1. Drink lots of water, especially at work.  In addition to keeping your body hydrated, it will get you up out of your seat to walk down the hall to the bathroom.  Those short breaks from your desk will help you feel refreshed throughout the day.

2. Stretch.  Not enough time?  If you feel that you don’t have enough time for yoga classes, just spend a few minutes in the morning to focus on lengthening the muscles where you feel tightness or stiffness.  It will help you feel more ready for the day.

3. Take time for yourself.  Think it’s selfish?  Think about how much time you actually take for yourself.  It’s probably much less than you think.

4. Breathe.  Take a few minutes every day to sit, relax, and breathe deeply.  Start in your abdomen, then the sides of your ribs, and then your upper chest.  It will amaze you how much more energy you will have.

5. Don’t forget to laugh.  Whether you laugh at a joke or spend 5 minutes watching a funny video online, laughing will instantly make you feel better.

6. Write out the positive.  Jot down a few positive things in your life in a notebook or journal.  Re-focusing on the positive will help you re-centre yourself and reduce the feeling of stress.

7. Take 10 minutes before you to go to bed to clear your mind from you kids, spouse, and pets.  Take the time to relax.  If you try it, you might find you get a better sleep.

And finally – don’t forget to include massage therapy as part of your health care routine.  Massage has been proven to promote relaxation, increase circulation and reduce stress, as well as relieving pain and tension in muscles affected by stress, most commonly in the neck and shoulders.

Contributed by:

Leslie Brown, RMT