Wellbeing in the workplace

Wellbeing in the Workplace

by Beverley Drumm

As I sat down to write this piece, I reflected upon the fact that there was once a time when my entire working life was sedentary.  From 9-5 (on a good day!) I’d be sitting behind a desk doing very little physical movement and focusing my eyes at a point about 50cm away from the end of my nose.

Nowadays though, I’m at the opposite end of the spectrum: my work is not only defined by movement, but revolves around supporting people (just like my former self) to get fit, release strain and stress from their bodies and reclaim an integrated sense of wellbeing.

Now I’ve only been sitting here for 10 minutes and my bum is getting numb. I can feel the circulation in my legs slowing down and my eyes want to find a spot in the distance to focus on. Newsflash!  Sitting down for long periods of time ain't that great for body or mind. It’s not what we’re designed to do!

I could quote all kinds of facts and figures at you and I’m sure you already know this, but sedentary work and, as is often the case in today’s information age, prolonged engagement with a computer and/or smart phone can lead to:

-       tight neck and shoulder muscles, &/or pain

-       repetitive strain injury in hands and wrists

-       stiff joints and reduced mobility

-       headaches

-       lower back pain

-       varicose veins

-       deterioration of sight

-       low energy

-       weight gain

Sound familiar?

I totally get that many people are feeling under even more pressure than ever these days to be “productive”, but the fact is that by tying yourself to your desk and relentlessly slogging away, you’re not doing yourself – or your employer – any favours.

Besides being unkind to your body and setting yourself up for potential health problems, endless sitting, plus a nose to grindstone mind-set, will actually see your productivity diminish.

Without keeping your chi (energy) circulating and richly oxygenated blood flowing, you get sluggish: both your creativity and clarity take a nose-dive.  There’ll be no useful brain left to storm with!

So, here are a few things you can do to take care of your body, your mind – and, ultimately, your job security, during each working day.

1.     Nourish. Drink plenty of water (dehydration slows brain function), replace caffeine drinks with herbal or green tea and replace sugary snacks with nuts, veggies or fruit.  The sugar or caffeine high you get in the short-term is immediately followed by an energy slump – time to stop riding those artificial waves and find a healthier equilibrium.  Take time to have a proper lunch break away from your desk, computer and phone. Eat slowly, savouring your food.  Avoid heavy, fatty, sugary midday meals.

2.    Move! Walk as much as you can throughout the day: use stairs not the lift, walk to work, go for a brisk walk in your lunch break (even 15 mins is better than nothing!), get up and walk around at least 1x an hour during the day, take an exercise class before or after work or in your lunch break.  See if you can do some of your tasks (such as phone calls) standing, instead of sitting.

3.     Eye eye!  Take 30-minute eye-breaks & do this simple eye-gym:

Look away from your compute screen and

i.               follow the horizon with your eyes, sweeping your gaze slowly all the way from far left to far right and back

ii.              look straight up and straight down

iii.            look from top left corner to bottom right corner and vice versa

iv.             do eye circles in both directions

Repeat each exercise several times, then

v.              rub your hands vigorously together and place them over your closed eyes, take a deep breath in and deep breath out

4.     Breathe!  Sounds silly, but the majority of people do not breathe fully, and shallow breathing (the kind that only goes into your upper chest) will deplete your energy, amplify anxiety, dampen your mood and impair mental clarity and function.  Stay aware of your breath throughout the day. Maybe even put a sticky note on your desk or computer with the word “BREATHE!” on it, and practice breathing deeply into your belly and chest, in a relaxed, easy manner.  NB. Your belly should be pushing OUT as you inhale and contracting in on the exhale.

5.     Posture perfect!  Become aware of your posture as you sit. Notice if you’re slumping, twisting or kinking your spine or neck. Notice if your shoulders and jaw are tight or relaxed. Keep reminding yourself to come back to alignment, to adjust anything uncomfortable, and to release any unnecessary tension. Adjust your chair height or back-rest as necessary.  Do your best to keep your spine tall, with head floating over the chest, chest floating over the pelvis. Drop your shoulders down and back.  Imagine your head being suspended from above, giving you a sense of length through the spine and back of the neck. Connect the ease and depth of your breath with this relaxed, upright posture.

6.     Workout! Integrate a mini desk-workout into your day.  You can create your own, but here’s one I made earlier. Read the Mini Desk Workout here >

Now with these little changes to your day, you’ll begin to feel more energized and and keep your body and mind in better shape.  See it as a daily tune-up, that keeps all your working parts lubricated and the engine running smoothly; a little investment to get peak performance out of your driving machine and avoid a costly MOT further down the road.

Beverley Drumm

www.nectaroflife.co.uk

Beverley is an holistic wellbeing specialist, with a mission to support others in connecting to their bodies, reclaiming their innate vibrancy and living life to its fullest.  She’s known for her playfulness, warmth, knowledge and skillful use of music.

She’ll be teaching the Nia Technique, Kundalini Yoga and more in Atsitsa this summer in Skyros, Greece with Skyros Holidays, the leading holistic holiday company. See www.skyros.com.

For those of you unfamiliar with the Nia Technique, it’s a moving celebration of your body and your life. Nia combines free-form movement and simple, yet subtly transformational choreography rooted in the science and art of dance, martial arts and body-mind integration techniques. Music, sound and voice are an integral part of the experience. It’s an exhilarating way to get fit on the inside and out, and is adaptable to Every Body, however out of shape, uncoordinated, or indeed supremely athletic, you might feel!  Nia leaves you feeling alive, energized, centred and connected, inspiring you to live with mindfulness and joy.

If you’d like a taste of Nia, Beverley is teaching a Nia PlayShop on Sunday, July 29^th, 2-4.30pm at The Factory, 407 Hornsey Road, London, N19 4DX and all Skyros holiday participants (past and present) are welcome at a specially discounted rate of just £10 in advance or £15 on the door.  Please contact Beverley for more information and to register at: beverley.drumm@gmail.com, or call 0797 9934070.  www.nectaroflife.co.uk.