Five-minute miracle stress cure scientifically proven to improve mind

Is this the secret to a stress-free life? Wellness expert reveals ‘miracle’ five-minute ‘happiness workout’ that will bring you ‘inner peace’ and relaxation in just six simple steps

  • Poppy Jamie, 28, creator of mindfulness app Happy Not Perfect, shared the six-step ‘happiness workout’ that she describes as a ‘miracle cure’ for stress
  • The five-minute process helps people to feel calmer and manage their feelings
  • It can be used at any point during the day – even during high stress moments like commuting or responding to many emails
  • The workout is designed to exercise your mind through games, challenges and rewards that stimulate positive feelings
  • Happy Not Perfect teamed with education network Edmodo to bring its tools to schools so students can benefit from an improved academic environment
  • Clinical psychologist Dr. Sophie Mort worked with Poppy to share some other stress management tips that can help to keep you calm

Moments of stress can occur at any time and in any place during your day-to-day life – and often it feels like there is little you can do to overcome the feelings of anxiety and worry at the time.   

But according to one wellness expert, there is a simple and effective way to find some inner peace in any stressful situation, through a five-minute ‘happiness workout’. 

Poppy Jamie, the 28-year-old creator of mindfulness app Happy Not Perfect, created a six-step process for overcoming stress that she describes as a ‘miracle’ cure for anyone who is seeking some calm and relaxation. 

Chill out: Mindfulness app Happy Not Perfect offers a five-minute ‘happiness workout’ that its creator describes as a ‘miracle’ cure for stress (stock image) 


Calm feelings: The workout is included on the app (right), which was created by wellness expert Poppy Jamie (left), who says it is a ‘miracle cure’ for stress

The digital stress solution, which is part of Happy Not Perfect’s many scientifically-backed mindfulness- and wellness- focused tools, can be done anywhere and at any time, with Poppy describing it as a ‘miracle experience to relax your nervous system, process thoughts and find a positive mindset’.    

Happy Not Perfect’s mindful workout is based on six positive steps, including playing games that are available on the app. However, even those without immediate access to a phone can still reap the benefits of many of the steps. 

While the steps – which begin with a focus on what mood you are in at the time of doing the workout and end with identifying a daily goal or challenge – might seem incredibly simple, Poppy says that by repeating them daily, people can completely transform their lives, and end up feeling ‘calmer, less stressed, balanced, more positive, optimistic’. 

The workout can also lead to improved sleep. 

‘Science has proven, we all have the power to change our mental wellbeing,’ Poppy said of the happiness workout. 

‘We can feel calmer, less stressed, balanced, sleeping better, more positive, optimistic when we know how and with the right tools.’

The London-born mindfulness expert explained that the happiness workout should be treated just like a daily ‘break’ for your brain, allowing it the chance to rest – which is essential for its overall wellbeing.  

‘Your brain is like any other part of your body, it needs to be looked after, stretched and worked-out to be working at it’s best,’ she explained. 

‘Just like not brushing your teeth would cause them to hurt, our minds can feel overwhelmed if we don’t actively rest them.’

She added: ‘Science has proven your brain is like plastic, it can change shape, rewire, remold with exercise! So it’s really really important to make sure we all have the tools available to exercise our minds the right way.’ 

Poppy wants to make clear that this workout isn’t just for those who suffer with high levels of stress, or deal with feelings of worry and anxiety. Instead, the in-app workout – which also offers daily rewards, known as Vibes, to anyone who completes it – can be used by everyone in order to balance and relax their mind, something that Poppy wants to see more people including in their day-to-day routine. 


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The five-minute happiness workout

Step 1: Decide how you are feeling

Focus on your mood, think honestly about how you’re feeling and make a note of what it is.  

If you are using the Happy Not Perfect app, pick from a selection of moods to help reduce the impact of negative thoughts and feeling.

Step 2: Relax

The app then offers a few exercises that allow your brain to relax for a few moments. Follow balloons, juice boxes and neon lights through a breathing pattern to activate your rest system. 

If you aren’t using the app, take a few deep breaths to calm yourself and relax. 

Step 3: Write it down and let go

If you’re without a phone, write anything down that is cluttering your mind, then crumple the paper and throw it away.  

On the app, you now have the option to answer a specific question to unclutter your mind and find clarity. You then burn the answer away by setting a virtual fire on the screen.

Step 4:  Grateful diary

Make a gratitude list to remember the good things in your life, whether on the app, or on a piece of paper.

Step 5: Mindful game

If you are using Happy Not Perfect, you then get the chance to play a new mini game to help you feel more balanced and zen. 

Again, if you aren’t using the app, take a few moments to breathe in deeply and focus on that same feeling of zen.  

Step 6: Challenges

Either set a daily goal or accept a challenge to find a sense of achievement and feel happier 

In fact, Happy Not Perfect recently teamed up with education network Edmodo to pass its digital mindfulness tools along to millions of teachers and students. 

‘Emotional wellbeing is key to a healthy learning environment,’ a release about the partnership said. 

‘Research has proven social and emotional learning at school supports greater academic achievement and nurtures more empathetic, compassionate, and self-aware students. 

‘But studies are showing wellbeing is at critically low levels in schools with limited assistance.’

Three simple steps for daily stress relief

  • Write a list of three things you are grateful for (no matter how small)
  • Hold the things that went well in mind, rehearsing what happened and the positive feedback you received over and over so you can lay it down in your memory
  • Learn how to breath properly, in a way that activates the relaxation response

‘Teaching unions are warning of an “epidemic of stress” and increasing levels of burnout,’ clinical psychologist Dr. Sophie Mort noted, before explaining that there are scientific reasons for an increased feeling of stress among so many people.

‘Your brain has evolved to keep you safe,’ she said. ‘This means it has evolved to pay more attention to the dangers, the stressors and the things that go wrong. It thinks it is helping you survive by doing this, but often it is actually just meaning you feel overwhelmed and negative a lot of the time. 

‘You can train your brain to start focusing on the positive by making time each day to: write a list of three things you are grateful for (no matter how small); hold the things that went well in mind, rehearsing what happened and the positive feedback you received over and over so you can lay it down in your memory; learn how to breathe properly, in a way that activates the relaxation response.’

According to Dr. Soph, these three small steps will make a huge difference in terms of decreasing stress on a day-to-day level.

‘These may sound like small acts and they are, but together and with repetition they make a huge difference and there is neuroscientific and psychological research that backs this up,’ she explained.

‘The refresh on happy not perfect covers these aspects making it a quick and easy way to shape your brain to be more positive thinking.’

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