Guide
On the verge of burnout - how meditation can help you
by Ronja Magdziak
Less stress – how to relax without taking a break
22-9-2023
Translation: Eva Francis
Only a few minutes left before your next meeting begins and you haven’t finished your presentation yet. At the same time, the phone’s ringing, your inbox is overflowing, and a colleague has an urgent question. Stress level 100 and no chance to relax? Sure you do!
Five quick ways to de-stress your everyday life
1. Just smile
When you tell yourself to smile, your brain sends signals that stimulate the production of feel-good hormones such as serotonin and dopamine. These counteract the stress hormone cortisol. Give it a try and smile your stress away.
2. Hug someone
3. Get an anti-stress ball
So simple and yet so effective. Get an anti-stress ball and take your stress out on it. Kneading the soft ball has several positive effects. When you’re stressed, your muscles are tense. The kneading action relaxes them. On top of this, it distracts you from the actual stressors and has a meditative effect.
4. Sing out loud
If you’ve already managed to do the fake smiling, you’re ready to take it one step further. Be it in the car or at home – just sing. When you sing, your body releases endorphins, which are your body’s own happiness hormones. Especially when you’re having a stressful day, the neurotransmitters help you calm down. What’s more, when you sing, you automatically breathe deeper and more consciously, which also has a relaxing effect.
5. Write it down
Stress often builds up internally – we become more irritable and annoyed while agonising thoughts go round in circles. Break this cycle by writing your worries off your chest. No need to invest a lot of time, just take few minutes and write down what’s stressing or annoying you. This transfers some of the stress from your mind to the sheet of paper, providing emotional relief.
Tried it all and nothing worked? Then it’s time for a little dance break, which can also reduce stress.
Since my son was prescribed a stress ball for school, I also regularly sit at my desk and unconsciously knead the little ball while smiling to myself. This helps me stay calm – especially when I’m under time pressure. Have other tips? What helps you when you’re stressed?
Header image: Anna Sandner
Anna Sandner
Senior Editor
Anna.Sandner@galaxus.deScience editor and biologist. I love animals and am fascinated by plants, their abilities and everything you can do with them. That's why my favourite place is always the outdoors - somewhere in nature, preferably in my wild garden.
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