1. Focus on your breathing. It’s an indisputable fact that in today’s world, few of us get enough fresh air to breathe but it’s not all about environmental pollution. Most of the time, we’re so focused on a task at hand (especially while working) or stressed out from daily life, that we actually forget to breathe. This is something so basic and simple that we can do it anywhere, anytime. Just breathe in deeply from your diaphragm and let the air fill not just your lungs but your abdomen too. Breathe out slowly. Do this for 5 minutes and you will notice just how much calmer and more relaxed you feel.
2. Feel the love. Whether it’s kissing someone you’re in love with or hugging your parents or even playing around with your dog or cat, take a few minutes to simply revel in feelings of love. There is nothing more powerful than to love and be loved to create a feeling of safety and relaxation.
3. Stretch like a cat. Those tense shoulders you have from hunching over your laptop and those aching calves from running during a workout or walking in heels all day- release those tensions by stretching gently but thoroughly like a cat. Notice how cats are constantly stretching and have no issues jumping from all kinds of crazy heights. Sure, they’ve got the legs for it but their stretching techniques are definitely something we should learn from. Long, slow movements always help even if just for 5 minutes.
4. Dance like nobody’s watching. Find a solitary place whether at home or on the rooftop of your office building. Put your favorite up beat song on and dance around like a crazy person; dance like you would when nobody’s watching. Have fun, smile, go crazy. Guaranteed 5 minutes of that and you’ll feel a lot better.
5. Give yourself a mini-massage. Acupressure is not some “new age” medicine; its roots are steeped in millennia of Chinese history and are now beginning to be adopted by Western physicians. When you’re feeling a lot of stress, tension or have a headache, you can give yourself a mini massage to relieve those symptoms. Gently but firmly press on the points in the diagram below with whichever fingers feel most comfortable (typically a combination of forefinger and third finger works well). You want to press on symmetrical points simultaneously to get the best results and gently massage those points for a few seconds each, moving from one set of points to the next and repeating.