Stressed? Taking 10 minutes out a day makes us happier and healthier

Yoga

published 7 October 2011

Women are multi-tasking and taking on more roles than ever before according to psychologists, but taking just 10 minutes a day to unwind could help

Women are multi-tasking and taking on more roles than ever before according to psychologists, but taking just 10 minutes a day to unwind could help.

Feeling stressed and worn out? According to a survey, we're taking on more roles than ever in our lives and it is having a huge impact on emotional, physical and mental wellbeing.

Results showed that women are juggling an average of 6.2 roles in their lives, including, being a mother, housekeeper, career woman and wife, compared to a much lower average of 4.7 roles for men. More often than not this means scrimping on time for ourselves, so is it any wonder we’re always frazzled?

According to the findings, a whopping 97% of us feel stressed and 1 in 10 are ‘so stressed out that they can’t even remember what it feels like to be calm and content.’

Twinings, who carried out the survey, found that three-quarters of us are always putting others needs before our own, leaving us no time to relax and unwind. Consequently we're resorting to a glass of wine or overindulging in food to cope - and it's impacting on our health and happiness.

But there is a way to counter the pressures of modern living.

Psychologist, Nancy Beesley says taking just 10 minutes a day to relax can help.

‘Just 10 minutes of relaxation or partaking in an enjoyable activity is essential for keeping a healthy balance of the hormones associated with happiness levels,’ says Beesley.

‘Our bodies are functioned for activity and recovery and without even the smallest amount of down time, can lead to chronic stress responses.’

What do you do to unwind? Share with Team Marie Claire in the box below.

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Natalia is a health journalist with 14 years experience in the publishing industry. She has worked for a number of well known magazines and websites including Marie Claire, Woman&Home, Top Sante, Boots and The Telegraph. She likes to think she practices what she preaches when it comes to health and fitness. Her athletic prowess began early. A keen fencer for 13 years, she wielded an epée for Olympic Team GB during her teenage years. She likes to think she made sword-fighting cool before Game of Thrones came along! While working on her sporting performance with the team, she also participated in a lot of nutrition and psychology training, When it comes to time off, you’ll most likely find her up a mountain somewhere. It seems holidays have become a time for climbing several thousand feet, rather than chilling out. She’s now hiked eight of the major mountain ranges across four continents – including the Appalachians, the Smokies, the Sierra Nevadas (she spent her honeymoon hiking to the top of Half Dome), as well as hitting the summits of Snowdon, Pen-Y-Fan (Brecon Beacons), Table Mountain in South Africa, the Blue Mountains in Australia and the Atlas Mountains in Morocco. She’s also passionate about all things health, particularly vaccinations, and will happily jump on her soap box at any given opportunity to talk about their benefits to anyone who will listen!

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