13 Sep Too Busy to Take Care of Yourself? Read this!

I had the pleasure of teaching a workshop at a tech company in New York City.  Digital Detox: Less Stress, More Balance, was the name of the class, and the main thrust was to tackle the challenging scenario that so many of us find ourselves in which is:  How Do I Do it All?    Because let’s face it.  It’s hard to work full time, eat smart, get exercise in, sleep a full 7 – 8 hours, socialize and dare I see, find some me time?

I’m Sooooo Stressed Out!

That was the consensus among all of the attendees of the workshop.   Just about everyone had aches and pains somewhere (lower back, upper back, neck, shoulders, wrists, etc.) and had the tell tale signs of being over stressed.  Irritable, moody, anxious, fatigued, full of muscle tension, frequent headaches, insomnia and the list went on and on.  And the most worrisome part?  Most of the attendees were in their 20’s.

My Workstation Hurts Me.

The first thing we did was discuss how to create a work environment that doesn’t hurt you.  We covered the basics of healthy posture, set up guidelines for working while sitting, standing and on the go.  Then we discussed the concept of Mindful Ergonomics  which focuses in on what you are doing while working, how you are doing your work and if something is going off the mark, why?  Playing ergo detective is crucial in keeping those aches and pains away.

I have screens in my face, morning, noon and night.

This was the common theme at this workshop.  And look around, we’re all plugged in.  Whether it’s our laptops, iPads, phones, doing work, or connecting through Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, Telegram, Youtube, texting, reading or what ever else brings us to a screen….we are more plugged in then ever!  So it’s that much more important to carve out some screen free time.

Maybe that means no screens upon an hour of rising in the morning or an hour before going to bed (this really will help you sleep better!), or declaring one weekend day a screen free day.  Maybe you put your iPhone down while exercising and just tune into your body and movement and enjoy the freedom.  Whatever you choose, give your mind, your eyes and your body the much needed break it deserves.

I Need To Clean Up My Diet

When asked what they would clean up in their diet if they could wave a magic wand, the answers were:

“Eat more greens.”

“Drink more water.”

“Drink less coffee.”

“Stop the sugar addiction.”

“Stop eating out so much.”

Most of us fall into this trap as we are overtaxed, tired and feel like we don’t have enough time for anything.  But I hear people say this all the time.  And the truth is most of us fall into this trap because we are looking for quick energy (i.e., coffee, sugar etc.) and haven’t yet carved time in our schedules for food prep, making power snacks and planning healthy meals.  And the truth?  It takes a lot less time than you think!  So, try to up your game, and start with simple things like, drinking more water, grabbing fresh fruit instead of a cookie.  If you are too busy to eat healthy, try this! 

I Don’t Have Time to Sleep!

This one blows me away.  If you don’t have enough time to sleep, something has to give!  And that’s not your sleep.  Sleep is the cornerstone of your health, mental alertness, productivity, positive mood and just about everything else.  And the viscous circle we get into is when we are sleep deprived, we often don’t eat as well or exercise and the things that we need to do at work, take a zillion times longer than it does when we are rested and therefore, your days can start stretching and your sleep filled nights shrink.  Turn this around NOW and get your Beauty Sleep!

As the famous quote goes, successful people manage energy vs. time.  And we all know that a power hour when rested can yield waaaay more in terms of your productivity then 8 tired dragging hours.  Chew on that!

You’ve got this!

Until the next time,

Vivienne

PS:  Want to learn more about our workshops and classes?  Click HERE