How to boost productivity and happiness at work

This week I have my very first official video blog for you, and it’s about the one thing I do to help press the “reset” button at work and to help boost my creativity and happiness.  Watch the video, or read below!

Let’s face it, work can be stressful if we don’t put practices in place to help us make the most of our day.  I often find myself trapped indoors, staring at a computer screen until I almost (or sometimes do) get a headache.  Reminders to close your eyes and breathe every hour or two while at your desk are great, but sometimes, you need something a little more.  If you’re like me, you need that something multiple times a week.

So what do I recommend that you do?  Go outside and get into nature, for just a few minutes a day.  I get it that sometimes the weather may be conspiring against you, but if at all possible, go outside.  Just breathing the fresh air helps me start to relax.  My shoulders start to sink away from my ears.  My chest isn’t so tight.  My headaches go away.

Sometimes I take a couple laps around the parking lot or down the street and back, and then if I have another few minutes, I’ll go sit in the herb garden or outside at a table.  Hearing the birds, feeling the breeze and sunshine…it’s enough to make me feel like I can start anew and get back in and start working.  I truly get inspired.  (Inspiration is also the word for inhaling…by breathing, we get inspired!!)

When I’m feeling a little friskier, I take my shoes off and walk or stand on the grass.  This process is called “grounding” or “earthing” and it helps to connect you to the energy of the Earth.  Being out in nature and experiencing it with the senses makes me feel like, for a brief few minutes, I’m on vacation and not at work.  Isn’t it the case that we often don’t truly appreciate nature until we have that vacation to the beach, or that day to go hiking in the woods?  What if every day, we experienced this appreciation, even for a few minutes?

I promise, it does wonders.  I’d love to hear about what you do to connect to nature during the workday!

xo,

Jen