09 Mar Ways To Unwind In 1 Minute!

Sometimes you need to take a break and de-stress before you get back to work! These exercises to increase focus are all about unwinding and easing into the next part of the day, instead of forcing yourself to kick off your adrenaline and cortisol levels. Give one a try today, it’s less than a minute long!

STEP 1: Look up and count down from 50.

Staring at the ceiling and slow deliberate counting lowers your blood pressure and helps your mind get rid of distractions! This relaxation causes a stimulation in the parasympathetic nervous system. This nervous system send more nervous signals to the organs and glands, creating ideal conditions for healing. Some sages even refer to this state as “the sacred space”.

STEP 2: Inhale through your nose, exhale through your mouth.

Do this 10 times to slow everything down. Deep breathing and focusing on the stomach going up and down, brings awareness to just your breath. This way you just concentrate on your body and gently flow away from a barrage of thoughts!

STEP 3: Pen your worries down!

This is a nice way to prepare your mind before unwinding. If thoughts keep popping up, you won’t be in a state of relaxation. So, simply put your problems or worries down on paper so that you can work on them later.

STEP 4: Do a body scan.

Did you know that stress causes your muscles to involuntarily tense up? That’s why you feel tired or lacking energy sometimes. Ease your muscles by slowly placing tension on it and then releasing it! Do this slowly from head to toe to reduce muscle pain and discomfort and general mental stress too!

STEP 5: Imagine you are on a cloud!

Sometimes we need a temporary escape from routine life, especially if you get stressed out on a daily basis. So engage your freedom of imagination and pretend that you’re blissfully floating away on a cloud, smelling, hearing and seeing everything that makes you happy. Positive imagery is a very powerful tool in meditation in times of rest and recuperation!

Nehita Abraham

Nehita is a mindfulness expert who writes extensively on lifestyle management, wellness and ways to lead a healthier and a happier life. She is a part of Aware’s expert team on meditation. She is also an avid artist who spends most her time dribbling amazing stories through art.