Three (Quick) Ways to Reduce Stress

Each day goes by so quickly. After I had my son somebody said to me "the days are long and the years are short". That couldn't be more true. So often, those days are spent running from place to place, anticipating our next move. This morning, as I sat at my desk, I started thinking ahead to the remainder of my day: visiting the little (would I have enough time!), eating breakfast, , the five meetings booked, the several reports I had to review, the insurmountable number of emails that I had in my inbox, the dinner that I had to go to that evening, the blog post I really wanted to write that night....

It seemed as if the list would never end. As I sat there, I became keenly aware that I didn't think once about what I was doing that very moment. For example, the chatter coming from the opposite side of the office, the children being lead around the parking lot from the daycare below, or the flock of birds milling around the river outside of my window. I was not present it the moments of my day because the stress of all the items I "had" to get done. Sometimes, we just need to stop, breathe and believe. Believe that no matter what you need to do or where you have to go, you should always be present in each moment - because you never know when your last one will be. Take some time to inhale your "now" and just savor you, your life and your surroundings.

Here are three things I do to try and get back to the now and reduce stress.

1. Breathe

Just stop and take 20 (count em'!) deep breath's. Inhale and exhale from deep down in your diaphragm. Force yourself to feel that inhale and exhale. Feel each molecule of air as is fills up your lungs. I learned this through yoga. I love yoga. I miss yoga....I digress...

 Just the practice of focusing on your breathing can relax your mind, heighten your senses and calm your spirit.

2. Stand up and Walk

It may seem so trivial or fundamental, but, sometimes walking is therapeutic. Commit ten minutes of your day to walking alone. Maybe around the office, parking lot, to the water cooler or down the street. Just open your eyes and walk. Think about your heart, your pulse and feel your body come to life. Walking can energize, focus and calm all at the same time.

This is something I have to literally force myself to do. I get so caught up the day that I forget to just do something for my own sanity.

3. Smile

I actually learned this one in health class in high school. Just stop and smile. Who cares if you look like a fool... just smile about it. According to my tenth grade health teacher, smiling increases happiness and decreases stress! Even when you don't feel like smiling, clench a pen between your teeth, and make a smile face. I promise, you will notice a difference. You'll either be laughing at yourself because you feel silly, or enjoying a good old fashioned grin.

What do you do to de-stress? Do you have any thing you do to stay focused during the day?