14 DAY TRIAL // Going on vacation is, as we all know by now, the best way to put behind us, albeit just temporarily, the stress of day-to-day life and really recharge our batteries. However, there still are some of us who can’t afford to go to exotic locations, for one reason or another, but that is not to say we can’t benefit from taking one such break – even during working hours, as FitSugar points out.
Studies have shown that taking a couple of 2-minute “minivacations” at work can have the most beneficial effects on the body, considerably bringing down the levels of stress. In fact, one such minibreak can relax us just as well as a workout session of 15-20 minutes would, and, what’s even better, we don’t even have to leave the chair, break a sweat or, in some more unfortunate cases, pull a muscle.
One such session of relaxation (also known as mini-stress management session) lasts about 1 minute and a half to 2 minutes. It’s easy to do and requires no further assistance and / or equipment than our willingness to let everything go for a short while. What we should do, experts say, is to close our eyes and try to focus on nothing else than the image of a beautiful sunny beach, or a snow-covered mountain top, depending on the case.
Of course, for this to work, we must really put all other thoughts aside, and that includes the pile of paperwork slowly stacking up on our desk or the many tasks we’re yet to complete by deadline. Focusing solely on that image – picturing ourselves on the beach or at the base of the mountain also helps – is guaranteed to relieve stress and make us feel better, reinvigorated by the time we open our eyes again to resume work.
“Just four ‘mini relaxation’ stress management sessions (1 1/2 to 2 minutes) over the course of the day reduced work-related stress as effectively as 15-minute blocks of progressive muscle relaxation, according to a University of Connecticut study. During the mini-stress management sessions, participants were simply instructed to relax; breathe slowly and deeply; and imagine a peaceful, serene place. The tests also found that subjects were more willing to stick with mini-relaxation in the future because it takes up so little time.” Prevention says of the latest study.