Tom Corson-Knowles

Do you ever get stressed out? Overwhelmed? Find yourself feeling sluggish in the middle of the day?

Stress has become an epidemic these days with our fast-paced lifestyles and economic woes throughout much of the world.

These simple time-tested techniques will help boost your energy and vitality throughout the day. These quick daily tips will only take 5 minutes but will boost your energy and reduce your stress by 50% or more!

1. Self-Massage in the Morning

Have you ever noticed that some days you wake up and feel GREAT? And other days you wake up and don’t want to get out of bed?

Without a good plan for waking up in the morning, you’re just playing roulette with your day – will today be a good day or a bad day? Let’s spin the wheel!

Don’t take a chance with your day – learn to always have a great day by waking up your body with a little TLC and self-massage.

Did you know your feet have 7200 nerve endings which connect to every single organ and part of your body?

Your feet also carry the burden of the day which means we need to give them some special attention so that we stay grounded throughout the day.

Simply spend one minute each morning, before getting out of bed, massaging every part of your feet. This gives all parts of the body a gentle arousal instead of an abrupt awakening. You only need to spend 1-2 minutes on each foot, just make sure to massage each part of your feet including your toes, heels, arches and sides.

This will help stimulate blood flow throughout your body and wake up your brain so you’re ready to go. You should notice an instant boost of energy and/or a calm and relaxed feeling as your body responds.

This technique also works at night to calm the body and prepare for sleep. Consider including your hands and ears. Hands contain approximately one thousand nerve endings per square inch! When implemented, you will notice many benefits of this extra care, including increased circulation and reduced stress. People around the world are incorporating this daily ritual to promote overall body wellness.

2. Breathing Out Stress

We all know how good it feels when we expand our lungs and take a deep breath. Unfortunately, just breathing deep does not provide the most effective way to gift our body the highly oxygenated cells it needs to meet the demands of daily living.

Surprisingly, babies know better than most adults when it comes to breathing! We are all born belly breathers. If you watch a baby, you’ll notice when they breathe their belly expands first, not their chest.  This is the best way to breathe as it helps oxygenate the entire body and reduces stress.

Relearning belly breathing is simple. When inhaling, imagine you are inflating a balloon. Expand your lower abdomen first, then your stomach and finally your chest.

Most people breathe the opposite way filling their chest first. This is known as paradoxical breathing and contributes to chronic lung disease.

Hold the breath for a moment and exhale. Once you’ve exhaled, try to exhale even further until you have completely emptied your lungs. The more this exercise is done, the quicker you will become a natural belly breather thereby delivering richly oxygenated blood to your brain and entire body.

Start with just 5 minutes of belly breathing each day and you will notice a huge increase in energy and a much calmer, more peaceful feeling throughout the day.

These techniques are simple and efficient ways to promote whole body wellness and increase energy! They take very little time to accomplish and have vast benefits.

Have fun and observe your feelings after implementing them. During my sleepy moments in bed, I practice these exercises to nourish my body every morning and night.

By Erinn Hennessy, L.M.T.