Somewhere along the way these past few years I got into the habit of working through lunch. It started with just a day or two here and there, and has evolved into a mindset of – I get more done and feel better about leaving at the end of day if I work through lunch.
But although this may have been effective in the short term when unforeseen issues arose and my attention was desperately needed – in the long term I know this is detrimental to my health and well-being. I know I need fresh air, exercise and often just a moment away from my desk to collect my thoughts and to give myself an opportunity to come back refreshed.
So, after much thought, I decided the best way to try to carve out time during the work day for myself, was to plan something that I wanted to take more time to do. I settled on trying to fit a short yoga practice into as many work days as I could. I scouted around our offices and found a space with the quiet and openness that will allow me to set up and do yoga. (It even has space that if others wanted to join, it wouldn’t be too crowded).
My goal is to start trying to fit it in once or twice a week and see how long I can keep that up. Maybe after a week or two I’ll expand it to more days, but I thought I should start small.
Other things I considered when thinking about how best to organize myself for lunch time yoga practice in the office were:
- Time – It’s important that I be able to change into yoga friendly clothes, complete the yoga session and then re-dress for work within an hour.
- Intensity – My office doesn’t have showers on site so my focus for lunch time yoga is mainly on meditation, deep stretch and relaxation, as opposed to a sweaty workout.
I went online and watched YouTube videos and found some 20-45 minute videos and created a playlist of Yogi’s who practice Yin yoga. This type of yoga practice focuses more on deep stretching and some meditation.
By carving out this time for myself I’m also taking care of my health and well being. And already after just one week and two yoga sessions I’m feeling healthier and happier. The only person who benefits from me taking the time to take care of myself — is me. And really, that’s the person I need to focus on.
Love yourself.
