Mini Movements

If ‘exercise’, dancing or running around the garden feels like a step too far, then this one may be the movement practice for you. Perhaps you feel you need a practice that can help you feel calmer or maybe you are restricted right now in what you can do due to time, location, health or other circumstances. Findings show that it is possible to enhance positive emotions like a feeling of calm or confidence through tiny movements such as the ones below. These options are great for slotting into a work-break or for doing at the end of a day to help you unwind. How to practice Options: 1. HAPPY MOVEMENTS like fist-pumping or jumping in the air have been found to make us feel happier. Yes, you’re probably cringing at this one, but ‘being silly’ (as out of our comfort zones as it can feel for some of us), is likely to give you a little uplift. 2. FOCUS ON POSTURE. Just as our posture can indicate how we feel, our posture can also influence how we feel. Findings show that both sitting up straight in your chair and the ‘superwoman pose’ increase feelings of confidence and optimism. 3. PROGRESSIVE MUSCLE RELAXATION (tensing and releasing muscles in each part of the body, from your head to your toes) reduces stress and induces calm. Try this for at least 5 minutes, ideally away from your desk. 4. STAND & STRETCH INTERVALS… regardless of how much exercise you do after a day spent sat at your laptop, findings show that to negate the negative impact of being sat down all day, the most important thing we can do is to get up every 30 minutes and move around. The findings on being sedentary and health and wellbeing are pretty shocking, but making changes is quite easy. Simply set an alarm for every 30 minutes, get up and at the very least, have a stretch for a couple of minutes. This will also help with concentration. Whilst yoga isn't a mini-movement, it is a great way to move your body in a way to induce a sense of calm. There are some great YouTube videos available that are as short as 5 minutes.