The challenge is we don’t stop – we just keep going. We have learned to work through stressors and pain. Many of us work late into the evenings, run back-to-back meetings, and carry significant stress in our bodies. And we do this Every. Single. Day. We are fatigued and exhausted – leaving what little remains for our family, friends and ourselves. We don’t have to work this way. Instead, we can learn to recognize negative patterns that lead to burnout and find ways to redefine our relationship with work.
One way to leading a sustainable work-life is to take little moments throughout the day to nourish ourselves – which is a much healthier and saner approach to working. Instead of waiting long periods of time to respond to our needs, we continuously check in and attend to our needs as the day progresses. When this happens, our days become a little more easeful. We are also able to better support ourselves and our colleagues during stressful moments because we aren’t always running on empty. Below are three tools I use with my clients to help nourish ourselves at work.
Use Stoplights to Decompress: Nobel Peace Prize Nominee and Zen Buddhist Thich Nhat Hanh writes about “using stoplights to breathe”. One of the best tools I’ve found to take care of myself throughout my day is to utilize stoplights to release tension. I start with a simple breath. You can roll your shoulders, breath, feel your feet on the brake pedal, and the floorboards. Instead of looking at the clock to determine whether you are late to your meeting or not – you can quite simply enjoy the break. The pause. Exhale and inhale deeply. With practice, this can become a foundational tool for yourself. It has shifted how I take car rides. Red lights no longer stress me out or make me think about whether I’m running late to a meeting (even when I am, I pause and enjoy them). For salespeople, consultants, and anyone who spends a lot of time in a car, this can become a dream of a practice.
Take Mini Pauses: This can be a simple or regimented as you want to make it. I’ve spoken with people who use Fitbits to get up and move, and I’ve also worked with people that utilize meditation or mindfulness apps for their mini-pauses. There is no right or wrong way to do this, the key is to make it your own and commit to the practice over multiple days and weeks. I tend to adjust this practice to whatever I need at the moment. If my shoulders are sore from a long computer session – I’ll go to the bathroom and stretch or do shoulder circles. If I’m needing some fresh air and the sun is out, I’ll take a short 5 or 10-minute pause to walk outside the building. If I’m running between meetings, sometimes my pause is a simple stop and sit (or stand) for three breaths. Tune in to yourself and ask “What do I need right now?” Our bodies tend to respond to us if we take the time to listen.
Enjoy Your Walk Into Your Office: This tool is a spin-off of mindfulness practice. The simplest way I’ve found to really tune into our surroundings is through the body. You can focus first on your breath, or your feet connecting to the ground. Then begin to notice your surroundings and how your body feels at the moment. Some good awareness-building questions include: Is the weather cold today? Is your breath forming clouds in the frosty air or is the sun warming your cheek? Are there birds calling, or clouds making shapes above you? How does the sunlight reflect off your building? Can you focus on all these details all the way until your hand touches the door? And then, how long can you hold and enjoy this moment? Doing this consistently will bring a level of appreciation in the morning and also serve as a way to close your day. Your walk to and from your car to your office can become a type of ritual that helps you tune into yourself and your surroundings. It’s also a foundational tool for building Awareness in our workplace.
Be well and enjoy the exercises and tools above.
All the Best,
Woodrie & The Team
