I’m a psychologist – these 30-second exercises are proven to reduce stress

There is a lot about modern life that makes stress feel inescapable – work responsibilities, constant to-do lists and long overdue catch-ups that seem to take up every possible minute of the day. Sure, we’d probably feel better if we prioritised that lunchtime yoga class or fit in a morning meditation, but who has the time? Luckily, Eli Susman, psychologist and author of the upcoming book Micropractice, has a solution to managing stress that doesn’t require hours. As his book title suggests, he is a proponent of “micropractices”: simple, 30-second activities that can improve our mood, wellbeing and energy levels – without even leaving your desk. A 30-second exercise that makes a big impact seems too good to be true, but Susman explains that research repeatedly backs up this claim. “Study after study shows it’s not about how much time you spend on an activity,” he says, “but how consistent you are that actually predicts the best outcomes.” He gives the example of a study where they track how long and how often 21,000 people practised meditation through the app Headspace. “They found that consistent practice was associated with reduced stress, but longer sessions didn’t add any extra benefit.” Shorts There are various theories as to why they work but a key one is that shorter practices simply reduce the barrier to entry. “Micropractice is how you can make this more accessible for people,” Eli explains. “The present moment isn’t tucked away in a monastery. It’s the breath you’re taking, the person you’re talking to, the dish in your hand: micropractice is about learning to come back to that. Not someday when life gets quiet but right here in the middle of everything else.” He has categorised micropractices into four types: move, touch, breathe and flow. Ahead are explanations of each, why they work, and ways to sneak them into your day without even leaving your desk. Touch “Physical touch is one of our most underrated wellbeing interventions. Primal needs and a number of poor health outcomes are connected to a lack of touch. Touch has been found to calm our nervous system, slow our heartbeat and lower levels of cortisol, the stress hormone,” says Susman. “I think it’s one of the most underrated wellbeing interventions. One of the reasons why using touch in micropractice is particularly impactful is because our nervous system gets used to what stays the same, which means that the things that help us feel calm, safe or connected might work best when we keep refreshing them. Touch can look like compassionate touch with another (either a shoulder squeeze from someone or even cuddling with a pet) but it is maybe most accessible when you do it yourself.” The micropractice: “Place your hands over your heart and your belly, whatever supports you in feeling kindness and warmth to yourself, and focus inward and speak to yourself in a kind inner voice. That can mean deliberately forgiving yourself for a mistake, acknowledging some discomfort or feeling gratitude. Do this whenever you feel that overwhelm is overtaking you or you need a quick breather between meetings. “Our research has found that doing that for just 20 seconds a day can improve your self-compassion, stress levels and emotional wellbeing – and the effects were comparable with much more time-intensive interventions.” Move “Moving our bodies, especially if you work a job that is particularly sedentary, can have huge positive impacts on our wellbeing, not just fitness. One study found that people who did five minutes of walking every hour for six hours had better outcomes than people who did 30 minutes of walking at once. The former group were less fatigued and had fewer food cravings. There’s also research conducted by University College London that tracked 25,241 sedentary adults who were given a device to track their physical activity for a week. They tracked them for seven years and found that adults who had five to 10 second bouts of physical activity (hauling groceries up the stairs, jogging to the bus etc) were associated with up to 40 per cent reduction in premature death of any cause, as well as cancer, over the next seven years. A study from the early 2000s found that when participants did a 15 to 30-second stretch break every 15 minutes, this resulted in a 15 per cent improvement in productivity over the course of a workday. Movement could look like dancing or doing a power pose, but I particularly recommend combining a focus on the breath with stretching – aka micro-yoga.” The micropractice: “Lots of these moves can be done within 30 seconds, but the fish pose is particularly good for folks stuck in the computer pose all day, or dealing with tech neck. You simply stand up (or stay sat in your seat), breathe in and interlace your fingers behind you. Then lengthen your arms back and up, tilting your chest upwards. Breathe in again, and then let your body expand as you exhale. Repeat a few more times.” Breathe “Breathwork is not just mindfulness. With breathwork, you’re controlling the depth and rhythm of your breathing to affect your physiology. One of the reasons for that is because our vagus nerve, which is responsible for helping us relax, becomes more engaged when we exhale and therefore exerts more of an effect on the body. A very basic breathwork practice is when you lengthen the exhale relative to your inhale, e.g. inhaling for four seconds, exhaling for six seconds. That can slow your heart rate and create a sense of calm. There are studies, such as this analysis from the Indian Institute of Technology and Harvard University, showing that doing slow, deep breathing for 30 seconds can boost alpha and theta waves in the brain. These are brain waves picked up through an EEG and are associated with calm, focus, emotional processing and so on.” The micropractice: “Focus on your breath by counting in for four and out for six over 30 seconds. Variations can include alternating nostrils and humming on the exhale which is thought to further soothe the nervous system.” Flow “These are practices that don’t require any extra time because they are just changing the way that you are relating to what you’re already doing. That could be focusing on feeling the ground beneath your feet as you walk to work, or enjoying the warmth of your coffee mug or focusing on all the flavours and smells. You don’t even need to slow down for it necessarily – it’s really just paying attention, being aware of what’s happening while it’s happening. It’s another way of accessing mindfulness.” The micropractice: “Much like meditation, there are lots of different ways to bring flow into the day to day. I particularly like sending kind wishes to the people that you encounter throughout your day, silently. Things like, ‘May you be happy, may you be healthy, may you live with ease’. It’s not like you’re sending cosmic telegrams to people; it’s really about cultivating that intention in your own heart. Various studies have shown that this kind of informal kindness is associated with better mood and better well-being, as well as more pro-social intentions. More broadly, study after study shows that these kinds of informal mindfulness – the kind that you weave into your daily life – are more strongly and consistently associated with positive outcomes than formal practices like seated meditation. They lead to greater wellbeing, reduced stress, increased mindful awareness, more flexible thinking, reduced sleep problems, even less interference from chronic pain. And the reason for that is pretty intuitive. Life isn’t lived in 30-minute meditation sessions; it’s lived in the other 23 hours and 30 minutes of our day, and that’s where mindfulness practices really shine.”