Singing for Focus and Re-Centring

Midday is an excellent time to reset, especially if you’re feeling mentally drained or stressed. A brief singing routine during lunch or a work break can improve focus, reduce tension, and help you feel refreshed. Midday routines are ideal for boosting concentration, re-energising, and finding balance.

Breathing Exercises to Re-Centre and Release Tension

Midday breathing exercises focus on releasing any accumulated tension and refreshing the mind.

Exercises:

• Box Breathing: Inhale for a count of 4, hold for 4, exhale for 4, and hold again for 4. Repeat for several cycles. This exercise resets your breathing, calms the mind, and helps you regain focus.
• Alternate Nostril Breathing: Close one nostril, inhale through the other, then switch. This exercise balances the body’s energy and relieves mental fatigue.

Grounding Vocal Exercises

The following exercises are short but effective for grounding yourself, re-centring, and reducing midday stress.

Exercises:

• Soft Humming: Hum along to a relaxing tune or create a simple melody. Focus on the vibrations and allow yourself to feel grounded. Humming helps release tension in the jaw and neck, providing a mental reset.
• Vocal Slides: Start on a comfortable note, slide up to a higher pitch, and back down. This exercise stretches the vocal cords and relaxes the mind, helping you shake off mental fatigue.
• Staccato Syllables: Take a deep breath and practice singing short, detached syllables, such as “ha-ha-ha” or “la-la-la.” This exercise energises the voice and mind, helping you return to work or with renewed focus.

Singing for Emotional Release

If you’re feeling stressed, try singing a favourite song or mantra that brings comfort or positivity. Singing a song that resonates with your current emotions can be a powerful release.

Examples of Midday Singing:

• Choose a soothing song with a positive message, like “Let It Be” by The Beatles, and sing along to release stress.
• If you prefer, sing a simple melody on neutral syllables like “na-na-na” to focus on the feeling of vocalising without specific words.

Singing familiar, comforting tunes allows you to release emotions, process stress, and re-align yourself with a positive mindset for the rest of the day.