Wellbeing tips for when you’re at home

In these times of home office, sensory overload from media reports and an all-round feeling of uncertainty, targeted breathing exercises and relaxation rituals can help us find our own inner balance again and “earth” us. We come to rest, there to find new energy and vitality.

Breathing exercises for at home

You can repeat the following simple exercise at home several times a day: in the morning to start the day with an energy boost, and in the evening to help with relaxation.

Lie comfortably on a soft mat, bed or carpet. Bend your legs and put a blanket under your knees and your head on a pillow. Breathe in and out naturally and calmly, then hold your breath for a moment in between and take a little break. Watch your abdomen rise during the inhalation phase and feel how the diaphragm expands. Pay attention when exhaling to how the abdomen sinks while the chest does not move.

Place one or both hands on your stomach so as to feel the breathing process better: inhale, pause, exhale, pause. Then focus on the smells that are around you and let your thoughts flow without judging or holding them back. You will feel greater inner peace after just seven complete breathing cycles.

Seven tips for relaxing between your own four walls

Stay relaxed: avoid sitting in front of your laptop or PC with tense shoulders or a tense stomach and crossed legs. Get up from your chair several times a day to stretch and recline. Treat your eyes to a spot of relaxation by looking out of the window into the distance and drawing shapes and lines in nature or along the neighbouring houses with your eyes.
Time out: create a ritual that allows you to devote yourself entirely to yourself for one moment every day. Even though we have so much new time at our disposal, we run the risk of constantly filling it with activities without being aware of it. Treat yourself to some time out, time just for yourself. Just “be” while doing nothing.
Relax: sounds banal? But it isn’t. There is no magic formula for relaxation. Relaxing for some means taking a long bubble bath, while for others it is listening to a classical concert or reading a good book. Treat yourself and allow your mind and body its well-deserved relaxation each day.
Keep fit: there are now countless video tutorials on the internet or on TV to make sure you keep fit at home with physical exercise! Yoga, Zumba, Pilates... the list is endless. But don’t forget that it’s not always necessary to strive to be the best even when in quarantine! Let your motto be: I can do everything – but I don’t have to do anything.
The number dialled is currently unavailable: how about turning off your mobile from time to time? You will find that being unavailable for a few hours is not such a tragedy – on the contrary.
Unplug it: turn off all electrical equipment at night – TV, mobile, clock radio, etc. and treat yourself to a good night’s sleep.
The inner voice: if we listen more often to the messages from our body and mind, we can better understand our own well-being and find out what is really good for us. Listen to your inner voice!