Taking a break throughout the day or evening can be a very important way to turn down your stress levels.
When you work all day trying to meet deadline after deadline, only to come home and face more responsibilities around the house, this can become a heavy burden to carry around.
Imagine lugging around a fifty pound weight hour after hour, without a rest! Aaagggh!!!
You may eventually find yourself lacking energy or desire. You’re cranky for no apparent reason, and your family and friends don’t want to be around you…
Since our mental and physical systems are not geared to handle constant stress, we need to take some time to get away from it all.
This doesn’t have to involve actually going anywhere, I’m speaking strictly in the hypothetical sense:)
But remember, if you don’t totally let go and relax during these break periods, it won’t be doing you any good.
Let me show you some easy ways to begin taking a break…
Gimme A Break
Constantly straining our brains to complete a project can have an adverse effect on how efficiently it gets done.
Once and awhile it helps to take your mind off of the task at hand, and just think about something peaceful and unrelated.
Even if you only do this for a few minutes, or during your lunch break, it will definitely help to relieve stress and think more clearly.
Close your eyes and picture a relaxing meadow, or listen to some classical music by yourself.
Watch some funny videos on your phone or computer…
Whatever works for you is fine, just make sure to keep these diversions within a pre-set time period.
Jump Around! Jump Around!
Okay, well maybe you don’t have to literally jump around…
But if you’re sitting in basically one position at work for a long time, it can definitely help to get up do some stretching exercises throughout the day.
Keeping your body loose and relaxed will certainly play a role in maintaining a sharp and alert mind.
Also, if the weather is nice and you work somewhere that has a bit of nature surrounding it, going on a brief walk at lunch can really lower your stress levels.
You can even take a nature walk in the evening to de-pressurize yourself before accepting the challenge of your next set of tasks at home.
Conclusion
It seems like every year our lives get busier and busier, and many people now have to work even on the weekends!
After awhile we start to get stuck in a rut, and old habits can be so hard to change.
Understandably, stress and anxiety are at all-time highs in modern society, making the importance of taking a break more pertinent now than ever before.
So before life knocks you “down for the count,” take a few simple steps to be sure you’re getting the most out of it:)
Enjoy and be well!!!
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