With all the schedule shifting that comes with summer knocking on the door, it’s a challenge to stay focused. “If only I could think,” is a comment I hear from clients and colleagues often. Here are a few tried and true things you can start to do to shift yourself back into thinking with clarity:
1) Take your brain for a walk: Our brains thrive on having defined breaks, changing up the scenery and getting the heart pumping. A walk gives you all of those things, especially if you can go outdoors and fill your awareness up with the sounds, sights and smells of nature.
2) Stress is often a culprit of feeling distracted. When we are stressed, unconsciously we may only breathe with the tops of our lungs or even hold our breath at times. This cuts us off from our most primary fuel, which is oxygen. Give yourself frequent breathing breaks where you mindfully breathe in to fill your lungs. For a minute, notice the sensations in your lungs from either top to bottom or from front to back and then focus on how it feels to exhale fully. Think of the exhalation as a chance to get rid of everything you don’t need.
3) A yoga posture called Legs up the Wall is highly effective to help the nervous system to ground and reset. So maybe you won’t try it in a skirt in the office but in a private space you can follow these steps. Make sure to scroll down to read the beginner tips and contraindications. https://www.yogajournal.com/poses/690
4) Use your nose. Aromatherapeutic scents wake up the brain and help it to function more optimally. The key here is those scents should be pure and preferably organic essential oils that can be used through diffusers or rubbing the oil on your skin. Citrus, rosemary and peppermint wake us up and lift the mood while lavender and bergamot help reduce stress. Quality essential oils can be found at most health food stores. Even higher quality oils can be found through a company such as doTERRA. or Young Living.
www.fullspectrumwellness.com
