13 Ways to Boost Your Energy at Work
A vibrant thought leader in women's health and holistic empowerment, Sindhujaa is a poignant speaker and writerLet’s boldly re-energize your experience of work!
Whether you work at a 9-to-5 job run late night shifts, prefer early morning stints or even create your own flexible schedule as a freelancer or entrepreneur let’s get in some wellness hacks to rejuvenate your body and mind! These simple Mind Body Shifts can induce happier moods, clear focus and pump up your stamina. This is the secret formula that yields deeper enjoyment and achievement from your work!
1)Good Work Begins with Good Rest: Want to wake up calm, fresh, healthy and happy? Then get 7 to 8 hours of deep, undisturbed sleep! If you are waking up groggy or in a bad mood, it’s quite likely that your sleeping patterns were disrupted. No human being can be expected to feel vibrant, energetic and healthy in body or mind – if he hasn’t managed to get sufficient sleep! And no amount of coffee can make up for lost sleep. So a good work-day always begins with restful sleep. Lack of sleep will leave you cranky, irritable and tired. No genius performance can be expected from you on such a day! Switching off electronic devices at least 30 min before bed, setting up a pitchdark room, drinking some warm milk or adaptogenic tea before bed, cozying up with a loved one after cutting out all distractions, meditating for a while etc.are all strategies to prepare yourself for deep sleep.
2)Get some‘lemon aid’: Research says that drinking warm water with lemon and raw honey in the morning can boost your metabolism by 30%! This is a natural detoxifier and energy booster. Not just mornings, but you can grab this drink anytime during the day to refresh yourself. It alkalizes your body, fights harmful bacteria, cuts off inflammation(bye-bye body aches!) and refreshes your mind too!
3)Look at the 'Sunny' side: Hormonal imbalances equal fatigue. And exposure to sunlight can help regulate hormones. When your body is hormone-happy, your brain and nervous system react better to stress. You’ll find that situations don’t upset you so easily anymore. You literally look at the brighter side of things. So take a walk in fresh air and sunlight, or spend some time on the balcony to rejuvenate both your body and mind!
4)Don’t skip meals: No matter how much work you have piled up, there’s no place for anything else on your platter at mealtimes other than good, nutritious food! There’s nothing more powerful than a balanced meal with protein, vegetables, fruits, nuts and whole grain carbohydrates to prevent your energy levels from slumping. A hungry man is forever an angry man, since the stress-hormone cortisol is released by your body to combat hunger. Even if you’ve had a filling meal, your body may still remain hungry for NUTRIENTS vitamins and minerals. So ensure you get plenty of fruits and vegetables at each meal to keep you fresh, glowing and happy inside out! This also improves brain function boosting work performance, creativity and better moods.
5)Warmth provides comfort: The human body is biologically wired to co-relate ‘warmth’ with safety and comfort. In this ‘comfort' mode, stress levels go down and work becomes joyful. If your workplace allows, grab a blanket or some extra
cushions to place around your space for that feeling of relaxed ease. If not you can always grab some hot beverages such as green tea, healthy chocolate milk (no sugar, use healthy sweeteners like stevia), a bowl of soup etc. to generate warmth and signal your nervous system to stop stressing out and get comfortable!
6)Go green: Even five minutes spent with greenery, such as in an area with plants on your terrace or at a park, improves oxygenation to your brain and body, and greatly improves your physical and mental health. Even better if you can have some greens right around your work area! Spend a day designing your desk and workspace. Create an inspiring environment to work in!
7)Music Therapy: Science reveals that our favourite music generates a dopamine rush, activating our energy, instantly cheering us up! If you are feeling a little low at work, or facing creative blocks, either blast out some music in your office for a while to light everyone up or put on your headphones and enjoy by yourself! You’ll then be able to come back to work with more zeal!
8)Move it: At least once every 90 minutes, get off your seat and indulge in physical activity for 10 minutes. You could briskly walk around and say hello to your friends (preferably on other floors! Take the stairs!). Most definitely stretch a bit to ease neck/back pain, release your elbow and knee joints etc. Do some jumping jacks or squats. Breathe deep. Get out of your mind and refocus on your body. This is simple but is a star rejuvenator one of the non negotiable wellness needs of your body and mind!
9)Giggle: Laughter is the best medicine for your mind, body and spirit! Nothing like quipping with your friends! Search out your favourite colleagues, call up a friend or watch a quick comic video that makes you laugh out loud. You spend enough time with your devices so it’s best to do this with real people instead of just watching a video or reading something funny.
10)Clean your desk: Chaos leads to confusion and frustration. Clutter can eventually lead to overwhelm and zap your stamina. Take 10 minutes each day to clean up your desk, inboxes, schedules etc.
11)Rest your eyes: Our world today demands that we are constantly latched onto screens. This tires out our eyes a great deal. Fatigued eyes can also lead to headaches and brain fatigue. So once in every 20 minutes, make sure you take your eyes off the screen and look at an object at least 11 feet away, for 20 seconds. Blink often. And whenever you can, take a moment to close your eyes and just rest, while breathing deep. This is healing for both mind and body. You can also use some hydrating eye drops if you spend long hours in front of a screen each day.
