“30 second stress relief habit”
For many of us Fall feels like a new beginning even though the changing leaves indicate the end of the year is approaching. As children our year began with the start of school that usually happened in the Fall when we entered a new grade, and a new beginning at a higher level. It’s a habit whose feeling lingers well into adulthood.
Rather than wait for the calendar’s pages to flip to another year, take advantage of the optimism of your feelings toward the beginning of another school year, a new start. With that in mind, beginning tonight, make tomorrow the first day of your best year ever.
To change your life for the better, all it takes is the creation of one new positive habit. Stress relief is always a positive in today’s busy business world. Experts agree, if we practice a new action for 30 days in a row, it becomes a habit. And this habit benefits the total person: our mind, body, spirit—personally and professionally.
For maximum performance at the work place and at home allow your body periods of rest between periods of accomplishment. Whenever time provides the opportunity to change activities from the extremes of work and rest; from the workweek to the weekend, take the time to appreciate this day’s efforts and then to anticipate tomorrow’s accomplishments. The following exercise is a habit to increase the relief from stress as well as easing the transition from performance pressure to total relaxation with gratitude.
It’s in those moments when our physical and spiritual self unite with our mental self in the pure pleasure of gratitude and grace. If you focus on the goodness in your life, your positive feelings will lift your spirit and clarify your mind on the excitement of possibilities available to you in the future.
It’s an easy transition from giving thanks today to fulfilling our dreams tomorrow.
The first “15”…
Try this tonight: take 15 seconds before falling asleep to review all of your accomplishments, actions, and the good things that happened during the past day. Put the rest out of your mind so you can focus on what feels good when the image, sound, smell, or warmth eases the tension from your scalp, face, neck, shoulders, arms, hands, fingers, chest, abdomen, hips, legs, feet, toes.
Inhale one very deep breath, pause for a second or two, and then exhale it until your lungs feel empty. The inhale should always be shorter than the exhale since inhaling oxygen inspires you to action, while exhaling carbon dioxide rids your body of toxins and relaxation is an inevitable by-product of cleansing healing.
Pleasant dreams will fill your sleep time.
The next “15”…
As soon as your eyes open the next day, take another 15 seconds to review your intentions, plans, and yes, goals for the day. Envision yourself accomplishing your responsibilities to yourself and others with a smile given and returned with everyone you contact or communicate with during your management cycle and the rest of your professional day. When you create this vision, really see it, enjoy it, and anticipate it working out in the best possible way.
Repeat the breathing exercise to create mindfulness around your positive intentions for the rest of your day.
We have days like that personally and professionally, and the more we treasure them, the more often they will occur. Ok, there are some days that don’t work out as well. On those days when you didn’t get it all done, or actually any of it done, because of distractions, interruptions, priorities; it’s on those days your feelings will determine the long-term effects of your good intentions that stopped short of fulfillment. On those days, during the 15 seconds before sleep as you mentally review your day and physically relax your body, allow your spirit to choose to feel happy about those events that did work out well—even if it’s as minor as enjoying a glass of cool, clean water, or smelling some fresh baking bread, or seeing a smile on a child or a stranger. Those simple pleasures will get you through the night of refreshing sleep and allow you to greet the next day with a happy smile of optimism.