The census is high, the CNA is out sick, you still need to finish the final details for your kid’s school’s “virtual” event and you’re concerned about your sick mother. Everyone knows those times when everything is suddenly piled up and demands that we kick it into high gear. Your head feels full, occupied and you’re trying to get a grip on things. Can you get it all done . . .
The Body-Mind Connection
Because the mind and body are inextricably linked, the increased preoccupation and pressure creates a response in the body. Energy follows attention! Unconsciously, your eyebrows will furrow, you squint more, your breathing is higher and faster and you — literally and figuratively — carry the world on your shoulders. The muscles in your upper body are contracted. Your life energy isn’t flowing. You are tired and exhausted at the end of the day.
Calm Your Mind
Do you want to know how to quickly get your energy flowing again while going about your day? Answer these 4 questions to calm your mind.
Choose recurring moments during your day, such as getting a cup of tea or coffee, going to the toilet, copying something or walking to a meeting. Then focus your attention on the following 4 questions.
4 questions to get you out of your head
1. Where is my breath?
When you are busy, your breath usually moves up and becomes shallow. Your abs tighten, which makes it difficult to deepen your breath. To do that, inhale slowly through your nose, filling your abdomen fully. Make sure your stomach relaxes and expands with your inbreath. Then hold your breath for a few seconds. Open your mouth slightly and exhale as if you were trying to fog up a window or mirror. That sounds like “hhaahhhhhhh.” Do this as slowly as possible, extending your outbreath until you have expelled all of the air. Finish the round by breathing in again through your nose. You can repeat this a few times.
2. Where can I let go of tension around my eyes?
If you feel stressed or have concentrated work to do, your eyes often carry tension because you are squinting more. The excess tension in your eye muscles results in increased tension throughout the rest of your body. Softening your eyes decreases the tension in your body and positively impact your energy. Try this: Close your eyes or blur your gaze (soft focus) for a couple of seconds and imagine resting your eyeballs in their eye sockets. Add a light smile to your face as well. Feel how your face and stomach relax and become aware of the effect this has on your breathing.
3. How can I allow my shoulders to be supported by my ribcage?
Are you a person who is carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders? When things are busy and we feel stressed, we tend to get stuck by literally building up tension in our shoulders and neck; the place where we ‘carry’ things.
Bring your attention to your shoulders and feel where you can soften them and let them rest on your ribcage. If you don’t feel this well: shrug your shoulders towards your ears and then drop your breath and your shoulders at the same time. Feel encouraged to make a big sigh, this will enhance the relaxation. Repeat this a few times until you feel that the tension is releasing from your shoulders.
4. Can I direct my focus to my body?
As I mentioned, focus often shifts to your head when you’re busy. And energy follows attention, making you feel stuck in your head even more.
A great way to shift your attention is to learn how to center. A good start is to become aware of the weight of your body: feel your feet on the floor, the weight of your buttocks in the chair or your legs heavy and solid on the ground. Rest your attention there for as long as possible as you move ahead with the things you need to do.
Use these questions whenever you feel stressed or notice that your body is tight. You can increase your awareness of those times by incorporating it into your daily routine. Which ones would you choose?
Share with us how you used the questions in your day and how they helped you!
