March 2022
· 3 min read
Feel like you’re running on empty? Try these three wellness exercises to pump up your energy in less than 25 minutes.
When was the last time you paused just to breathe? In the whirlwind of trying to balance work and family life, I often feel as if I’m on a treadmill. Some days, slowing down seems impossible.
Are there times when you feel down or lacking in focus or energy? Do you sometimes feel afraid or nervous in difficult situations?
So it was perfect timing for me when my NSF teammate Marcela Alarcón Rodarte coached a group of more than 40 of us marketers through a 25-minute wellness break. I found it a refreshing and enlightening experience. That moment of pausing helped me feel energized and lifted my spirits, and it prompted me to consider minor changes in my daily routine that might lead to even bigger benefits. I’m excited to see how far these take me in the days and months ahead.
“Practicing these exercises will allow you to use breathing as a tool to calm your mind and bring focus to what you need to do,” says Rodarte, Business Lead, Consulting, Training and Technical Services, LATAM. She recommends three ways to recharge (which you can do right at your desk):
Brain gym is a simple series of exercises that will boost your mood and memory and increase your attention span — plus it’s fun:
Practice brain gym in the morning, after lunch or anytime during the day when you start to feel your energy slipping.
Take time to simply pause and breathe, inhaling and exhaling.
Emotional freedom technique (EFT) helps ease physical pain and emotional distress. Using fingertip tapping to apply pressure, this technique creates a balance of energy and treats pain points.
“If we add up the time invested on these exercises and techniques, we are talking about 25 minutes a day to create mental wellness balance,” says Rodarte. “Twenty-five minutes is what we might spend on social media! So why not use that time for our wellness too?”