Summer vacations have now wrapped up, and it’s time to go back to work. Only this time, you’ll be going back without the colleagues around you to help you get in “working mode” vibe.
Let’s be honest — working from home can be a bit of a hit and miss experience. Sometimes we feel incredibly thankful, as it allows a quieter space where we can focus. We are more comfortable and relaxed, and it even saves us a lot of commuting time.
Other times, the sense of isolation can feel demotivating. As a result, many people find it tricky to find the strength and energy to thrive in their day-to-day work. After all, scientific studies have shown us that social connection is key for our flourishing.
When we experience these moments of challenge, it’s easy to give in as the inertia we face can often end up ruining our mojo. Luckily for us, science demonstrates that there are several ways in which we can boost our energy levels and productivity.
Below, I share a few of those simple tricks that you can put into practice throughout your day to improve your overall wellbeing. These, by the way, also make for excellent recharge breaks in between tasks!
First Things First
Before I even start talking about the tips, I would like to put extreme emphasis on one point: the importance of taking breaks.
I know at times it can be hard to remember, and we even feel guilty for taking them. But the truth is that when you do take regular breaks, you are allowing your brain to regenerate so that it can tackle tasks with more clarity and focus.
Every hour, just 5 minutes can make a huge difference in your productivity. I used to be one of those individuals who felt that breaks only decreased my productivity, and then wondered why I was exhausted by the end of the day! That was actually one of the wake up calls that got me inspired to start 3SSENTIA.
Now it’s important to establish that not all breaks are the same. Some can be detrimental (mindless social media binging anyone?), and others revitalizing — like the ones I am about to share with you.
Related Post: Finding Your Go-To Thing
Take a Deep Breath
The first trick I am going to talk about is quality breathing. It is estimated that on average, we take 20,000 breaths each day. Despite this fact, the real question should be: how many of them do we take consciously?
Breathing properly is a simple, and at the same time, incredibly effective exercise to increase our levels of wellbeing. When we focus on taking a few deep breaths by inhaling through the nose, and exhaling through the mouth, we are essentially changing our inner chemistry. By breathing deeply, we deliver more oxygen to our brains, release feel good chemicals in our bodies, reduce our stress levels, and increase our sense of presence and mindfulness.
Pretty powerful, ah?
Conscious breathing is a technique that has been used by many civilizations for thousands of years. One of my favorites forms of this type of breathing is called Pranayama.
Pranayama consists of inhaling through your nose for 3 seconds, holding for 3 seconds, and exhaling through your month for 3 seconds. By repeating this breathing cycle 10 times (it will take you between 2 and 3 minutes), you will feel instantly calmer and more positive.
Next, Let’s Spice Things Up With a Little Dance, Shall We?
Dancing is normally something we associate as an “after work” activity — not as something to enhance productivity. However, playing some nice tunes and enjoying a little dance in between tasks is an extremely easy way to engage our bodies. It also alters our mental and emotional state. Since it is important to stand up regularly, why not make it a more a fun experience? 😊
Growing evidence reveals that a simple 5-10-minute dance session can improve coordination, while giving our bodies enough movement to feel regenerated and refreshed.
Dancing can also be a good way to boost our self-esteem and confidence levels. If that was not enough, listening to the music you enjoy most while dancing is said to strengthen your memory and verbal intelligence. How about that for a win-win?
Are You Sitting Up Straight?
The third tip is something overlooked by many: body posture. This is important even if you have have the most inviting couch in the world. Having sluggish posture can have a direct negative impact on your energy and productivity levels.
In fact, having proper posture can impact the quality of your thoughts and mood.
If, however, you feel like getting creative during your breaks, doing some yoga postures can be a great way to boost your energy. The so-called victory pose with your arms fully raised to the sky is not only a fun power pose, but it can also increase your resilience to stress.
Give Thanks
The fourth tip is a personal favorite of mine: gratitude. I am never surprised with its incredible healing power. It is honestly a true-life changer.
We all experience moments of difficulty in our lives, and it is so easy to fall into that vicious circle of negativity. Negative thoughts attract other negative thoughts, making it even more challenging to refocus.
This is where gratitude can become your savior. When you focus on being grateful, you start to look at yourself and the world around you through a different lens. You become instantly more present, and more appreciative for the things (big and small) that you have in life. You also develop essential skills for wellbeing, such as compassion and self-compassion.
Moreover, having a gratitude mindset toward yourself and others enables you to experience greater peace of mind and empathy. Allowing some time in your day for gratitude can help you put things back into perspective.
The Gift of Conversation
And finally, the last tip to boost your energy levels and wellbeing is to engage in inspirational conversations. It’s surprising the immediate impact that taking part (or listening to) a meaningful conversation can have.
And you can really go wild here: whether that is reading a couple of pages from a fascinating book, watching a motivational video, or having an exciting conversation with someone about something you are truly passionate about. By putting your mind into a different “space” that is motivating and stimulating, your brain automatically creates a chemical that drives you to act. This ends up energizing your whole body. It really does work wonders!
So what are you waiting for? Go ahead and apply these simple tricks throughout your day and watch your levels of wellbeing and productivity increase.
Live fully!
A passionate entrepreneur with a relentless aspiration to understand what makes people tick , Filippo is the cofounder together with his wife Marilena of 3SSENTIA, a smart day planner inspired by the science of wellbeing that helps busy people manage their day with more balance, focus and purpose.
His background in hospitality combined with his profound interest in subjects such as behavioural science, neuroscience, psychology and human computer interface inspired him to dedicate his efforts in developing technologies that provide “experiences for good”. Filippo is a believer that technology, if used consciously, can have the power to accelerate our evolution and flourishing as human beings. And that is exactly what his mission with 3SSENTIA is: creating a platform aimed at collectively expanding our consciousness and sense of purpose.
Filippo also runs Leap2yourbest (www.leap2yourbest.com), a 2-day personalised coaching program for entrepreneurs wanting to expand their personal and business growth.
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