First aid for stress

Stress does not only live in our heads. Our body is often the first to send signals. If you learn to recognize those signals, you can regulate stress faster and reduce or prevent further consequences. In this blog, Aline Hupert, psychologist and Community Manager at BloomUp, shares eight easy exercises or 'mini-boosters' that can help reduce tension in the moment, even during a busy working day. Use them for yourself or share them with your team.

Aline Hupert, psychologist and community manager

1. Reframe:

We often think stress is negative, but that is not the case. Change your perspective and with it your thoughts (instead of "this makes me so restless", choose the thought "this is a chance to learn something").

2. Music:

Your favourite song will immediately release substances in your brain that make you happy. Binaural beats also work well to calm yourself down quickly.

3. Repeat a simple word:

Repeat a simple, single word for a few minutes (for example calm, calm, calm, ...). There is no need to repeat complex Indian mantras. Choose a simple word that calms you. This was studied by Dr Benson at Harvard University. The exercise works because of the focus.

Use your breathing:

Make sure your in-breath and out-breath are the same length. Breathe only through your nose, rest your tongue on the roof of your mouth and focus. Feel your heart rate slow down. When you breathe in, your belly should move outwards: 5 counts in and 7 counts out.

5. Regulate your body temperature:

Do you need warming up or cooling down? When you actively observe your body, it sometimes tells you more than you think. Then choose something that helps: a hot water bottle, a cool flannel on your face or a cup of soup can work wonders.

6. Move:

Go for a short walk or skip rope for a moment: the tension in your body ebbs away and neurotransmitters are released. Build these moments into your working day on purpose, especially if you have a desk job.

7. Smell something calming:

Did you know I like to carry a sample of sunscreen in my pocket? The smell alone takes my thoughts straight to a holiday. Any other object works just as well (a lavender bag, caramel lip gloss, ...).

8. Progressive relaxation:

First tense up extra, then relax. Tense your arms for 5 seconds, then let go for 10 seconds. Continue with your hands, legs, feet, ... After the exercise, notice how the tension in your body has dropped.

Which of these mini-boosters could you (or your team) try out today? And what would it look like if we made room for these micro-moments of self-care in the workplace in a structural way?

What's next?

Regulating stress does not stop at mental techniques alone.

In our upcoming webinar about the link between physical and mental wellbeing we look more closely at how body and brain constantly influence each other, and what this can mean for mental wellbeing in the workplace.

Sign up for the webinar here.

Do you notice stress and absence piling up in your organization? We are happy to think with you about an approach that goes beyond one-off initiatives and makes a real impact. Book a conversation using the button below.