12) Work less hard but dig deeper: Choose simplicity over complexity. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. If you feel you’re getting more work than you can handle, be unafraid in conversing with your colleagues and pushing back the volume being handed to you. Often, a polite, respectful and reasonable request can do wonders. It enables your managers and co-workers to better understand your strengths and preferences, and delegate tasks that are a good fit. It is upto you to open that conversation and gain their understanding. Distil your tasks, cut back on all unproductive work, and do only what matters do them well! For example, why create a 20-page presentation when you know that people are going to fall asleep? Cut out the needless work, carve out the essentials, and make a super impactful 5 slide presentation instead! The world and your own heart will thank you for it!
13) Play: Innovation comes from out-of-the-box thinking. Out-of-the-box thinking comes from experimentation. Experimentation is nothing but play! So play! Play with ideas. Play with tactics. Play with thought processes, routines and procedures. Play with your colleagues. Make it fun! Enjoy yourself! This will take the rigidity out of your work-life, forge better friendships with your co-workers by breaking the ice, and give you a more fulfilling career! Whether you choose fun workshops at work to try new things, or informally gather some colleagues and head out for a drink on Friday evening building those bonds can make work so much more exciting and meaningful.
Your work is a window to your soul. It is your contribution to the world your masterpiece. It has a big role in your emotional well being and life satisfaction. Your mental health and physical wellness are the foundation on which your career and entire life is built on. None are isolated. Each impacts the other. A happy body aids a happy mind. A happy mind yields more profit at work. More profit at work leads to a more fulfilling life.
The tiniest changes can boost your health and happiness in titanic ways. Prioritize your wellness and derive more joy from life!
6)Go green: Even five minutes spent with greenery, such as in an area with plants on your terrace or at a park, improves oxygenation to your brain and body, and greatly improves your physical and mental health. Even better if you can have some greens right around your work area! Spend a day designing your desk and workspace. Create an inspiring environment to work in!
7)Music Therapy: Science reveals that our favourite music generates a dopamine rush, activating our energy, instantly cheering us up! If you are feeling a little low at work, or facing creative blocks, either blast out some music in your office for a while to light everyone up or put on your headphones and enjoy by yourself! You’ll then be able to come back to work with more zeal!
8)Move it: At least once every 90 minutes, get off your seat and indulge in physical activity for 10 minutes. You could briskly walk around and say hello to your friends (preferably on other floors! Take the stairs!). Most definitely stretch a bit to ease neck/back pain, release your elbow and knee joints etc. Do some jumping jacks or squats. Breathe deep. Get out of your mind and refocus on your body. This is simple but is a star rejuvenator one of the non negotiable wellness needs of your body and mind!
9)Giggle: Laughter is the best medicine for your mind, body and spirit! Nothing like quipping with your friends! Search out your favourite colleagues, call up a friend or watch a quick comic video that makes you laugh out loud. You spend enough time with your devices so it’s best to do this with real people instead of just watching a video or reading something funny.
10)Clean your desk: Chaos leads to confusion and frustration. Clutter can eventually lead to overwhelm and zap your stamina. Take 10 minutes each day to clean up your desk, inboxes, schedules etc.
11)Rest your eyes: Our world today demands that we are constantly latched onto screens. This tires out our eyes a great deal. Fatigued eyes can also lead to headaches and brain fatigue. So once in every 20 minutes, make sure you take your eyes off the screen and look at an object at least 11 feet away, for 20 seconds. Blink often. And whenever you can, take a moment to close your eyes and just rest, while breathing deep. This is healing for both mind and body. You can also use some hydrating eye drops if you spend long hours in front of a screen each day.
The tiniest changes can boost your health and happiness in titanic ways. Prioritize your wellness and derive more joy from life!
12) Work less hard but dig deeper: Choose simplicity over complexity. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. If you feel you’re getting more work than you can handle, be unafraid in conversing with your colleagues and pushing back the volume being handed to you. Often, a polite, respectful and reasonable request can do wonders. It enables your managers and co-workers to better understand your strengths and preferences, and delegate tasks that are a good fit. It is upto you to open that conversation and gain their understanding. Distil your tasks, cut back on all unproductive work, and do only what matters do them well! For example, why create a 20-page presentation when you know that people are going to fall asleep? Cut out the needless work, carve out the essentials, and make a super impactful 5 slide presentation instead! The world and your own heart will thank you for it!
13) Play: Innovation comes from out-of-the-box thinking. Out-of-the-box thinking comes from experimentation. Experimentation is nothing but play! So play! Play with ideas. Play with tactics. Play with thought processes, routines and procedures. Play with your colleagues. Make it fun! Enjoy yourself! This will take the rigidity out of your work-life, forge better friendships with your co-workers by breaking the ice, and give you a more fulfilling career! Whether you choose fun workshops at work to try new things, or informally gather some colleagues and head out for a drink on Friday evening building those bonds can make work so much more exciting and meaningful.
Your work is a window to your soul. It is your contribution to the world your masterpiece. It has a big role in your emotional well being and life satisfaction. Your mental health and physical wellness are the foundation on which your career and entire life is built on. None are isolated. Each impacts the other. A happy body aids a happy mind. A happy mind yields more profit at work. More profit at work leads to a more fulfilling life.
The tiniest changes can boost your health and happiness in titanic ways. Prioritize your wellness and derive more joy from life!
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