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Right now, there isn’t as much variety and energizing activity in our workday. Staying at home,  working at our computers for long stretches, keeping updated on the news, and focusing mentally to meet our writing goals can be more stressful and tiring than usual. Here are fast and easy ways to recharge yourself throughout the day:

Simple exercises: Even just getting up and moving briefly can help bring oxygen to your brain and the rest of your body — and also soothe and uplift you. One fitness expert suggests keeping a jump rope in your work area and pulling it out for a few minutes if you feel tired or tight. Don’t have one handy? A few sets of jumping jacks, sit-ups, or yoga stretches can be equally effective.

Heart Opening: Here’s a simple breathing technique to synchronize your heart and mind– it was developed to help heart-transplant patients. Using it can reduce stress, and restore calmness and clarity. First, place your left hand over your heart and imagine your breath flowing through your heart. Second, breathe in for four counts and then out for four counts. Third, imagine feelings of peace, love, joy or compassion radiating out of your heart like beams of light.

Visualizing: Closing your eyes while sitting up or lying down and then focusing in your mind’s eye on a calming image — a beach or spring meadow — can also be very relaxing. Or you can imagine a lavender-colored healing light flowing through your body from head to toe and releasing any pain or stress you feel.

Aromatherapy: Using essential oils is another simple, but powerful way to bring a touch of healing calm to your day. Popular oils are lavender and rose to relieve anxiety, peppermint to energize, and marjoram to encourage relaxation. If you happen to have some at home, here’s an easy technique: put a couple drops of oil on the first three fingertips of both hands. Next, place your hands under your nose in the prayer position, index fingers resting against your lips, and slowly and deeply breathe in the soothing scent. You can also put a bit of the oil on the underside of your wrists and rub it in.

Soothing stress helps us do our best. Are there any simple relaxation techniques that you’ve found helpful at home these days? If so, I’d love to share them. Write on!