Five Minutes to Spare? Suggestions on How to Use this Time
Sometimes there can be so much to get done that just the thought of the work ahead is really daunting. Other times we all need ways just to improve our general wellbeing.
But what if you start by just taking five minute bites...
Here are some suggestions:
Seeing clutter can cause stress levels to increase. If you can just take little sessions of five minutes at a time to clear and declutter your immediate environment. Seeing an almost instant result and improvement could well spur you on to keep on with the work needed.
By closing your eyes. Our senses are more overwhelmed than ever. When you get even just a minute or two or five, stop and close your eyes. These minutes of sensory deprivation give your brain some much needed respite. Easy when you know how!
Stimulating the vagus nerve. This is the longest of the twelve cranial nerves and when it is stimulated, it will calm the nervous system. A really simple way to do this is by spending a few minutes rubbing your fingers up and down the sides of your neck - all the way to the hairline behind the ear.
Standing in a power pose. Research has found that standing in a power pose - with feet slightly wider than normal and hands on the hips - can reduce stress and anxiety. It can also raise your confidence immediately.
Being aware of our sense of touch. Spend a little time bringing your index finer and thumb together and making a circular motion. By bringing our attention to our sense of touch, we can drop away the overwhelming mind fog of modern life and feel more centred.
SOURCES:
5 things you should know about stress. (n.d.).
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/stress/index.shtml. (Accessed, 2 May 2021).
American Psychological Association. (2018). APA Stress in America™ survey: Generation Z stressed about issues in the news but least likely to vote [Press release].
https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2018/10/generation-z-stressed. (Accessed, 2 May 2021).
Cartwright, C., et al. (2016). Long-term antidepressant use: Patient perspectives of benefits and adverse effects.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4970636/. (Accessed, 2 May 2021).
Loprinzi, P. D., & Frith, E. (2019). Protective and therapeutic effects of exercise on stress-induced memory impairment [Abstract].
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30203315. (Accessed, 2 May 2021).
Written by Jane Chitty
Jane writes for Healing Natural Oils, a producer and retailer of high-quality, all-natural treatments for a variety of conditions as well as a range of beauty products. Apart from writing about those various conditions, she also covers general health, environmental and other subjects of interest. She has lived in Kenya as well as Cape Town, South Africa and spent time in San Diego, USA. She now lives in Somerset, England with regular visits from her far-flung children and grandchildren. She is a keen gardener and enjoys growing fresh fruit and vegetables with her husband on their joint allotment. As a result, there is something available to use in the kitchen virtually all year round. Her regular posts can be found on our blog.