Five minutes to calm

These simple techniques take no time at all to tackle stress and boost wellbeing

January can be a difficult month at the best of times, but with Covid restrictions life is especially challenging. So if you are feeling stressed, you are not alone.

But these simple tips are designed to help you rebalance yourself when you need it most – and they only take five minutes.

“Try picking just one to start with – the tip that seems easiest or speaks to you the loudest,” says wellbeing expert Joanne Mallon.

“Once that’s embedded, add any others that appeal.

“These ingredients will transform your life and give you a fresh perspective on your daily routine.”

BREATHE IN CALM

This is a trick used by professional speakers to help them feel calm and confident. Place your dominant hand on your stomach, and take relaxed, full breaths, feeling your abdomen move in and out. Deep breathing like this slows the heart rate, making you feel centred and ready to face the world.

Practise this anytime you need to reconnect with your most confident self.

TURN OFF, TUNE IN

Before you launch yourself into the day, go through your phone settings and turn off as many app notifications as you can.

Notifications interrupt the flow of your day and suck up your attention by dragging you into the online world. If you’re cutting down screen activity, wearing a watch will also help by stopping you picking up your phone to check the time.

POSITIVE MANTRA

Mantras are positive phrases that should be repeated out loud. They can be a great rudder to hold on to when life is going off course, and you can use them to steer yourself back to centre.

Your mantra could be as simple as “be calm”, “all is well” or “stay strong”. Write one out and stick it where you can see it.

QUICK VENT

Don’t carry your anger with you throughout the day.

Instead, decant your frustration into your journal, the air, or the ear of a loved one. The aim here is to download those negative feelings out of your brain and leave space for something more productive.

Give yourself five minutes to process the emotion, then get rid of it and consider what you can learn from it.

FIND THE BEAUTY

If you’re working indoors all day, shake up your day by taking five minutes to go outside.

Look around until you find something beautiful, then take a photo and share it with your friends. If you look for something beautiful then you will find it, and by using it to connect with your community you are deepening those relationships too.

MAKE A TO-DON’T LIST

Writing a list can be incredibly helpful when it comes to focusing your thoughts on the things you want to do. But what about the things you don’t want? How clear are you on those?

Make a list of 10 things you’re not going to do tomorrow, this week, or ever. It could be things you’ve said yes to in the past but want to say no to in the future. Getting clear on what your priorities are now will help you know if they are challenged in the future.

NEW CHARGE

Many studies show that using your phone just before bed can interfere with sleep quality. To combat this, decide on a new location for your device’s charger, away from your bedroom, and make sure it is in its new home at bedtime.

Your mind and body will thank you in the long run.

LET YOUR BRAIN REST

Doing something easy and repetitive gives your brain a rest and helps you to process what’s happened throughout the day. Try knitting, folding laundry or dusting a bookcase. Activities that involve repetition are good for managing anxiety, since they help the mind to balance. When your brain is forced to concentrate on physical movement, it’s shifted into a state of flow and will release worries it has been hanging on to.

Activities that involve repetition are good for managing anxiety

STRETCH IT OUT

Stretching just before you go to bed helps to relax your muscles as you unwind physically and mentally.

While morning stretches may be dynamic and involve movement, evening stretches should be more static. You can stretch the same muscles you moved in the morning, but this time hold the stretch for up to 30 seconds.

Aim for evening stretches up to five times a week, as your muscles will respond better to this than they would to one long session.