Switch it off! Letting go of Stress
When only stress remains in the day…
Many people complain of not being able to switch off when they leave work- they arrive home to more thoughts of the job and the feeling that they can’t let go. This sends us spiraling into stress when we should be unwinding. As an office of chiropractic, we are primarily concerned with the effect of stress on the body- the tense muscles, tension headaches and shallow breathing that it causes. We have brainstormed a few simple techniques for diverting your mind from the vicious cycle of stress.
Physical ways to let go of stress: Legs-up-the-wall
It can be hard to remove yourself from the vicious cycle that stress causes, but sometimes you have to get inverted! One of the simplest and most powerful yoga poses, legs up the wall has the benefits of:
- boosting circulation to the upper body
- relieving lower back pain
- alleviating headaches
- boosting energy
- encouraging lymph and other fluids to drain from the legs
How to do it:
- Sit with left side against the wall
- Turn your body to the left and bring your legs up on the wall
- Lower your back to the floor and lie down
- Rest shoulders and head on the floor
- Get buttocks as close to the wall as possible
- Let your arms rest extended to the sides.
- Practice deep breathing and hold for 5 minutes
Progressive relaxation:
Start breathing in deeply, expanding the belly and holding for 4 seconds. Exhale for the same amount of time. Focus on each breath and the rhythm will help stress melt away. Now add in part two: with each inhale, tense a different muscle group and then let go on the exhale. Dedicating a few minutes to physically unwinding after work will help to keep stress at bay when you are trying to relax at home. Give it a try next time you are feeling burnt out!
Dr. Raymond Espinosa, D.C.