Instant StressBusters

Work, commuting, errands, family, friends—for many of us, relaxation isn’t always possible in our daily lives. But as stress has been linked to heart disease, it’s clear we need to make the time. The exercises below take just a few minutes a day, but they can go a long way in fighting stress and maintaining heart health.

Quick Relaxation
Try to get away from the hassle of your daily life and take just five minutes to relax physically as much as you can. Make sure you are not going to be interrupted–if necessary, take the phone off the hook or get away from anything likely to distract you.

You need to sit in a chair to do this properly.
• Breathe in and out slowly and deeply–this can really help the relaxation process. Try shaking and loosening your arms and shoulders.
• Let your jaw go slack and your muscles relax.
• Wiggle your feet and try to relax your legs.

Neck Loosening Exercise
This exercise can reduce shoulder and neck tension.
• Draw the numbers 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9, and 0 in the air with your nose.
• Draw each number large and make your movements slow.
• Be careful not to pull against tight muscles.

This technique takes about a minute and can actually work for any joint in the body. For example, you could draw numbers in the air with your ankles to loosen your feet.

Shoulder, Back and Leg Stretches
Take a couple more minutes to loosen up the rest of your body with these moves below.
• Grasp elbow with opposite hand. Pull elbow and arm across your chest.
• Place hands firmly against back of hips and bend backwards until you feel a stretch. Return to upright. Clasp hands over your head, lean to one side as far as you can. Return to upright and repeat on other side.

Mind Relief
Your mind needs a rest too! It can be difficult to relax your body while your mind is racing. After relaxing physically for a minute or two, try focusing on something that interests you. The goal is to stop your thoughts from returning to the worries of the day and to clear your mind—at least for a short time.



RELAXATION GUIDE ARTICLES
• Is Stress Making You Sick?
• Instant StressBusters
• Finding 'Me-Time'
RELATED ARTICLES
• 10 Habits of Highly Heart Healthy People
• Effortless Exercise
• Seven Steps to a Healthier Lifestyle

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The Promise® website is intended to provide general information for healthy people. If you have heart disease or related conditions, (such as diabetes, obesity or high blood pressure) or if you have questions about your heart health or your health in general, please see your doctor.