Relieving Stress While Working During a Pandemic

Looking for ways to incorporate stress relief into your daily routine during these unprecedented times? Here are three easy ways to relieve stress while working during this Coronavirus pandemic.

Pause

There’s something to be said about the saying “stop and smell the roses”. Too often we get caught up in the busyness of life. Enter the everchanging, information overload of constant COVID-19 updates along with the blurred lines of work at home/be at home and understandably we become big tight balls of stress. We can counteract some of this stress by doing something very simple: Pause. Be in the moment. Being present and taking in everything around us is one of the most important things we can do for not only relieving stress, but also for keeping our mental health in check. Here is a great simple guide to using mindfulness to pause and be present.

Intentional Breathing

Intentional breathing is a stress relief favorite because it can be done at any time and it nets a wonderful result. How exactly is intentional breathing done? The easiest way to breathe with intention is to employ the 4-7-8 technique. This technique encourages you to relieve stress by breathing in the following manner: breathe in for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 7 seconds and release or exhale for 8 seconds. Taking these calming breaths help to lower your blood pressure as well. 

Simple Stretching

Stretching is another way to relieve stress quickly. Stress can cause your blood flow to be restricted which in turn causes tension to settle in areas like your lower back or neck/shoulders. Initiating a simple stretch routine can help to stimulate your nervous system which in turn gets your blood flowing once again. Blood flow equals tension release equals stress relief. How about that? Try this great stretching routine.