Take a Mini Vacation Every Day!

If your typical day involves lunching ‘Al Desko’ and your idea of a quick break is to grab another double espresso, perhaps it’s time to rethink your stress management strategy and incorporate this little ‘chill pill’ into your daily routine.

Dubbed a ‘mini vacation’ this is like the little sister of the Power Nap – except this exercise can be done almost anywhere, even in front of your computer if you must, and takes no more than a few minutes to complete.

Essentially a relaxation exercise, this involves listening to a short music track overlaid with positive affirmations which gently but effectively return you to a grounded state and reconnect you with your inner balance.

It’s called a mini vacation because for the few minutes in which you are listening to the track, you can imagine yourself to be anywhere in the world you want. You could be on your favourite beach, or walking through an enchanted forest – it really is only limited by your imagination.

It can help to have your eyes closed as you visualise the scene, but if this is not possible, then using a discrete pair of earphones with a screensaver of your favourite holiday destination on your PC or iPad works just as well, and you don’t even have to leave your desk!

Even though this only lasts for a few minutes or so, the profound switch in your brainwave activity – from the high Beta of the hustle bustle of the day, to the gentle Alpha waves as you tune in and zone out to the music – this really can recharge your batteries and leave you feeling refreshed, energised and ready to re-enter the fray of daily life.

Learning to Let Go The use of structured, mindful relaxation has long been recognised as a powerful tool to reduce stress, calm the mind and body, and increase our general health and well-being. Benefits of relaxation include:

Reducing heart rate and blood pressure
Increases blood flow to the muscles
Decreases muscle tension
Increases concentration and problem solving abilities
Improves sleep quality
Stabilises the emotions