5 First Aid Tips Against Stress And Chaos 

A guest article by Susan Brennicke

Tip 1: Hang loose and shake it off! 

Hanging loose helps in its literal sense! Forward bends help to relax your body, have a calming effect on your nervous system and give you the opportunity to mentally let go of everything.

In times of Corona and home office, simply squeeze in a few yoga asanas instead of always "going through the motions". After this mini-break, you will be more in tune with yourself and will be able to concentrate again. Sometimes small breaks also bring a flash of inspiration!

Depending on your stress level or degree of inner turmoil, it can be good to start with a more active yoga asana to get out of your mind and into your body. For example, you can go through one or two sun salutations. Completely concentrate on your breathing.

Then get into a forward bend. You can do it while standing (even in the office!) or sitting. Mentally accompany this asana by saying to yourself: "I'm going to let go of everything now!

Here's how to do the standing forward bend:
- Bend your legs
- Rest your upper body on your legs
- Grasp your elbows
- Bend forward, head first
- Close your eyes and hold this position for at least ten breaths

Here's how to do a seated forward bend (feel free to use a cushion):
- Come to sit with your legs extended straight out in front of you
- Place a cushion in the back of your knees
- Grasp your elbows under the back of your knees
- Bend your upper body forward
- Close your eyes and hold this position for at least ten breaths

Tip 2: Do a power walk!

This is my personal miracle weapon when I feel very tense.

For your power walk, just put on your shoes and go outside for a quick walk. It's best to leave your mobile phone at home! This time belongs to you.

15 minutes of (brisk) walking will help to regulate your nervous system and let go of the feeling of pressure and inner restlessness. These 15 minutes are not wasted time, because you benefit from a cleared mind, a better mood and, of course, a  happy body.

By the way, the power walk works in your home office as well as at other workplaces. Just make sure to break the sitting cycle and push through with the active decision to powerwalk. 

A little spoiler: Once you've chosen this way of dealing with pressure, you'll be proud of yourself as well! 

Tip 3: Take a bath! 

The "hot bath" is probably not an instant solution, but it is also a miracle weapon! The prerequisite here is of course a bathtub; alternatively, an intense hot shower works as well. 

Just 15 minutes are enough to regulate and calm you down. A hot bath relaxes your muscles and your mind. It also strengthens your immune system.

Please make sure that the water is not too hot. 38°C is quite sufficient.

After a hard day, it is much more effective to take a hot bath instead of just falling onto the couch.

You can also use the hot bath as a preventive measure, for example before an important day (job interview, presentation, etc.). This way you are guaranteed to sleep better, and you can face your challenges as relaxed and clear as possible.

Tip 4: Get the stress off your chest writing

This sounds simple and you're probably wondering: What's the point? Nevertheless, it is very effective and I really recommend you to give it a try.

Especially if you have been feeling stressed, restless or upset for a long time, take a piece of paper and a pen and write everything down. This way you can create your own stress list! In general, it is interesting for you to see what throws you off balance.

Writing things down gives you the opportunity to get an overview of the different reasons. This in turn helps you to take action and change things. Above all, you take yourself seriously, and that alone often changes the pressure situation.

Constantly thinking about it keeps the stress situation alive, so it keeps stressing you. Putting this situation down on paper, including the different reasons, will help you find a constructive way out of it.

So please don't just go on and on, but take five minutes and write down your stress/pressure factors!

Tip 5: Inhale, exhale in a box

Even if a single deep breath does not bring immediate relaxation, you can still reduce inner restlessness and stress by breathing. How you do it is crucial!

A very simple breathing technique to give you a short break (mentally and physically) is called "box breathing" or four-square breathing. It means you inhale, exhale and pause equally in lengths to four counts each. 

Here's how:
- Breathe in and mentally count to four
- Hold your breath and mentally count to four
- Exhale and mentally count to four
- Hold your breath and mentally count to four

Repeat the sequence five times. Then observe without affecting your breathing any further.

How do you feel now?

With these five tips, you are now well prepared against inner restlessness, stress and the resulting tension.

Basically, it is important that you become aware of when the feeling of restlessness and pressure arises. Your body sends you clear signals. For your long-term well-being (and that of your environment), start to pay attention to these signs and react accordingly. 

You need a maximum of 15 minutes to implement these tips. This is enough to relax a little, to get back to yourself and to restore your balance. Afterwards you can be proud of yourself, because these 15 minutes mean active self-responsibility for you.

2 exercises against stress (German)