Returning to work
Returning to work after a two week break has started me thinking about how we look after ourselves through the day. It’s a theme I keep coming back to.
Last summer I wrote about how much I’d enjoyed my time off and what lessons I could take from my rest and relaxation time into the day to day. And before Christmas I was talking about how energy is often low in the winter and how we could look after ourselves over the festive season.
How we relax and how we look after ourselves seems to be the nut many of us still haven’t completely worked out how to crack, certainly not all of the time, anyway. There are things we can,and often do, put in place - practising mindfulness, yoga, taking time outside, having a relaxing bath, a delicious meal, but for a lot of us for a lot of the time, our time is not ours. In wintertime with reduced daylight hours, it’s also harder to spend time out of doors, so a lot of our self-care activities will end up being indoors.
My aim for this winter is to focus better, be fresher outside work, and more present in the day to day. I’m reminded that yoga is a way of living, on and off the mat, not just for the time we’re in class. Paying attention to my breathing, to my mind, to being kind to myself can help at any time, but especially when under stress. And the kinder I am to myself, the more energy I have available for others too.
What I’m introducing this year is more body awareness during the working day. I’m trying to notice how I’m sitting and when I inevitably slump, returning to sitting actively and with good posture. I’m making sure I move, especially on days when the weather’s bad and it’s harder to go for a walk at lunchtime. My key change is I’ve been taking 5-10 mins to stretch at that moment mid afternoon when concentration dips. Nothing too complicated, just a few arm and shoulder stretches and some moves to release through the spine. And just with that small amount of time, I’m noticing a change in myself. It’s turned out to be an instant boost - I’m more alert, more comfortable in the chair and have a little more energy at the end of the working day.