Are you stressed? And do you ever wish there were a set of simple exercises that would make you feel calmer and more relaxed? There are such exercises, although they aren't quite what we usually have in mind when we think of "exercise." No sweaty exertion is required (with most of them). Read on to find out the details...

What are stress management exercises really? I first encountered such an exercise when I was still in high school. Of course I did not fully understand or appreciate the principles behind it and believed that it was just a maneuver to distract me from my perfectly justified case of nerves.

I played violin, and I was nervous about a recital. So one of my more experienced fellow students taught me a way to move the bow all the way back and forth, in a figure eight form, over and over, very, very slowly.

She said it would make me less nervous. It actually worked, to my big surprise, but I wasn't entirely convinced that it was the exercise that did it. Now I know better.

It was an instance of the kind of very slow motion mindfulness movements that are also part of Yoga or Tai Chi, both of which are indeed proven stress reducers. Just because I also played violin while doing this didn't really detract from its effectiveness.

I also recently came across another exercise -- mindful walking. Once again, it's something that I also encountered in Tai Chi. Another stress management exercise (though rarely advertised as that) is walking the labyrinth, another walking meditation exercise.

Slowing down and engaging in rhythmic large-scale activities that require complete focus on the movement take you out of your mind and direct you to focus on your physical self. And the stress eases or disappears.

Meditation of the more traditional variety is based on the same general idea. The problem is that may not have enough capacity to distract you from your troubles. So a slightly more involved yet very boring activity works a lot better for some people, especially those who really need stress management exercises.

So even though we usually think of more vigorous activities when we think of "exercises," sometimes very slow-paced, more mindful exercises can be very effective if not more effective. So if you are looking for stress management exercises, start slowly.

And if you'd like more ways to calm yourself down when you're under the gun, get my ebook Free Stress Tips Report, and chances are you'll be on your way to a much calmer state of mind (and body) in no time at all...