Relax

It may sound counterintuitive, but to keep your energy up, you need to wind down. Nurses, you need to recoup. Regularly. Religiously.

Learning to Exhale

Breathe. Sounds simple. We all know how to do it, right? But breathing correctly, that’s a different matter. As babies we did it naturally, inhaling from the stomach, pushing our little bellies way out and then exhaling just as deeply, expelling as much “bad air” as we could.

But then we grew up.

Enter a stressful job, a harried lifestyle, financial responsibility and, well, your chest tightens, your whole upper body gets tense and you become a shallow breather. When breathing emanates from the chest, you inhale less oxygen. Since oxygen is needed to fuel every cell and system in your body, over time, fast, shallow breathing can lead to fatigue and tension. While the typical adult has a resting breath rate of 12 to 15 times per minute, the optimum rate is about six breaths per minute. Inhaling through your nose and taking slow, deep breaths enables your lungs to fill with oxygen, triggering the parasympathetic nervous system, which promotes relaxation.

By doing a breathing check every few hours, and by incorporating exercises—such as “Breathing Lessons,” right—into your daily routine, you can graduate from the ranks of shallow breathers.

Breathing Lessons

1. Sit in a comfortable position with your back straight and your body relaxed.
2. With one hand on your abdomen and the other on your chest, slowly inhale through your nose. Keep your abdomen relaxed as you feel it fully expand. Be sure your face, mouth, tongue and jaw are relaxed.
3. Hold your breath for 4 to 5 seconds, then with your lips pursed as though you were about to whistle, slowly exhale through your mouth, retracting your abdomen completely. Concentrate on the air leaving your lungs. Pause, then repeat this 4 to 5 times.

Listen to the Music

During World War I, musicians toured veteran hospitals performing for wounded soldiers. The medical staff soon realized that the music wasn’t just entertaining—it was healing. Research has shown that it can change your heart rate, respiration, brain waves and levels of an array of chemicals. It can lull you to sleep or make you want to dance. Listening to music stimulates virtually every area of the brain, from the brain stem to the frontal lobe. So do what comes naturally: Listen to music. As you do, pay attention to how different songs make you feel and create your own playlists for different moods and circumstances. Ultimately, music can be one of the greatest energizers.

Music can:

• Reduce stress hormones
• Relieve anxiety
• Lower blood pressure
• Ease pain
• Improve attention
• Promote energy

Other ways to relax:

• Practice yoga
• Get a massage
• Pet an animal
• Meditate
• Listen to lapping waves

Adapted with permission from The 150 Most Effective Ways to Boost Your Energy, Fair Winds Press, © Jonny Bowden, jonnybowden.com.