A morning routine sets the tone for the day
Don’t crawl from bed to your laptop in the morning. No matter how many important emails are waiting for you, give them a few more minutes. Give yourself a few minutes in the morning to organize your thoughts, meditate, do your yoga routine, have a relaxing coffee, or get some fresh air for a few minutes. If you have children, wake them up after your “me-time”. My personal experience shows: Better a few minutes less sleep and a more conscious and focused start to the day.
Ventilate your study well
As simple as it sounds, it is important that you have enough fresh oxygen while you work. For a few minutes in the morning, open your windows wide and flush the room with freshness and focus.
Keep a clear order
Always keep your workplace tidy (unless you love the creative mess J). In the Feng Shui philosophy it is said that every type of material needs its specific place. Personally, I always have my laptop, stationery, documents and snacks J in a fixed place. This gives me an inner calm and the feeling that my life is completely under control. 😉 I also always have fresh flowers and an inspiring quote near me. Make sure that you leave your workplace tidy in the evening.
Take breaks
Sitting in front of the laptop for hours without a break can put a strain on your physical and mental health. Think about the animal world: a cheetah only runs so fast because it keeps slowing down and building up new strength. Do a few stretches every 1.5 hours and take a few deep breaths in and out.
Listen to your body
Even if you are distracted by work, meetings, and emails, try to keep your body sensors on. Check about every hour how your body is doing and whether it needs something from you, e.g. delicious food, a respite or just a bio-break. Also, don’t forget to drink plenty of water.
How can I reduce the feeling of stress in my life?
I personally love yoga and meditation for the reason that they relieve stress.
I recently read that “Stress is the epidemic of our time”. I am sure you can recall countless times in your life when you felt that the workload and pressure were getting too much for you. Interestingly, when we are under stress, we become less productive. Often we are then less motivated, exercise less or withdraw socially. We often eat less (or a lot more), cannot sleep well, and we stop believing in ourselves.
Is stress just something we have to live with? Fortunately not. There are a few things you can do to reduce stress in my life, to compensate for it or to become less aware of it.
Like your body, your mind needs rest and nourishment to be in a healthy and positive state. If you spend a fraction of your time doing breathing exercises, yoga, mindfulness, and meditation each day, it will relieve symptoms of stress. Scientific studies have shown for years that mindfulness exercises reduce the feeling of stress. In brain scans, we can see that after a few weeks of meditation, the part of the brain that activates the stressful state becomes anatomically smaller. Thus the stress level can stay the same and we are more relaxed.
Give it a try today – turn off the TV and spend some time with yourself. Sit in a quiet room, set a timer for 5 minutes and give focus inward. Remember what you are grateful for right now. Don’t push yourself to think positively. Just relax and the good thoughts will come to you. When calm comes over you, the feeling of stress will turn into serenity, joy and creativity.
