Written by: Cheryl Meyer, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
I think most of us are aware that stress can damage our health. As a business owner, however, although I was warned that constant stress was harming my health, I thought it was also propelling me forward and helping me get more accomplished.
As humans, we developed the stress mechanism to respond to danger in the wild. If we encountered a tiger when we were out foraging for food, our adrenalin and cortisol went into high gear, moving blood to our brains and our muscles so that we could remove ourselves quickly from the danger.
In today’s environment, however, we are rarely chased by a tiger. And in my case, I let the tiger catch me. My cortisol was so depleted when I got an autoimmune disease that I was almost to Addison’s disease. Stress is a major contributor to the “leaky gut,” which is the root cause of our chronic diseases, including cancer, heart disease, and autoimmune diseases.
Not all stress is harmful. We all have some stress throughout our days. It is when stress becomes chronic that it becomes dangerous. And what I did not realize, it was also hindering, not helping, my productivity.
I have learned a series of stress-releasing exercises to use throughout the day. Most require no equipment and can be done in the workplace quietly without others even knowing what you are doing. All of them reset the parasympathetic nervous system and release the “steam off the instant pot.” All of them clear the head and improve productivity, so in the end, if you do these exercises, you will be far more effective running your business. Each exercise takes less than 3 minutes, and you should do one each hour throughout the day. In addition to lowering your stress, each of these exercises will slow your pulse and improve your health.
Recovery from chronic stress is not negotiable. You can either make time to rest and rejuvenate now or make time to be sick and injured later.
Stress builds up all day long. Every hour, take 2-3 minutes to release the buildup by using these methods:
Dr. Weil’s 4-7-8 breathing exercise 4 rounds at least 2x daily. This resets your parasympathetic nervous system. Dr. Weil is the father of Integrative Medicine. You can Google this and learn to do it with Dr. Weil on YouTube.
Take your fingers and push into your belly button and just jiggle for 1 minute. The theory is that your belly button is the beginning of our life, and through our belly button, we can impact the entire body.[i]
If you are in a private space, use the Belly Button Wand. If you are in a public space your fingers will work. This affects your reptilian brain at the back of your neck (the early brain in development) and significantly reduces your stress, as proven by Dr. Emerel Mayer, executive director of the Oppenheimer Center for Stress and Resilience.
Stand and bounce in place every hour to break up the day. This will bring energy to the brain. Stand up by your desk, let your arms hang, and bounce. Do this for 1-2 minutes.
Tapping the body starting at the ankles and working up to the top of the head. Don’t hurry. Do front and back of your feet, your ankles, your calves, your thighs, your tummy, your heart zone, go over and start with one hand and tap all the way up, then do the other, now tap your shoulders, your face and then the top of your head. This should take 2 minutes.
Every hour do stretches at your desk. Be sure to stretch up and stretch out. You can do it seated, or you can stand.
This exercise is done from a seated position. Put your hands on the side of your thighs (one hand on the outside of each thigh) push out. Hold for 10 seconds and release. You will feel relaxation go through your entire body. Do this repeatedly for 1 minute.
When fatigued, toe-tap from a seated position. Just put your legs out straight and tap your toes.
Releasing stress before it becomes chronic will enhance your mood, make you a better leader, bring you clarity, improve your memory, improve your sleep, make you more productive and help you be successful.
Want to learn more from Cheryl? Email her at Cherylmhealthmuse@gmail.com and follow her on Facebook, Instagram and connect with her on LinkedIn!
Cheryl Meyer, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Cheryl Meyer suffered from autoimmune disease. By eliminating hundreds of toxins, she reversed her pain. Cheryl has a BA from UC-Berkeley and is a health coach from IIN. Cheryl is an award-winning author, international bestseller, health coach, speaker, local tv host, and guest podcaster. Cheryl has written four books on health and toxins available here. Her podcast is on Voice America. Cheryl specifically works with clients with chronic illness giving them hope and helping them find solutions. It is never too late to start healthy habits. Cheryl is available to speak about the toxins in our world that are making us ill. She is a sought-after expert on toxins, in our food, cleaning, water, minds, including toxic stress and toxic lack of sleep. She also talks about the impact of toxins on our children and our pet’s health. Contact Cheryl for one on one coaching or speaking at cherylmhealthmuse@gmail.com. Eliminating toxins is a crucial step to regain wellness.
Reference: [i] I learned many of these exercises by doing yoga with Body and Brain Yoga. They have significantly lowered my stress.
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