When was the last time you came home from work and felt energised, rested and relaxed? Or do you feel tired, tense and troubled and wonder whether you will have enough energy to cook the family evening meal, listen to your children talk about their day and make time to be with your partner? Even if you regularly exercise, eat a balanced diet and have a supportive network of family and friends, chances are you will experience moments of overwhelm and stress during your day; especially at work where the pressure to meet tight deadlines and heavy workloads can leave you feeling stretched and stressed.
Stress at work can have a major impact on your health.
The American Medical Association stated that stress was the cause of 80 to 85 percent of all human illness and disease.
Furthermore, every week 95 million Americans suffer some kind of stress related symptom, for example; high blood pressure, lower back pain, migraine or even irritable bowel syndrome for which they take medication.
To combat the negative effects of stress, it is vital you spend time during your day to release the build -up of stress chemicals in your body.
Once released you feel better, more alert and able to concentrate on the task at end.
Top seven yoga stretches to help you survive stress at work The following easy to do yoga stretches can easily be slipped into your day to help you release stress and tension in your body and calm your mind.
1.
Feet and Ankles Stretch - Sit comfortably on your chair.
Straight back.
Stretch your legs out and slowly rotate your ankles and feet 5 times in each direction.
2.
Seated Spinal Twist - Sitting on your chair, cross your left leg over your right leg.
Place your right hand on your crossed knee.
Keeping your back straight, slowly turn your body to the left and look over your shoulder.
Gently release and turn back to the centre.
Change legs and twist the other way.
3.
Seated Forward Bend - Sitting on your chair, feet firmly placed on the floor, breathe in and as you breathe out, slowly bend your upper body forward toward the ground like a rag doll.
Relax and take 3 - 5 deep breathes before slowly returning to an upright position.
4.
Seated Cobra/Backward Bend - Sit comfortably on the edge of your chair.
Make sure your feet are facing forward and resting squarely on the floor.
Rest your palms on your thighs.
Breathe in and as you breathe out, gently lift your chest, lower your head back and arch backwards.
Breathe deeply and relax.
Slowly return your body to centre.
5.
Stretch Arms Above Your Head - Sitting or standing, raise both arms above your head and stretch out through your fingers.
Hold your left wrist with your right hand and gently stretch over to your right.
Relax and breathe into the stretch.
Return to the centre.
Switch arms and repeat on the other side.
6.
Neck Stretch - Sitting tall and straight, rest your hands on your lap.
Breathe in and as you breathe out slowly lower your right ear to your right shoulder.
Ease into the stretch and gently return your head to centre.
Repeat on the other side.
7.
Chewing Gum - Pretend to chew a large piece of chewing gum.
Chew chew chew.
Close your eyes and gently massage your cheeks, forehead, temples and head with your fingers.
Choose any two or three of the above yoga stretches and practice them throughout your day.
You will soon feel calmer and more able to survive stress at work.