Texting and Typing a lot? Simple Stretches to Show Your Wrists Some Love

International Day of Yoga was in June, and what better way to celebrate than with moving our bodies.

We know the importance and benefits of keeping active and maintaining joint mobility, but most of us don’t pay attention to how tiny repetitive movements impact our physical health.

Most of us spend hours every day texting and typing, but how often do we take care of our wrists which bear the brunt of those movements?

Practicing small exercises daily can improve your wrist mobility, ease tension, and prevent future injuries. This short but effective video shows you some simple stretches you can do anywhere, any time.

I often teach micro-movement breaks like this at companies (it’s especially a welcome pause during a long all-hands or off-site meeting!). It’s a joy to show employees how accessible taking care of our bodies can be, even in a full workday.

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Let me know if you have any questions!

If you’d like more simple ways of counteracting the aches and pains that come with sitting and stress, you can grab my complimentary guide here.

Simple Stress Relieving Strategies You Can Do At Home

It’s only one month into a global pandemic, and COVID-19 has already made it a challenging time for all of us in countless ways.

Here are some resources for ideas on how you can continue to support your mind, body, and spirit.

Mind:

Sitting in stillness can be challenging even in normal times, so here are ideas for more active forms of meditation:

• Color: grab some colored pencils and an adult coloring book and get to it! Coloring mandalas in particular has been proven to help reduce anxiety levels.

• Walk: bonus points if you have access to nature as it’s proven to reduce stress (grass patches + trees count, city dwellers!). Make it a moving meditation: pay attention to everything around you and try to use as many of your senses as possible: what you see, smell, the feel of the fresh air and the earth under each step.

• Breathe: try alternate nostril breathing and/or box breathing in particular. They both require more concentration, which can be a wonderful way for your mind to have to keep refocusing on what you want it to.

Body:

You’ve likely seen that there are TONS of instructors local to you offering streaming classes now. If you don’t have an instructor you like, here are some more “corporate” options!

• Peloton is offering a full 90 days of their app for free – no bike or treadmill needed. I adore Aditi’s yoga classes.

• The Down Dog app has free barre, HIIT, and yoga as well and can also be viewed from a computer. They’re extending the free access for everyone until April and longer if you’re a student or teacher!  

• If you want to wind down for sleep, or just for the sake your stress levels, here is my guide to simple yoga poses you can do to calm your nervous system and release tension. If you can only have capacity to do just one, pick legs up the wall without a doubt!

Soul:

For some people, this time is creating a bit more space to do a bit of big picture reflection.

• As a reminder I always offer complimentary 30-minute phone consultations on everything from work to wellness: if you’d like a listening ear, you can reach out to schedule.

• If you’re in the process of navigating a change in your work, I recently ran a virtual workshop with GA Boston on Negotiation and the Interview: Exploring Fit & Landing the Job. You can access the recording for free there!

The outpouring of resources out there (and here!) can be very inspiring… but also very overwhelming.

Take what works for you and leave the rest.

Sending all of my best positive and grounding energy your way.

Aspire with Aileen Manifesto

In case you're new to my website, my manifesto is one of the best ways I know how to introduce myself. It encapsulates the three areas of my business (career counseling, health coaching, and yoga) and hopefully helps you get a sense of what perspective I bring to my work with my clients. 

I believe life is short, but the days are long if you’re not happy with what you’re doing or if you’re uncomfortable in your own skin.

I believe we hold more power over our paths than we typically imagine. Our original circumstances are certainly out of our control, but if we ask the right questions of ourselves, we often find that opportunities to ignite change are plentiful.  

I believe laughter and food are both medicine.

I believe that our breathing can be an amazing instrument of change.

When I wake up in the morning, my very first thought is how grateful I am for my health and how excited I am to be spending my day doing what I love. It breaks my heart knowing some people feel nothing but dread from the moment their alarm goes off until their head hits the pillow again.

I believe we often get in our own way, unintentionally, and that the power of human connection can be a magnificent force in helping us shift our perspective.

I believe in my mantra “To know even one life has breathed easier because you’ve lived- this is to have succeeded” (Ralph Waldo Emerson) and hope to help you breathe easier. 

Photo by Pure Style Photography

I couldn't find a way to incorporate my assistant, Buster, into my manifesto so I'm sharing a photo of him with me to make my introduction complete! (It may not look like it in this photo but I swear he loves me too.)