The Zen Desk. Relieving workday stress and tension

Transcription

1 The Zen Desk Relieving workday stress and tension

2 What is stress?

3 Definition of stress Is a physical, mental or emotional response to events that causes bodily or mental tension Comes from a situation or a thought that makes you feel frustrated, nervous, anxious or angry Can be a good thing Can also be harmful

4 Common symptoms of stress Cognitive: Memory problems Inability to concentrate Continuous worry Racing thoughts Emotional: Feeling Down Feeling overwhelmed Irritability (short temper) Inability to relax Physical: Excessive Perspiration Chest pains/ elevated heart Frequent colds/illness Nausea, dizziness or headaches Behavioral: Increase /decrease appetite Nervous habits Difficulty/irregular sleeping Excessive use of drugs or alcohol

5 How do we reduce stress?

6 Benefits of physical activity Helps people achieve and maintain a healthy weight Builds and maintains healthy bones, muscles & joints Boosts energy levels Improves quality of sleep Decreases sickness Boosts mental acuity More likely to stay active later in life Prevention of diseases

7 Physical activity reduces the risk of Dying from heart disease or stroke Developing high blood pressure, cholesterol & diabetes Developing obesity Developing osteoporosis exercise builds strong bones & muscles Reduces feelings of stress, anxiety & depression!! Overall, regular physical activity can improve health and reduce the risk of premature death.

8 Components of physical fitness 4 Components: Aerobic Muscular Body Composition Flexibility

9 Flexibility Defined The ability to bend joints and stretch muscles through a full range of motion. Benefits: Decreased risk of injury Improved range of motion Improved posture Reduced lower back pain Increased blood flow & nutrients to soft tissue Activities include - Stretching, Warm-up & Cool-down

10 Incorporating body and mind Benefits of body/mind workouts: Reduce stress Increase strength Increase flexibility Increase energy

11 How to work out your body and mind Yoga - Quiet your mind and relax your body. There are different ways to practice yoga--some vigorous and others relaxing. Pilates - More vigorous than some types of Yoga, forces you to concentrate on what your body is doing while helping you work on core strength, stability and flexibility. Meditation The practice of cleansing the mind. Finding the time and patience to relax can be tough, but it doesn't have to be complicated--simply stopping to breathe for a few minutes can be your own meditation. Also, try Guided Meditation. Massage - Schedule a massage in the near future so you have something to look forward to. If that isn't an option, indulge at home with a hot bath or lounging around and reading your favorite book or magazine

12 Breathing for stress relief

13 Benefits of deep breathing Simple, but effective! Can be done any time anywhere Helps us to calm down and release tension. It tranquilizes the nervous system and elevates your mood. Raises vital energy, alertness and stamina Brings mind/ body clarity relieves emotional problems Repairs the body - massages organs, increases muscle, boosts heart, lungs and nervous system, improves cellular regeneration, releases toxins, even improves the quality of your blood! Strengthens the immune system Improves posture

14 Diaphragmatic breathing Abdominal breathing, belly breathing or deep breathing is breathing that is done by contracting the diaphragm, a muscle located horizontally between the chest cavity and stomach cavity. Air enters the lungs and the belly expands during this type of breathing. The diaphragm is the most efficient muscle of breathing. Your abdominal muscles help move the diaphragm and give you more power to empty your lungs.

15 Simple controlled or deep breathing Keep thoughts calm and relaxed while breathing Actually introduce the words calm or relax while breathing out Visualize - Imagine your other thoughts floating away in a balloon

16 Technique: Breathing Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound. Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose to a mental count of four. Hold your breath for a count of seven. Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound to a count of eight. This is one breath. Now inhale again and repeat the cycle three more times for a total of four breaths.

17 Technique: Breath counting To begin the exercise, count "one" to yourself as you exhale. The next time you exhale, count "two," and so on up to "five." Then begin a new cycle, counting "one" on the next exhalation.

18 Technique: Stimulating Breath Inhale and exhale rapidly through your nose, keeping your mouth closed but relaxed. Your breaths in and out should be equal in duration, but as short as possible. This is a noisy breathing exercise. Try for three in-and-out breath cycles per second. This produces a quick movement of the diaphragm, suggesting a bellows. Breathe normally after each cycle. Do not do for more than 15 seconds on your first try. Each time you practice the Stimulating Breath, you can increase your time by five seconds or so, until you reach a full minute.

19 Relieve stress and tension through the body

20 Progressive muscle relaxation Useful for relaxing the muscles when they feel tight because of emotional stress Progressive Muscle Relaxation provides the most optimal relaxation Key: tensing a group of muscles, hold in a state of extreme tension for a few seconds, relax the muscles

21 Tips for stretching Provide release, not pain Don t hold for too long 15 seconds max Flow from the bottom up or top down Do it regularly Static vs. ballistic Stretch opposing muscles

22 Daily stretching Stretch your major muscle groups one at a time Legs Back/ torso Chest Shoulders Arms/ hands Neck

23 Let s practice Legs

24 Let s practice Back/ torso

25 Let s practice Chest

26 Let s practice Shoulders

27 Let s practice Arms/ hands

28 Let s practice Neck

29 How can FitSimple help? Contact us to get started! Kaila Morgante FitSimpleTraining.com Facebook / Twitter / Wordpress / Instagram / Pintrest

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