5 Affordable Ways To Reinvigorate Your Mind, Body And Soul

Is the daily grind making you feel stressed, tired or unmotivated? Then we recommend finding an activity that will reinvigorate your mind, body and soul. Thankfully, there are plenty of affordable options on offer, from mindfulness meditations to relaxing woodland walks.

So if your hectic schedule is giving you a constant headache, why not sit back, unplug and enjoy a calming cup of green tea as we share five of our favourite remedies.

According to Professor Mark Williams of the Oxford Mindfulness Centre, mindfulness is about reconnecting with our thoughts, our feelings, our bodies and the world round us. By doing this, we wake up to “the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of the present moment.”
Originally an Eastern philosophy from Tibetan Buddhism, mindfulness meditation generally involves focusing on one aspect of the present, noticing when your attention shifts and gently bringing it back.
To do lists and deadlines getting you down? Here’s how mindfulness can help.

If you’ve experienced depression at least three times mindfulness could prevent a recurrence, according to The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). This is because practising mindfulness regularly increases activity in the prefrontal cortex, which is the area of the brain associated with positive emotions. Researchers have also discovered that the parts of the brain linked to emotional regulation are larger in people who have meditated for five years or more.
If you’re dealing with a lot of work-related stress, mindfulness could also teach you how to stand back and observe any negative thoughts and feelings you’re experiencing. Practise often and you’ll learn how to let these thoughts travel through your mind without getting stuck.

If you feel like you’re living everyday life on autopilot, mindfulness will give you a fresh perspective by creating a calm mental space from where you can simply observe your thoughts and feelings. As you breathe deeply and relax, the noisiest thoughts will disappear and your mind will seem clearer, allowing creativity to bubble up from its deepest recesses.

Once your creativity has been unleashed it should become easier to generate a flow of innovative ideas and solutions. This is known as divergent thinking, and it is incredibly useful in the workplace.

Fancy experiencing the benefits of mindfulness yourself? Then we suggest checking out the Mental Health Foundation’s website, where you’ll find details of local classes and information about their recommended Mindfulness course.

Ever heard of Downward Facing Dog, the Forward Fold or Savasana? If you have, you’ll know we’re talking about the ancient form of exercise known as yoga. Incorporating a variety of poses, breathing techniques and meditation, yoga’s health  health benefits include improved core strength, flexibility, posture and balance.  Its breathing techniques are particularly useful if you’re feeling stressed.  

If information overload is getting you down, yoga could help you to become less distracted by clearing clutter from your mind. As you begin to relax your cortisol levels will drop, restoring calm and alleviating any physical symptoms of stress. If you practise it regularly yoga can also boost your serotonin levels, resulting in increased happiness! What’s not to like?

Yogic meditation involves sitting silently, breathing deeply and noticing every thought, sound and sensation. Learning to refocus your attention every time your mind tries to wander will improve your ability to concentrate and sharpen your thinking.

If you’re dealing with a lot of work-related stress, mindfulness could also teach you how to stand back and observe any negative thoughts and feelings you’re experiencing. Practise often and you’ll learn how to let these thoughts travel through your mind without getting stuck.

The poses you’ll learn if you join a yoga class will strengthen your arms, legs shoulders and abs, enabling you to become physically fitter and more able to cope with demanding days at work. Studies have shown that yoga can also lower your heart rate, which helps the body to respond to stress more healthily.

Yoga’s breathing techniques (pranayama) focus on slowing down and deepening you breathing. Because this is mentally relaxing, it also reduces physical tension, making it easier for you to keep calm in stressful situations.

The NHS recommends that yoga newbies should start by finding a class, to make sure that they learn the techniques and poses correctly. Keen to have a go? The main yoga associations in the UK are The British Wheel of Yoga, The Independent Yoga Network, Iyengar Yoga and the Yoga Alliance Professionals. It’s also worth visiting the NHS’s Fitness Studio, as there are a few yoga videos on offer.

