Great article by Marianne Power in the Irish Independent
A few summers ago Taylor Swift had a song that was on the radio for what seemed to be 25 hours a day. The song was telling the world to “shake it off”. She was referring to our worries, but at the time all I wanted to do was shake off that song. But it turns out that Miss Swift is wise beyond her years.
This week, I discovered that physically shaking dramatically reduces stress and anxiety, something that animals do instinctively. Just think of a dog during a thunderstorm – what they are doing is literally shaking out tension and stress. Once the episode is over they stop shaking and move on – they don’t hold onto that traumatic experience for years or decades like humans do. A book called Shake it off Naturally by Dr David Berceli recommends that us humans follow animals’ lead, physically shaking as often as we can but especially after any big conversation or tough day.
Just stand up, shake out your arms, your legs, shake your behind and keep going for a couple of minutes. Try doing it after your boss has a go at you. It might frighten them into being nicer in future.
Shake it off Naturally by Dr. David Berceli
Source: Irish Independent