How to relax quickly during short breaks?

August 25, 2022 5:38 AM

I’ve started a schedule where I work 7 days a week in emotionally challenging roles. I’m trying to find specific methods of relaxing quickly in the tiny pockets of quiet I get (often only 5-10 min.) I’ve had surprising success with ‘EFT Tapping’ but would be very grateful some specific types of meditation or similar that I can do that aren't apparent to others and that don’t require listening to anything.

This schedule will last several months, and I believe I can survive it if I build in some recovery methods that I can keep returning to. My body and mind realize they need quick decompression moments and I keep thinking ‘I wish I had a meditation method to use right now.’ Any ideas are very welcome.

Bonus points for guided meditations or methods for falling asleep. Yoga Nidra is miraculous for me, but I find myself avoiding it because the recordings I like ‘take too long’ (which is ridiculous because I end up spending that time tossing and turning, or looking at my phone anyway.) Normally I’d read a book, but I’m cognitively destroyed by the end of the day right now.

Many thanks for any ideas.

posted by octaviabutlerfan to Society & Culture (14 answers total)

I have this 100 piece jigsaw puzzle (map of the British Isles) that I would do daily. I got really good at it but it became this insightful meditative process to do the same puzzle over and over again. It was never put together the same, no matter how familiar I was with the pieces. My mind travelled to all sorts of interesting places. The contemplative rest and mild focus really energised me too.
posted by iamkimiam at 5:54 AM on August 25, 2022 [5 favorites]

My suggestion is going to sound like the opposite of what you're looking for, but look up "completing the stress cycle" before you dismiss it. :)

Get just a few minutes of intense aerobic activity. This could be briskly climbing all the stairs to the top of the building, or popping outside for a very brief run. Then use the washroom and drink some water.
posted by heatherlogan at 6:02 AM on August 25, 2022 [5 favorites]

3 minute breathing space.
posted by penguin pie at 6:06 AM on August 25, 2022 [1 favorite]

I keep Xmas lights in my little area so when I go into my little space the vibe is totally different than the brightly lit rest of the space. I get as horizontal as I can (slump back if in a chair) and I don’t use my phone at all.

I also do a 5-4-3-2-1 body scan where I count down slowly and try to relax 5 body zones - face - shoulders/arms/hands - belly - pelvic floor - legs/feet. Do it slowly and you can work up to doing it quite fast. Sometimes in a tense situation I can kind of whooosh tension out of my in just a couple seconds doing this count in my head.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 6:10 AM on August 25, 2022 [1 favorite]

In terms of "completing the stress cycle" as heatherlogan suggests, I often reset by suddenly tensing - as tight as possible - every single muscle I can find, counting to ten, then relaxing them all at once. If you turn towards the wall you can probably do this without anyone noticing. You might make some weird faces.

You can do this anywhere, any time, including when you are trying to fall asleep.
posted by nkknkk at 6:11 AM on August 25, 2022 [2 favorites]

Are you able to duck to a bathroom for a minute or two? Triggering the mammalian diving response can do wonders for a midday reset. Fill a sink with cold water, stick your face in the water (chin to forehead) for 30 seconds. That's it. It will trigger several different kinds of calming mechanisms in your body.
posted by Ookseer at 6:23 AM on August 25, 2022 [2 favorites]

I recently answered another meditation question and the method I described there might be of use to you as well.

Completely internal, requires no equipment, no specific postures nor motions, no wind-up nor recovery, and can fill arbitrary and unpredictable amounts of time. I almost always end up doing this any time I would otherwise have nothing more useful to do than wait for the next thing to happen.

As the laziest person I know, it's the only formal meditation practice I have ever got enough value from to keep on doing.
posted by flabdablet at 6:31 AM on August 25, 2022 [2 favorites]

The effect of that practice is cumulative, by the way; it's not an instant/episodic decompressor and not intended to be. Rather, it's a way to build internal skills that are a real help in not accumulating stresses that would otherwise end up requiring decompression.
posted by flabdablet at 6:41 AM on August 25, 2022

If you like the benefits of yoga but don't have time to get into it, I think you will really feel the benefits of "legs up the wall" aka Viparita Karani. You don't need a raise (blocks or bolsters are used in many demos) for your behind. Just make sure you get your behind as close to the wall as possible so your legs touch the wall for as much of their length as possible. Then stretch your arms to the sides.
posted by london explorer girl at 7:08 AM on August 25, 2022 [2 favorites]

I've found this 5-4-3-2-1 senses grounding technique to be helpful. It is also really quick. I sometimes do it in the shower if I feel the anxieties of the day bubbling up already.

The other technique I find helpful is "noting." This video explains how it can work. What I personally do, is instead of having a meditation object to focus on (like breathing), I let my thoughts/feelings arise, and then I note it as either a "thought" or a "feeling." Then, repeat for every thought/feeling that arises. This helps me put a bit of space between my "thoughts" (today is going to be a sucky day)/ "feelings" (I feel really anxious) and "me" as the observer. At some point, I'll notice that I just feel a lot calmer and a lot less chaotic in thoughts.

The last technique I use (since I often have anxiety) is to ask myself, what literally is endangering me right now? since anxiety is a fear response. Often times, nothing is literally physically endangering me -- I'm on the couch and my nose itches and I'm thinking about the day that I'm anxious about. Then, I kinda switch over to some CBT thinking -- e.g., do I actually know what I'm afraid of is happening or is it fortune telling / black-white thinking / negative filter, etc.
posted by ellerhodes at 7:39 AM on August 25, 2022 [1 favorite]

I second the suggestion for some variety of yoga, specifically "yin yoga" which focuses on staying in a single pose for longer times and is very helpful for moderating the nervous system, something which might be useful in your emotionally challenging line of work.

I do variations of these exercises a few times a day during stressful work spells, and 5 minutes is all I need to do a minor reset.
posted by jeremias at 7:50 AM on August 25, 2022 [1 favorite]

Try 4-7-8 breathing, popularized by Andrew Weil. Breathe in through the nose for a count of 4, hold for 7, and breathe out through the mouth for 8. Do 4 breaths to start, 2 or 3 times a day. After a few days you can increase the number of breaths, but don't do more than 8 breaths at a time.

There are videos that show how it's done, and it can help to hear what the out breath sounds like. I just listened to a podcast interview with him a few days ago. He said that you'll get benefits pretty quickly, but after about 6 weeks is when you see a big difference in how you handle stress.
posted by daikon at 4:56 PM on August 25, 2022 [1 favorite]

I used a modified form of these tension and trauma releasing exercises. Basically inducing tremors in my legs.
posted by metasarah at 7:17 AM on August 26, 2022 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thank you all for these ideas, very helpful and appreciated.
posted by octaviabutlerfan at 7:02 AM on August 27, 2022