Mental load: the windmill exercise | Ghislaine Morin — Sophrologue & médecine chinoise à Grenoble

📝 Full transcription (PLAUD)

[S1] Until 11am, See life in blue on France Bleu Isère.

[S2] Ghislaine Morin, sophrologist, is with us. Hello Ghislaine, thank you for being with us this morning. Now, it is often said that women know how to do several things at once whereas men are single-tasking. Well, that is not quite right. In fact, we are all subject to a mental load that is more or less heavy.

[S2] Yes, more or less heavy. In fact, mental load arises above all when we think about one or even several tasks that have absolutely nothing to do with what we are currently doing. Typically, being at work and already thinking, for example, about freeing the childminder who has to leave at 7pm sharp, stopping by the shop to pick up a few things for dinner, without forgetting to help with homework while thinking about tomorrow morning's meeting, and then also making the multiple appointments at the dentist, doctor and so on. So mental load is a superimposition of tasks that we have to think about and that come to parasitise our mind.

[S2] Yeah, so we talked about it a lot with a comic strip that came out last year, which was rather aimed at women. There in fact mental load affects men as much as women. It is the cause of our current lifestyle which generates rumination, fatigue, stress, so both physical and psychological fatigue. It is an overflow that leads to stress and exhaustion.

[S1] So can sophrology help?

[S2] So to avoid this mental load becoming too heavy, you need to know how to grant yourself a moment or moments of pause and come back to yourself, to your feelings, and also recognise your limits and your own needs before responding to the needs of others.

[S1] Sometimes we need a little perspective and that is certainly what sophrology helps to do, to understand where the priorities are in all this mass of tasks that all seem important when they come to our eyes but in fact some are still more important than others.

[S2] Whether on a personal or professional level, this moment of pause is important, it is what we grant ourselves in sophrology, being attentive to our feelings, being able to take the necessary step back and also learning to let go of tensions, whether physical, mental or emotional tensions, in order to better take this step back and take a time that allows you to regain calm, energy and relaxation. So you should know that mental load is a stress for our body and therefore all the signals, whether fatigue, irritability, the feeling of always being in a rush, indicate an overheating, an overload of the body that must be released and not accumulated.

[S3] All right, do you need to do regular exercises for it to be effective?

[S2] Yes, precisely, to release this overload, I suggest today that we do an exercise, what is called the windmill exercise, which will allow us to release these tensions.

[S2] There we go, so it is a little exercise that can be done in a few minutes which is very simple. It is better to stand up. Standing, feet always at hip width. You need to relax the whole body by unlocking the knees, also relax the stomach and the shoulders. You will be able to close your eyes to refocus for a few seconds on your breathing, taking two or three deep abdominal breaths and then you will imagine in the hollow of your right hand all the tensions, all the worries of the day or the week, everything that irritates you, everything that bothers you.

[S2] And then you will be able to eliminate and get rid of these tensions by throwing them very far away. To do this you will first take a deep breath, both arms along the body, bringing your attention to your right hand, clenching your right fist and you will make a few rotations of the arm, a circular movement backwards while gaining momentum.

[S3] As if I were throwing a sling or that kind of thing.

[S2] Exactly, and then on a few circular rotations while holding your breath, that is important, and on the exhalation, there, as if you were throwing it far away.

[S3] There, that's it, it's gone to the other end of the line.

[S2] And then after that, you need to take a short pause to welcome the physical sensations, to welcome the feelings.

[S1] You have understood the principle, it is also doing it several times because normally it is three times with each arm.

[S2] That's right? Three times with each arm and then we finish with both arms just once. And then we take this short pause needed at the end of the exercise. To really feel the releasing of the body, and then the idea is to be able to do it regularly. It is a little exercise that takes a few minutes and which will allow you to embed new anti-stress reflexes.

[S1] That is what sophrology is for, it is about adopting things that we have anchored in our habits. It takes 21 days for us to be able to change our habits.

[S2] Exactly, 21 days, so by doing these exercises regularly every day, taking a few minutes in the day to be able to release these tensions, the mental load will be less heavy as these exercises progress.

[S1] Thank you very much for enlightening us, for giving us this little exercise to listen to again on francebleu.fr. Sophrology with Ghislaine Morin, every Tuesday. Thank you very much Ghislaine.

📌 Summary (PLAUD AI)

Interview information

* Date and time: 2026-09-01 10:17:04

* Interviewee: Ghislaine Morin

Key points

1. Understanding mental load

* Mental load affects everyone, not only women. It results from today's lifestyle: a superimposition of obligations and simultaneous thoughts, which causes rumination, stress and fatigue.

* It is an overflow that parasitises the mind and manifests itself through fatigue, irritability and a feeling of being constantly rushed.

2. The role of sophrology

* Granting yourself pauses to come back to yourself, recognising your limits and needs before those of others, regaining perspective and prioritising.

* Releasing physical, mental and emotional tensions to restore calm, energy and relaxation.

3. Practical exercise: the windmill

* Standing, feet hip-width apart, knees unlocked, body relaxed, eyes closed, deep abdominal breaths.

* Visualise in the right hand all the tensions and worries. Breathe in deeply, clench the fist, circular rotations backwards while holding the breath, then breathe out while throwing far away.

* Repeat three times per arm, finish once with both arms, then a pause to welcome the sensations.

4. Timing

* 21 days to integrate a new habit. Regular repetition establishes anti-stress reflexes that reduce mental load.

Would you like to book an appointment? Contact Ghislaine Morin on 06 24 90 04 98 or book online.

Learn more

Frequently asked questions

How many sophrology sessions are necessary?

It depends on your objective. For stress or sleep, 5 to 10 sessions are often recommended. A free 30-minute first meeting allows us to define your support together.

Is sophrology reimbursed?

Some health insurance companies reimburse sophrology sessions (e.g. Radiance-Humanis). Ask your health insurer.

How does a session unfold?

A session lasts 45 min to 1 hr: a time for discussion, guided breathing and relaxation exercises, then a review of how you felt.

Does sophrology replace medical treatment?

No. Sophrology is a complementary practice that does not replace medical treatment. If in doubt, consult your doctor.

Ghislaine Morin welcomes you in Grenoble : www.sophrologue-grenoble.fr/sophrologie-sophrologue-a-grenoble-38000-38100