Stress Management
by Helen WhittenMeditation and relaxation
Our bodies are designed to relax from time to time in addition to our normal sleeping hours. In today’s world, this does not happen often and your body may be on full-time alert 24/7 if you are not careful.
Staged meditation and relaxation through the mind and body can lower blood pressure and refresh a person to be ready for the next challenge. Relaxation and fear are completely incompatible – you cannot be afraid and relaxed at the same time – so relaxation techniques are wonderful stress/anxiety busters.
Something you might consider is to provide meditation or relaxation sessions in the lunch break. Some companies offer yoga, tai chi or exercise sessions to relieve the stress chemistry and help people to stay fit and flexible.
Another option is to provide neck-and-shoulder massage at the desk. Again, this can relieve tension and prevent people taking time out at a later stage, due to more severe back problems.
Progressive relaxation techniques can also be invaluable and can be easily taught. This simply involves sitting comfortably in a chair and going through the following process:
- Close your eyes
- Take a deep breath and relax your shoulders
- Take your mind’s attention to your feet and feel them relaxing
- Take your attention to your legs, then your back, and progressively relax every part of your body, ending up with your jaw (which holds tension) and your forehead, and calming your mind.
You can stay gently breathing in this state for a period of time. Finally, you need to become aware of energising each part of the body again, so that you wake up refreshed at the end of the session.
Encouraging people to take time out will boost creativity – 99 per cent of people say they get their best ideas when they are relaxed, so it is worth encouraging this.