You’re sitting at your (home) office desk and hitting the keyboard with all you’ve got.
The pressure is cooking.
I can almost see the sparks of electrical discharge around you.
Now. You have a choice.
You can continue this mad journey, or you can take a five to Slow-Mo like a Pro and reduce stress.
What do you do?
What slow-motion has to do with stress?
Slow-motion is a visual effect used in film-making. It makes you believe that time has slowed down or almost stopped. Additionally, the time-stretching effect makes you feel that you are fully focused and gain valuable time to make a decision or finish the task.
You can experience the slow-motion effect in your real-life without watching a film or a video. It will change the way you think and deal with stressful situations. You will regain control and focus.
Slow-Mo like a pro to get these benefits
We all get stressed at times and feel the need to rush. Especially if the to-do list seems to grow overnight, and there is never enough time in a day to complete all tasks. Our mind races and things can get out of hand.
It may sound counter-intuitive at first, but slowing down or even getting to a standstill in the midst of the largest storm can actually fast forward you to a place where you want to be. The mindful concentration on the here and now will calm you down and train your mind to respond differently the next time you’re in trouble.
Slow down to speed up.
Learn also how visual clutter affects your productivity.
Advantages of slow-motion technique
- Calms you down
- Helps you regain control
- Increases your focus
- Changes the way you think
- Opens you up to other points of views and possibilities
- Improves the way you deal with stressful situations
- Trains you mind to respond differently
- Lowers the stress level
- Gives time to re-group
Give your mind a break to reduce stress
When you’re constantly engaging in various mental activities, you can easily overstimulate your body and mind. These activities can be anything from working, learning, planning, thinking to analyzing and contemplating. When you feel that you’re getting overwhelmed and stressed, that’s a clear sign that you need a break. Your body gives you physical signs that you might (un)consciously ignore or deny.
5 definite signs that you need a break
- Tensing muscles, especially around your face, neck, and shoulder area
- Clenching teeth
- Poor concentration
- Feeling overwhelmed and restless
- Tension headache
Slow-Mo like a pro effectively
Stress, tension, and overstimulation are clear signs that you need a break. It’s important to take care of yourself as soon as possible.
Many of us do not have much time to spare these days, so we tend to push the self-care to the bottom of our to-do lists.
What if you changed your priorities? What would happen if you decided, that no matter what, you are going to spend a few minutes every day re-charing, slowing down, and breathing?
Do you think you could enjoy it?
To start managing stress and tension, you could do the quick re-charge exercise whenever you spot the first signs. Don’t wait for the stress symptoms to become obvious and difficult to overcome. Later you could build a stress-release routine into your day and fit it into your schedule.
Sometimes you need to slow down to speed up.
How to Slow-Mo like a pro step by step
Follow these steps for maximum effect.
- Stop what you’re doing.
- Make sure your back is straight whether you’re sitting or standing.
- Take three deep breaths. Slowly breathe in through the nose, pause for a second or two, and breathe out through the mouth. You can close your eyes while taking in-breaths and open them on the out-breaths.
- Shrug your shoulders up, hold for a second or two, roll back and pull down. Repeat it slowly three times.
- Lower your head forward then slowly move it to the left side and then to the right side, while keeping it down. Repeat it slowly three times for each side and lift your head.
- Take three deep breaths again. Slowly breathe in through the nose, pause for a second or two, and breathe out through the mouth. Keep your eyes open this time.
- Now get back to your task. Do it in slow motion. Imagine you’re presenting it to somebody else, and have to control every move, to make sure they can capture and repeat what you do.
- Monitor your breathing. Feel your breath going in and out and your lungs expanding.
- Repeat this exercise as many times as you want and need.
Slow down to speed up
So, you’re sitting at your (home) office desk and hitting the keyboard with all you’ve got. The pressure is cooking. I can almost see the sparks of electrical discharge around you. Now. You have a choice. You can continue this mad journey, or you can take a five to Slow-Mo like a Pro and reduce stress. What do you do?
I hope you chose to give yourself a few minutes to breathe, relax and clear your mind.
The Slow-Mo relaxation technique is very effective. You can use it anytime, anywhere, and as often as you need. It does not require any special preparation or equipment.
Enjoy!
Have you tried to Slow-Mo like a pro? Share your experience in the comment below.