Time required
15 minutes
Preparation
You may wish to have calming background music when you begin this activity.
Suggested wording
It’s always important to take your break at work. Removing yourself physically and mentally from your work is proven to improve your focus and productivity. Even a 5-minute break can help when it may be difficult to step away from your work due to any reason like a tight deadline.
Record how you are feeling right now. Do you have any points of tension in your body? What are you thinking about? What might be distracting you? You have one minute.
[After one minute.]
The activity we are going to do now is one way to calm the body and mind.
I would like everyone to sit and plant both feet firmly on the ground.
Place your hands on your legs with your palms up. If you are comfortable to do so, gently close your eyes.
Now just relax and breathe normally.
[Pause for 5 seconds between each of the following steps.]
Relax all of the muscles in your face
Now focus your attention on the backs of your eyelids
Relax the back of your head. Relax your neck and shoulders
Relax your arms. Now focus on the feeling of your hands on your lap
Relax your chest
Relax your back
Relax your hips and belly
Relax your thighs
Relax your calves. Relax your feet
Focus on the feeling and sensations of the bottom of your feet
Now I’d like you to switch your focus to the most obvious sound in the room
Now I’d like you to release your focus completely
Now gently open your eyes
[Pause for another 5 seconds.]
Record how you are feeling now and compare it to what you wrote before this activity began. You have one minute.
[After one minute.]
[If it is live, take up answers; if it is virtual describe how they can respond. After 3 minutes, move on.]
That was less than 2 minutes of calming our mind and body. Imagine what you could do in 5 minutes or more. The intention is to take a break from your thought process, which is exhausting for many people. Focusing on your other senses, such as hearing and touch, can be calming and is a great way to recharge.
Simply focus on relaxing each part of your body while you sit and breathe deeply. You can use this technique to relax at any time throughout your day.
Find more activities like this at Team building activities.