Your Big Toe - A Stress Release Tool

I love to use three deep and long breaths for stress release. It's quick, simple and effective as it seems to change the whole body physiology.

However, another personal favourite is being aware of my body - noticing my big toe, the soles of my feet, the palms of my hands, the top of my head, putting a mini smile on my face.  All of these bring me back into myself and out of the “stress” zone.

Call it mindfulness, call it zen, call it focused concentration or passive attention, but living in the body, instead of the mind, can be calming, healing and restorative.

A great exercise to do on a daily basis is to simply become aware of a part of the body - a toe for example - whilst going about your usual business.

It can actually be quite challenging to remain aware of the toe whilst managing tasks, or to remain focused on tasks whilst noticing the toe.  However, it is a wonderful way of significantly reducing excessive thinking - ruminating about the past or worrying about the future - keeping focus on being grounded and living in the present moment. Being present reduces the stress response, releases tension held in the muscles and allows the body to relax. Give it a try and discover for yourself how it works.