Studies have shown that yoga can improve your mindset, increase your energy level, reveal your true-life path, cultivate mindfulness, and last but not least, boost your productivity.
Hasmukh Adhia, H.R. Nagendra and B. Mahadevan, three well-known Indian scientists created a study to measure the effect Yoga has on different people’s organizational performance. They used five indicators for their research, which were job satisfaction, job involvement, goal orientation, effective organizational commitment and organizational citizenship behavior. If practicing yoga proved to be efficient indeed, the scientists could spot a change in the above indicators.
The results of the study show that Yoga has a remarkable positive impact on four out of five of the indicators presented. We recommend that you learn Yoga and practice it in your own free time or even at the office while taking a break. As Amit Ray once said, “Yoga means additions – addition of energy, strength and beauty to body, mind, and soul.”
Turn it Into a Reward
When your productivity levels are dropping, you must make a change in your work life. Thus, consider practicing reward-Yoga. Since time runs fast, make a promise to yourself before starting to work on your tasks. It should sound something like, “If I finish X, Y, and Z today, I am allowed to practice Yoga for 15 minutes.”
This is an efficient method to keep yourself accountable for your progress. Don’t forget to sketch a goal list and prioritize your work ahead of time.
Your “Yoga treat” should be that time of the day when you relax completely and forget about any responsibilities. If you decide to make Yoga a reward, then, in case you earn it, stop thinking about anything else while practicing. Keep your mind clear, your head in the clouds, but your feet on the ground.
Get Up and Stretch!
If you are experiencing various pains or aches, no wonder your productivity is dropping! How could anyone concentrate in such circumstances? Yoga is known to have potent therapeutic effects, increase the quality of life, and have a long-lasting impact on both your spiritual and physical senses. Below see some stress-relief yoga poses that you can practice at your workplace.
To release tension,
• Wrist, hand, and neck stretches
• The Cow Pose – to open up your shoulders
• Reed Stretches – to align your spine
• The Chair Pose – to uplift blood flow
• The Eagle Pose – to ease your lower back pain
• The Pigeon Pose– to stretch your hamstrings
To relieve stress,
• Practice meditation – close your eyes and focus on your breathing for 10 minutes!
• Chest Open Pose – open your chest to receive positive energy from the energy source and breathe more deeply
• Spinal Rocking – relax your spine and lower back
• Leg Ups – relax your nervous system and improve blood flow
To improve focus,
• Forward Folds
• Breathes of Fire
• Practice meditation
• Warrior Pose
The above exercises provide an excellent opportunity to stretch at work, during one of your breaks. Instead of scrolling down on Instagram or chatting with your co-workers, choose to be mindful and at peace with yourself by practicing Yoga.
Don’t Computer-Crawl Yourself
When your shoulders crave forward, and your head gets sucked into the computer, you are computer-crawling yourself! Don’t do that! Whenever you find yourself in this position, become aware of it, and stop! In this situation, a chair or chest opener is the perfect pose for loosing up your muscles and relaxing your neck.
You could also try: side neck stretches, forward neck stretches, the Eagle pose, Supine Cactus, crisscross arms, or the Rabbit.
Walk or Write
Writers at AssignmentGeek recommend writing or walking as other forms of Yogi therapy. “Instead of stretching in your office, take a mindful walk in the park! Sit on a bench and write down your thoughts. Ask yourself how you are genuinely feeling.”
“Do a thorough introspection of yourself and connect with your inner senses,” suggests Dr. Abby Barajas, one of the company’s psychologists. “You could even practice grounding meditation if you have the time. It will help you increase awareness, focus, positivity, and therefore, productivity,” ends Dr. Barajas.
Practice Uttansana
The Sanskrit word Uttansana is comprised of the word ut, meaning powerful, the verb tan, which means to stretch, and the word asana, meaning pose. Thus, Uttansana means a powerful stretch of your entire body. The effects of practicing this pose are unbelievable – it improves your mood, relaxes your body, quiets your mind, relieves headaches and anxieties, and last but not least, can improve digestion.
Conclusion
Yoga is not only about stretching – it’s about quieting your mind and soul as well. And guess what? A quiet mind will be 100 times more productive than a chaotic brain. Take time to learn and practice Yoga every time you can, including at your office. You will see changes in your attitude and mood in less than one month if practicing daily!
Alexandra Reay is an editor and professional writer at myassignmentwriting.com.au. She is also a regular contributor to a-writer.com. Alexandra is fond of horse-riding, reading and rock music. Alexandra keeps her spirit in writing fluent articles as well.