Desk Top Yoga

All you need is a few minutes to experience a calming break. Use one of the following easy, no-equipment- necessary relaxes any time you feel stressed.

Warm your hands. Stress can make you feel cold, especially in the throes of winter. Run your hands and wrists under warm water for a few minutes, says Bradley Frederick, D.C., director of the International Institute of Sports Medicine in Los Angeles. After patting them dry, wrap them around a mug of steaming tea.

Gently hold a pencil between your teeth without biting. This action prompts you to relax your facial muscles, which helps relieve tension, says Fred Sheftell, M.D., director of the New England Center for Headache in Stamford, Connecticut.

Press on your temples for three to five minutes. Massaging nerves in this area is an acupressure technique that relaxes muscles in other parts of the body, says Emmett Miller, M.D., author of Deep Healing: The Essence of Mind/Body Medicine.

Breathe slow and deep, emphasizing the exhalation for the most calming effect. Breathe in through your nose to a count of 4; pause slightly, then breathe out through your nose to a count of 6, prolonging the exhale. Pause briefly, and repeat -- several times, if possible. Use this breathing technique as a quick relaxer and tension diffuser -- not unlike counting to 10 when you're angry.

Take a few minutes to think positive, restful thoughts -- a little mental time-out. You could pause to remember why you're doing all this shopping, cooking, and decorating anyway -- because you love your friends and family, and you're lucky enough to spend time with them over the holidays.