When the University of Essex carried out a research project involving “green exercise”, they discovered that exercising in the countryside enhanced both the participants’ mood and their self esteem. It also reduced any pre-existing feelings of anger, depression and tension.
Walking is a very simple way to practice self-care and if you’ve ever walked through woodland or rambled across a remote moor, you’ll already know that connecting with the natural world while you exercise can boost both your psychological wellbeing and your physical fitness. The mental health charity Mind have even come up with a new word to describe this type of fresh air activity. Ecotherapy.
What about the times when daily life is incredibly busy and you can’t manage a countryside walk? If this is the case you’re probably feeling stressed, so we suggest making the most of your local green spaces. Even a stroll through a nearby park, nature reserve or botanical garden could reinvigorate your mind and refresh your body.
If we’ve inspired you to dust off those hiking boots and head out of town, you’ll find plenty of walking guides and maps in your local bookshop, library or tourist information centre. It doesn’t matter if don’t have a pair of boots to begin with, as most short circular walks can be tackled in a pair of lightweight walking shoes or sturdy trainers. Just remember to layer up and wear a waterproof jacket.
Ready to try a more challenging walk? You’re in luck, as the UK boasts a wonderful variety of national parks coastal paths and even mountains. And if you don’t fancy walking alone, why not head over to the Ramblers website, where you can search for organised walks in your area? A great way to meet new friends.

If you think colouring is just for kids, think again! Over the last few years, colouring books for adults have become best sellers in a number of different countries including the UK and France. Packed with intricate pictures and patterns, the books allow even the most untalented artists to embrace their creativity and enjoy a little self-expression.

But there’s another reason why adult colouring books are so popular. They’re therapeutic. When we colour we use the left side of our brain (which controls motor skills and attention) and the right side (relating to colour, shape, imagery and emotions). Using both sides simultaneously calms down the amygdala, which is the part of our brain that causes fear and stress responses. In fact, neurologists have noticed that colouring has a calming effect on the human body, slowing our heart rate and relieving tension.

Colouring can also prevent the intrusion of troubling thoughts by occupying our minds as well as our hands. Like mindfulness, it helps us to focus on the present moment and improves our ability to concentrate. A study from San Francisco State University has even shown that creative activities like colouring improve our work performance and help us to deal with stress better!

So if you’re going through a rough patch at work for whatever reason, how about trying this portable from of relaxation? There are hundreds of books available, featuring a variety of designs from mandalas to magical forests. You can even find colouring apps onto your phone or tablet. Once you’ve found the perfect pictures and armed yourself with pencils, make yourself a cuppa, put on some relaxing music and prepare to relive your childhood!

According to The Independent, Brits use baking as a way of de-stressing after a busy day at work. And research has shown does that it does indeed help us to unwind. For example, researchers in New Zealand studied 650 students before and after they did some baking, knitting or painting. After their activity, the students all felt calmer and happier, while some of them even said that they felt more energetic.

A second study carried out by Dr Oetker took 2000 amateur bakers and found that the main emotion they experienced while baking was happiness, followed by calm and focus. According to psychologist Linda Papadopoulos these results aren’t surprising, as the act of baking has a similar effect to mindfulness in terms of reducing our stress levels. Baking focuses us on the present, distracts us from the pressures of work and allows us to express our creativity.

If you’re experiencing negative emotions, spending the evening baking could channel those feelings into a constructive project that could lead to a real sense of achievement, especially if you’re not an expert! Baking could also bring about new opportunities to connect, as not many people would refuse a slice of homemade Victoria sponge.

As Great British Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain says, “Food is much more than sustenance. Food is love.”

Not sure where to start? We recommend exploring the world of baking bloggers, who regularly post their creations online. Whether you want to experiment or bake a classic cake there are a huge number of recipes to check out, from the sweet sticky tray bakes of Baking Mad to the dairy-free delights of The Loopy Whisk.

It’s over to you. Will you indulge in a weekend of ecotherapy or release your inner yogi? Whichever activity you try, we guarantee that it will leave you feeling refreshed, revitalised and ready to tackle your next workplace challenge with confidence.