Stress Less Desk Moves

Transcription

1 Stress Less Desk Moves Identify two stressful situations from this week 1. Thoughts: Feelings/Sensations: Question or Reframe: 2. Thoughts: Feelings/Sensations: Question or Reframe: Rate Your Current Level of Stress: Rate Stress After Stress Less Desk Moves Exercise #1: Exercise #2: Exercise #3: Exercise #4: Exercise #5:

2 Stress: Evolutionary defense and survival mechanism We have changed, but our primal instincts and stress response has not Our brain acts the same to the threat of a deadline, public speaking, and traffic as to a tiger We have two nervous system responses: Fight or Flight and Rest & Digest We are chronically in Fight or Flight which turns all our organs and systems on full alert Our goal is to break the Fight or Flight cycle as often as possible to reduce effects of chronic stress on our brain and body. Physiological responses to Fight or Flight: Heart rate and blood pressure increase Blood clotting increase Salivation and digestion stop Reproductive organs and hormones stop Brain becomes more impulsive Blood sugar is released Breathing becomes Muscles tense The complete opposite happens when we stimulate the rest and digest response. Belly Breathing Promotes Rest & Digest response and breaks the Fight or Flight response 1. Put one or both on your stomach as you sit relaxed in your chair 2. Exhale all your air out your nose and feel your stomach deflate 3. Inhale through nose and feel your stomach rise 2/3 and chest final 1/3 4. Lengths these breaths to 3 seconds in and 3 seconds out for a count of 10

3 Alternate Nostril Breathing Stimulates both sides of the brain and the pineal gland 1. Sit comfortably and exhale out both nostrils 2. Place your index finger over your right nostril and inhale up your left nostril 3. Hold your breath as you switch covering your left nostril and exhale out your right nostril 4. Pause at the end of the exhale and inhale back up your right nostril 5. Hold your breath and exhale out your left nostril 6. Pause at the end of the exhale and inhale up your left nostril 7. Repeat 10 cycles on each side

4 Massage Promote relaxation by releasing tension by holding tight facial muscles 1. Start with 3 horizontal strokes from the middle of the forehead to the temples 2. Trace the inside of the eye to the outside from the top along the eyebrow 3 times 3. Trace under the eye from the inside out 3 times and switch directions 4. Press two fingers on either side of the nose to relieve the sinuses 5. Travel down under the cheek bones and press hold for 15 to 30 seconds 6. Move your hands to your temples and rub 3 times 7. Put your index finger and thumb at the base of the jaw bone and trace forward toward the chin Progressive Relaxation Developed by Edmund Jacobsen to break tensemind, tensemuscle cycle 1. Squeeze your right hand in a fist for 5 seconds and release, notice the difference between hands 2. Squeeze your left hand in a fist for 5 seconds and release. 3. Continue up the arms and shoulders 4. Continue by contracting and relaxing the neck 5. Tense and relax the face and jaw 6. Follow the same steps with the feet, legs, hips and abdominals

5 Visualization Steps developed by psychologist, Jerome Singer for controlled positive daydreams 1. Sit back and relax in your chair 2. Close your eyes and take a few belly breaths for 2 minutes 3. As you exhale, silently say the word or phrase relax, calm, or let go. 4. Now picture a beautiful, happy scene that visualize it with great detail 5. Feel the breezy, warmth of the sun, toes in the sand, sounds of the waves 6. Keep your focus on this scene and all the sensations until you feel a sense of relief