10 Steps To A Superior Work Day
May 2008
10 Steps to a Superior Work Day
By Vidya Kim, RNCP, RHN
Are you sitting in a rut at your work station? Would you like to be more interested, and fulfilled in your work? This is a decision you can make by setting the tone during your commute each workday. Set an intention to renew your habits and routines. Follow these tips and work seriously at them. When you are healthier and more focused at work, you can create a far more harmonious environment, which will undoubtedly trickle down into your home life and family.
1. Pay yourself first. Wake up early and hit the gym, hug a tree, meditate, eat breakfast with the kids, practice your instrument, walk your dog. From this place your day will flow easily and you will have more to give.
2. Arrive 15 minutes early. Give yourself the mental space to allow for creativity to flow with a relaxed start to your day. Take this time to catch up with your coworkers so you are at your desk on time.
3. Dress for success. Make sure your clothes are neat, clean, and sharp looking. Wear a tidy hair style. A big part of success is looking professional. When you look good, you feel good, which leads to better health.
4. Stretch at your desk. Begin with slow neck circles, shoulder shrugs, leaning forward through the knees, clasping hands behind the back standing tall and opening the upper chest area, and draw your knee to your chest one at a time.
5. BREATHE - Deeply and Slowly. When we breathe deeply, using the full expansiveness of our lungs and rib cage we take in up to 7x more oxygen thereby relaxing muscles, sharpening the mind and allowing minor irritations to fall away.
6. Sit up straight and tall in your chair. If your chair is not comfortable make sure you find one that is. This is highly important for mental clarity and focus. When the spine is scrunched down and hunched forward there is constricted flow to the nervous system, digestive system and brain.
7. Hydrate with H2O. As our body is over 70% water, we require pure water to re-hydrate our cells, to help with digestion, oxygenate our blood and brain and to aid in elimination of toxicity from the body. If you have a 9-5 work day you require a minimum of 1 litre of water, and another litre at home. Keep a bottle by your desk and in the car - use glass!
8. Avoid Caffeine and sugar. Even one coffee per day will exhaust the adrenal glands causing eventual burnout, hormonal and digestive imbalances. Similar to caffeine, sugar will exhaust the adrenals, cause imbalances, inflammation, brain fog, nervousness and irritability. Just 1 tsp of sugar will greatly reduce immune response for up to 2 days!
9. Eat lunch outside or away from your desk. Taking this “mini holiday” for 30-60 minutes helps you to come back refreshed. Eat light and use the principles of food combining: fruit to be eaten alone, no starches and proteins together, no drinks within 20 minutes before or after meals. This will help digestion, metabolism and preserve valuable energy.
10. Put a smile on your face! - Never underestimate the law of attraction. When we align ourselves positively, more positivity will be drawn to us. If you find this difficult, spend more time around people who are naturally happy. Most importantly, go easy on yourself! It takes time to develop new habits. The choice is yours in every moment. Keep practicing and you will soon see positive results with slow increments toward a deeper, healthier success.
www.yoga-wellness.ca
Are you sitting in a rut at your work station? Would you like to be more interested, and fulfilled in your work? This is a decision you can make by setting the tone during your commute each workday. Set an intention to renew your habits and routines. Follow these tips and work seriously at them. When you are healthier and more focused at work, you can create a far more harmonious environment, which will undoubtedly trickle down into your home life and family.
1. Pay yourself first. Wake up early and hit the gym, hug a tree, meditate, eat breakfast with the kids, practice your instrument, walk your dog. From this place your day will flow easily and you will have more to give.
2. Arrive 15 minutes early. Give yourself the mental space to allow for creativity to flow with a relaxed start to your day. Take this time to catch up with your coworkers so you are at your desk on time.
3. Dress for success. Make sure your clothes are neat, clean, and sharp looking. Wear a tidy hair style. A big part of success is looking professional. When you look good, you feel good, which leads to better health.
4. Stretch at your desk. Begin with slow neck circles, shoulder shrugs, leaning forward through the knees, clasping hands behind the back standing tall and opening the upper chest area, and draw your knee to your chest one at a time.
5. BREATHE - Deeply and Slowly. When we breathe deeply, using the full expansiveness of our lungs and rib cage we take in up to 7x more oxygen thereby relaxing muscles, sharpening the mind and allowing minor irritations to fall away.
6. Sit up straight and tall in your chair. If your chair is not comfortable make sure you find one that is. This is highly important for mental clarity and focus. When the spine is scrunched down and hunched forward there is constricted flow to the nervous system, digestive system and brain.
7. Hydrate with H2O. As our body is over 70% water, we require pure water to re-hydrate our cells, to help with digestion, oxygenate our blood and brain and to aid in elimination of toxicity from the body. If you have a 9-5 work day you require a minimum of 1 litre of water, and another litre at home. Keep a bottle by your desk and in the car - use glass!
8. Avoid Caffeine and sugar. Even one coffee per day will exhaust the adrenal glands causing eventual burnout, hormonal and digestive imbalances. Similar to caffeine, sugar will exhaust the adrenals, cause imbalances, inflammation, brain fog, nervousness and irritability. Just 1 tsp of sugar will greatly reduce immune response for up to 2 days!
9. Eat lunch outside or away from your desk. Taking this “mini holiday” for 30-60 minutes helps you to come back refreshed. Eat light and use the principles of food combining: fruit to be eaten alone, no starches and proteins together, no drinks within 20 minutes before or after meals. This will help digestion, metabolism and preserve valuable energy.
10. Put a smile on your face! - Never underestimate the law of attraction. When we align ourselves positively, more positivity will be drawn to us. If you find this difficult, spend more time around people who are naturally happy. Most importantly, go easy on yourself! It takes time to develop new habits. The choice is yours in every moment. Keep practicing and you will soon see positive results with slow increments toward a deeper, healthier success.
www.yoga-wellness.ca