The work areas where we spend most of the day are also the source of the stress we experience every day. Factors such as workload, delivery time tensions and communication problems with colleagues can cause stress.
There are many methods that can be applied to reduce stress and protect our health in office areas where we spend most of the time we are awake.
Let’s review the types of relaxation techniques you can apply during working hours.
What are Relaxation Techniques?
When reviewed as a term, it means relaxation, relief from pressure and tension. In this context, relaxation techniques can be summarized as methods that can be applied to get away from the destructive effects of stress.
Especially routine sports such as walking and jogging relax the brain, help you to relieve the fatigue of the day and to think more clearly. Similarly, during activities such as knitting, painting and reading books, re-arranging your office interior design, you can get a chance to relax by getting rid of the effects of stress.
It is not possible to do long-term sports and hobby activities during office hours. For this reason, simple and fast relaxation techniques that can be applied in the office have been developed. These techniques range from physical routines to thought patterns.
By following these techniques you will be more comfortable and reduce the stress of the office.
Relaxation Techniques You Can Apply in the Office
The relaxation techniques to be applied in the office interior often include a number of methods that you can apply without even leaving your desk. However, for some techniques, you may need a quiet environment.
Long Breathing Exercise
Studies show that people under intense stress tend to hold their breath. The oxygen we need for our physical and mental functions to relief properly is provided by breathing. When breath is held, cells remain without oxygen and cannot function effectively.
One of the simplest and most useful relaxation techniques you can apply when you notice that your stress level is increasing, is long exhalation. You don’t need to leave your desk to practice this exercise.
Sit upright on the end of your chair and make sure both feet are firmly on the floor. Leaning your back on the chair compresses your body. For this reason, try to keep your back as straight as possible without leaning anywhere.
While sitting in this position, take a 3-second deep breath, take care to exhale in 6 seconds. Repeat this exercise at least 5 times.
Visual Animation Exercise
We all have a place in our lives where we feel safe. Most of the time, we do not have the chance to visit this place of happiness, which is the home of our childhood years or the home of our grandparents, during office hours, but visual animation can also do the same function.
Before starting this exercise, you need to determine where your happiness is. When you remember, you can use any place that only creates good memories, you feel safe and spend time with your loved ones.
When starting the exercise, put your feet on the ground and sit back. The quiet environment will help your memories come alive. Close your eyes and try to visualize in your mind that you are in a place of happiness. Activating as much of your senses as possible helps the animation to be more realistic. You should try to focus on the sounds, smells and tastes you hear in your happiness space.
Repeating this exercise regularly will help your mind stimulate your happy place much more easily.
Sensory Exercise
The five main senses in our body can work miracles in focusing. Research shows that as a result of damage to any of these five senses, the remaining senses will develop more than the average.
Focusing on our senses can also help put other issues in our mind to the background. Before applying this exercise, it is important to determine which senses you want to focus on. For this, you can experiment in different ways and determine the most suitable sense for yourself.
You can simply massage your hands to activate the sense of touch. Using moisturizing products such as creams or balms and rubbing the palm, focusing on the knuckles, helps you distract from other thoughts in your mind.
People who want to focus on their sense of smell can wrap a small amount of coffee in a napkin and smell products such as herbs, lotions, cologne or perfumes. Sniffing the coffee before switching to a new scent will help sharpen your senses.
Waist Stretching Exercise
This technique, which can be included in the category of stretching and relaxation exercises, stands out with its applicability on your desk.
Place your hands on the edge of your table and make sure your feet are in firm contact with the floor. While sitting on your chair, push yourself back as much as possible, taking power from your hands. When you reach the correct position, your arms should be almost parallel to the table surface.
Turn your lower body first to the right, taking power from your knees and feet. Your chest, arms and head should always remain towards the table. After completing your turn to the right, turn to the center and do the same exercise to the left.
Eyebrow Massage
Eyebrow massage, which is also very effective in reducing the effects of problems such as headache and migraine, is a physically quite simple exercise. Place your elbow on the table, place your thumb and index finger at the top of your nasal arch.
Start moving your fingers slowly over your brow bone and breathe at least 3 times. Thanks to this exercise, you will have the opportunity to rest your eyes while getting rid of the effects of stress. After repeating the movement several times, gently squeeze the area at the end of the eyebrow on your fingers. In this way, you will accelerate the blood flow in the eyebrow area.