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Feeling mentally drained at work? These 5 yoga postures can reset the day
Mental fatigue shows up in ways most people miss. The jaw feels tight, attention slips, and even simple tasks start to feel heavier than they should. Often, the shoulders are drawn up, the breath is short, and there is a sense of being on edge without knowing why.
These complaints build up over days, especially in high-pressure work routines.
No amount of caffeine or scrolling through social media fixes it. What helps is stopping for a few minutes, lying down, or moving slowly and deliberately. That is where yoga fits in, not as a big lifestyle change, but as a daily pause that lets the system cool down before it is too late.
Where the Body Stores the Overload
Work stress is not always mental.
The body holds onto it, especially when there is no outlet. Sitting too long in one position, constant screen use, and back-to-back deadlines leave no space to process or breathe fully. Even after logging off, the tension remains. The upper back stays locked. The breath feels stuck. Sleep comes late and is not deep.
These patterns, if left unchecked, do not just affect energy; they affect digestion, immunity, and mood.
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A few postures, repeated every day, create enough of a gap to reset. They will not erase the workload, but they shift how the body carries it.
1. Viparita Karani (Legs-Up-the-Wall)
One of the easiest ways to take pressure off the mind. Lying down with the legs raised on a wall or chair changes the way blood flows. It calms the feet and the lower back and softens the face. After five minutes, the breath evens out, the eyes stop darting, and the heart rate drops slightly.
Best done in silence. No phone. No instructions. Just stillness.
2. Balasana (Child's Pose)
A shape the body knows instinctively. Folding forward with the head on the ground relaxes the eyes, the jaw, and the belly. This posture works when everything feels overstimulated. It pulls attention inward without effort. Holding it for three to four minutes in the middle of the day slows things down.
It does not fix the schedule, but it makes space for breath again.
3. Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle Pose)
This seated posture opens up the hips and groin gently. It straightens the spine without strain and brings attention to the breath. When the hands rest lightly on the ankles or thighs, it's easier to sit without tension.
Doing this early in the day gives the body a more stable starting point. When paired with a longer exhale, it helps steady the nerves before the demands begin.
4. Marjaryasana-Bitilasana (Cat-Cow Stretch)
A simple flow between arching and rounding the back.
It sounds basic, but the effect is real. Shoulders soften. The chest opens. The spine begins to move again. For those who sit at a desk for hours, this helps bring movement back to the parts that go numb from stillness.
Ten slow rounds with steady breath are enough to shake off the dullness that builds through the afternoon.
5. Supta Matsyendrasana (Reclining Twist)
Done at the end of the day, this gentle spinal twist helps the body stop carrying everything it held since morning.
It relaxes the abdomen, stretches the back, and lets the breath drop deeper. Lying on the floor with the knees falling to one side helps settle the system before sleep.
It also reduces bloating, a common complaint among those who eat at irregular times due to work.
The effectiveness of these postures does not depend on flexibility or previous experience. What matters is doing them often, without rushing. These are not exercises, but rather a way to stop, breathe, and reset. For those looking to go a step further, adding simple breathwork techniques like Nadi Shodhana (Alternate Nostril Breathing), Bhramari (Humming Bee Breath), or Ujjayi (Ocean Breath) can deepen the reset effect and help manage mental load through the day.
Those who stick with it, even 10 minutes a day, notice fewer headaches, calmer evenings, and better focus. Not because the job changed, but because their response to it did.
Authored by: Pritika Singh, CEO at Prayag Hospital Group
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