Do you ever feel like you really need a good stretch while at your desk? Perhaps you’ve been hunched over a report, or steadily poking away at your keyboard, or tethered to your phone via a headset. Maybe a hug would do you good, too, expressing gratitude and appreciation for the work you are doing.

Here’s a way to get both.

At the end of my aerobics classes, we always do the stretch below. Follow the simple steps below to release a little stress into the universe, gather up positive energy and end with a hug and a smile. What could be better for a quick pick-me-up at the office?

Once you’ve done it a few times and mastered the easy steps, consider using it as an exercise to end your next team meeting. Be ready for some laughter! Encourage your team members to try it at their desks when they need a stretch. No productivity will be lost, trust me. After this short exercise, it might even increase.

Prepare:

  1. Sit up straight, shoulders back, belly pulled in
  2. If you are in a chair, put your feet flat on the floor, hands on your knees
  3. Remember to breathe in and breathe out twice as long, repeat as you go!

Release the stress:

  1. Slowly shrug your shoulders up and down three times
  2. Alternate shoulder shrugs three times each
  3. Reach your right arm up (or straight out in front of you, if up is not practical)
  4. Reach your left hand up (or straight out)
  5. Keep reaching up and stretching both arms for a count of three while imagining a frustration being released out through your wiggling fingers

Gather positive energy:

  1. Let your arms fall halfway down and stretch them out horizontally to the side
  2. Lean to the left, re-center; lean to the right, re-center
  3. Touch your right hand over your left shoulder and pat yourself on the back; you deserve it!
  4. Touch your left hand over your right shoulder and pat yourself on the back again!
  5. Uncross your arms and stretch them out in front of you palms up, gathering energy for a count of three
  6. Reach your right hand under your left arm and around your side
  7. Reach your left hand around your right side
  8. Give yourself a great big hug while acknowledging something you did really well today

Smile and get back to work!

Heart Cloud

Image by Emran Kassim and used with the Creative Commons attribution license.