Gallup reported that 63% of employees across 142 countries are disengaged. And the World Health Organization recently identified workplace burnout as an occupational phenomenon caused by workplace stress. The human body, brain, spirit can’t sustain this level of stress.
What you do matters.
We’re at a critical time and can, must, turn this around. It is imperative that business leaders take action to support the engagement, growth, and wellbeing of individuals. And simultaneously, each of us must take action to recharge, to optimize our own wellbeing, health, and engagement.
Writer Annie Dillard said, “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.”
How are you spending your days?
Showing up fully, with our heart and mind engaged, contributing the best of what we have—in and out of work—takes conscious effort. And cultivating a practice to recharge the brain and body, for even for a minute a day, can support that effort. Of course, we may need to reassess our work and demands as well.
Just like we charge our phone, and might panic when it’s down to 3%, we need to recharge our brain and body.
Give yourself time to recharge throughout your day. Schedule it in, even if for 1 minute. There are lots of options. Try one consistently for a week and see how you feel. Try another. Take what works, leave the rest.
Try it! Recharge your Body and Brain
* Move. Even standing up and stretching your arms up in the air increases oxygen to the brain and body.
* Eat healthy food with awareness. See, taste, smell, appreciate what you’re eating and where it came from.
* Focus. Focus on what you’re doing when you’re doing it. Consciously turn off distractions (texts, email, news) for a period of time. Try a period of time (5 minutes) and extend from there.
* Connect. Reach out and say hello to a friend, loved one, colleague. Write them a letter. Go for a walk.
* Be kind. Give a compliment, let a car go ahead of you, smile at a stranger. Give the benefit of the doubt.
* Say no. Sometimes clearly and kindly saying no is the best way to say yes to yourself.
* Take a mindful breath. We breathe roughly 20,000 times/day. Take a minute to feel your breath moving in and out of your body, as it is. Helps to calm the nervous system.
* Sleep. Remember that sleep reenergizes the body’s cells, clears waste from the brain, and supports learning and memory.
Try POP: Pause, Observe, Proceed
You can build a consistent practice proactively, in advance of overwhelm (when you’re 75% charged) as well as when you feel overwhelmed or depleted (10% charged).
See Mindful Stress Management for more information, tips, and info about workshops for your organization.
Visit and subscribe to my YouTube channel for guided practices.
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