Wonder women indeed exist in real life; women who fight all the daily battles inside and outside their homes. Besides all the social norms, stress, and prejudice, she still chooses to juggle her work and home responsibilities. The daily hassles of women involve some stressful situations which tend to affect them mentally and physically too. Although yoga for stress relief works like a miracle, most of the time, women are so involved in their tasks that they do not realise how much they are negatively getting affected by the stress.
Yoga and stress management are thus linked very closely. To address the problem from the very roots, we need to look at the cause.
5 Common Causes Of Stress In Working Women
1. Multiple Responsibilities
Indeed, women are always expected to multitask. In many families, despite working all day, women still have to look after their domestic responsibilities. As a result, managing both worlds, sometimes, becomes too much and affects the physical and mental health of women. Yoga for stress management is a good way to deal with such times when multitasking is mandatory.
2. The Pay-Gap
It is a big concern that at a number of workplaces, women are not paid the same as male employees. The fight against the gender wage gap has been ongoing for several decades and is really discouraging for women.
3. Climbing The Ladder
Most working women face this issue of not having adequate career growth and getting promotions as compared to men. The prejudice is set against women from the very beginning. Interviews often feature questions about the woman’s marital status and whether or not she has a child. This is rarely the case for men. This hinders the professional growth for women.
4. Personal Life
In all these career struggles, women work hard to find time for family and friends. And sometimes have to sacrifice their personal life for work.
5. Mental Health
With all these issues, several women deal with depression and other mental health issues, which affect them in all fields of their work, family. Yoga for stress and depression is a strong solution to this problem.
Yoga For Stress Relief
Yoga for stress is a practice that has been followed since ancient times as it helps in relaxing your mind, body, and breathing. Yoga to reduce stress is particularly very helpful and important for working women as it eventually gives them the ability to focus. It brings calmness, balance, and relaxes you. It brings some peace into their life. It enhances the mood as well as the sense of well-being. It also improves balance, flexibility, and strengthens the body.
5 Yoga Poses For Stress Relief Apt For Working Women
These practices of yoga for stress management undoubtedly work like wonders:
1. Sukhasana
- Bending forward slowly increases the exhale, which leads to relaxation.
- Sit in the ‘easy pose’ calmly, and shins crossed with your right shin in front.
- Bend forward slowly and be like that for five good breaths, then put the other shin in front.
- Keep hands on the floor, and then put both the legs straight into a ‘standing forward bend’.
Benefits
- It reduces stress and anxiety and calms the body, mind
- It is also helpful for neck and back pain
- It gives balance and equanimity to body, mind, and soul
Caution: Do not do this asana if you have a knee injury. Pregnant women shouldn’t do this yoga for stress relief.
2. Uttanasana
This pose also helps to release tension from the hamstrings.
- In this ‘standing forward bend’, use your thigh muscles to pull your knees upwards toward your hips.
- With your fingers attached and your arms behind your back, lift your arms away from your back.
- Be like that for five breaths, then change the interlace by putting the other index finger on top and stay for another five breaths.
- Take your hands to your hips, and your thumbs to the top of your behind.
- Drop the flesh of your buttocks to the floor to propel you up to stand.
- Take a giant step out to the right.
Benefits
- Improves blood circulation of the upper body
- Helps to reduce stress and anxiety
Caution: Avoid this if you have any spinal injury or back pain.
3. Sasangasana
Among other asanas in yoga to reduce stress, it is the best pose for stress, exhaustion, and panic. It makes you feel relaxed instantly.
- Interlace your fingers behind your back, lift your hips, and roll to the crown of your head.
- Keep pressing the tops of your feet down, so that you can control the amount of weight on your head.
- Take your hands away from your back. Lower down, change the interlace, lift your hips, and roll to the crown of the head again.
- Lift and lower three times on each side, changing the interlace each time.
Benefits
- Flexes the spine and improves breathing
- Keeps hormones in control
4. Side Stretch
This stretch releases tension from the neck, head, and shoulders.
- Take one hand to the floor, walk it away from the body.
- Drop your head to your ear, with your other arm over your head.
- Repeat on the other side.
Benefits
- Brings balance to the entire body
- It also lengthens the abdominal muscles
- Improves flexibility
5. Halasana
Halasana is usually performed after Sarvangasana for anywhere from 1 to 5 minutes.
- Lie down with your head on the mat.
- Swing your legs back and over your head and rest your toes on the floor.
- Stay for ten breaths.
- Slowly roll out of the plow, keeping your head back, so it doesn’t whiplash forward when the legs and torso touch down.
Benefits
- Improves digestion and appetite
- It helps to lose weight
- It controls diabetes
- Reduces stress and helps with menopause
6 Important Stress Management Tips That Can Come in Handy
- It is essential to eat healthy food to keep the body and mind healthy
- Follow all these yoga asanas to relieve stress
- Always have a positive attitude
- Manage time effectively
- Get proper sleep
- Have an active social life
All these asanas and tips are really helpful for stress management through yoga. The best solution is doing yoga for stress, anxiety, and depression. Yoga is also one of the effective home remedies for pitta dosha.
Be a superwoman at work and home!