Boost Your Workplace Energy Through Movement
Today we’re continuing our focus on developing holistic ways to keep going in any professional environment, no matter the figurative or literal weather conditions you encounter along the way. Both your mind and your body are part of the workplace equation! And it’s easy to feel drained while navigating today’s uncertain, unprecedented terrain. Which is why today we’re focusing on ways to maintain your energy in your professional environment through physical movement, engaging in easy actions that will help give your mood and your productivity a big boost. The suggestions from the pros that we’ve highlighted below will provide you with a couple of surefire embodied methodologies to help you keep weathering any storm:
Our first tip comes from Dan Scalco at Entrepreneur: “Straighten up. When we’re tired at work, many of us have a tendency to slump in front of the computer. Our neck, shoulders and upper back round, and we sink further and further into our chair as the day goes on. Assuming this defeated posture can actually make us feel even more lethargic than we were before we sat down to work because it limits blood flow to the brain. Whenever you catch yourself slumping, commit to sitting up straight. Not only is using better posture easier on your spine, but it will also keep energy flowing through your body. Better yet, stand up, and take a short stretch break every time you find yourself in a (literal) slump. Return to your desk with a newly invigorated posture.” Keep that energy up by thinking and moving upward! Make sure that you’re sitting all the way up and taking chances to stand regularly throughout your workday so that you’ll be fully energized–that way you can keep on demonstrating your professional capabilities whether you’re working on-site or remotely. Changing up your position during the workday can also help shake up your mental approach to professional tasks, providing you with insights into new ways to tackle any workplace challenges you might encounter.
We also love this trick from Ashley Stahl at Forbes: “Incorporate morning workouts. While it may seem like working your body out when you first wake up will cause you to crash even harder, the opposite is true…By working out, your body and your brain will have kickstarted into high gear so you can come into work feeling fresh and inspired. Exercise also helps you maintain better sleeping habits, and a study from the Sleep Foundation found that adults with insomnia fell asleep more quickly, slept slightly longer and had better sleep quality than before they began exercising.” Getting those endorphins flowing will also provide a daily mood boost. You can even reach out to your colleagues to start up a morning group Zoom workout session to help create a greater sense of workplace community while also showing off your leadership skills. Whether you’re newly starting up your workout habits or have been exercising for ages, make sure to engage in self-compassion. Building up skills takes practice, both at work and beyond. The important thing is to keep weathering the storm–to keep going, and taking holistic steps towards your goals.
As the saying goes, “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” Take inspiration from that, and make sure you’re straightening up your posture while on the clock! That small action will have huge results when it comes to boosting your mood, and making it through any circumstances your professional environment brings your way. We also encourage you to further consider the mind-body connection when it comes to being your best self at work by incorporating morning workouts. These suggestions might be different from your typical workplace tips–and that’s a good thing! Keep thinking outside the box, and you’ll develop your sense of perseverance even further. We’ll see you back here tomorrow as we close out the week with our Feel Good Friday: Weathering the Storm edition.
Image retrieved from Pixabay under the public domain.
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