to a deserted island or a summer
meadow.
How to Practice It
Sit in a comfortable spot, close your eyes, and take three
or four deep breaths. Imagine yourself in nature, or walking on a path. If it
helps, listen to music or nature sounds.
“You’re putting yourself in that mindset of everything going
well,” Ehrman says.
Next, picture you’re about to take on the source of your
anxiety—for instance, that big presentation.
“Tell yourself all kinds of positive facts, like ‘I know
this information. I know how to speak clearly, accurately, and concisely,’ “
suggests Ehrman. ”Imagine yourself being asked questions by the audience, and
giving an answer. I used to be a gymnastics coach and would say, ‘Where your
head goes, your body goes.’ It applies here, too.”
Where to Learn More
Check out the Academy for Guided Imagery for more on how the
technique works, and Meditainment.com for guided imagery scenarios that can
help you escape to an island paradise, a mountain refuge, an arctic igloo, and
more.
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