productivity | St. Louis Corporate Yoga

The Productive You

Have you ever wondered how others manage to be more productive than you? Every person on earth has the exact same 24 hours every day and still some people get so much more done in that time every day. It is easy to get envious… but instead let’s look at 3 ways you can increase your productivity today!

Sleep more!

It feels like you will add to your productivity if you cut back on sleep. You will have more time every day to get stuff done. But it is all a lie. If you don’t sleep enough… you will pay a high price the next day: you will not be able to concentrate. Focus is the secret to getting tons done.

Now you might think that less sleep has no impact on your productivity. Well, you might get away with less sleep for a few days, even a few weeks without noticing the impact this has on you. But try to cut back on sleep for a longer period of time and you will not only lose your ability to focus – you might even get ill or put on weight!

It is better to find out how much sleep your body needs every night and protect your sleep time. Some people thrive on 6 hours rest per night – some others need 8 hours to jump out of bed ready for the day. Keep your sleep sacred!

Learn to say NO!

Is this a challenge for you? We were all brought up to say yes – it was the expected behavior at home and in school. Especially women feel that saying no to requests means letting the other person down. But what happens when you say yes to all new projects, new opportunities while still doing your routine tasks? You will guaranteed become overwhelmed and stressed. Nobody can do 120% all the time.

You need to set your priorities and adhere to them. Try to develop a “cooperative”, solution based communication style. It is important to be able to renegotiate priorities with your boss and coworkers. The best is to begin practicing saying NO today!

Never start a day without a plan!

Plan tomorrow already today – in the last 15 minutes at work or before going to bed. Take 5-10 minutes to write down the plan and if possible do some preparation, too.

If you have an important meeting the next day, you can gather and organize your presentation, write down your questions, pack up your materials, etc today. How calm would you enter that meeting without the drama of not finding the things you need? How confident would you feel totally prepared to answer questions and share your opinion? Taking the extra 10-15 minutes today for tomorrow’s success is so worth it!

If you just manage to get a good night’s sleep to replenish your energy, practice to say No and make a plan before you go to bed… your life will change – there is no doubt about this!

Increasing Productivity At Work

One of the many reasons companies decide to invest in on-site wellness services is to help their employees reach higher productivity levels. Higher productivity leads to more value creation – a very important factor in growth for any organization.

Here are the most important productivity killers in the office:
-constant interruptions
-lack of priorities
-low level of motivation.

Creating a company culture that values focus and concentration during the workday is essential. Putting up some boundaries around availability can be a challenge in a culture that still values constant availability during the workday and even outside of the usual work hours.

A never ending to do list without clear priorities is sad reality in most companies. It is easy to start a project, and another one, and still a new one…. What every organization needs is setting crystal clear priorities at all organization levels.

Listening to popular radio and TV shows gives us an impression that many employees are rapidly losing their motivation. This is such a sad development! We all need to believe in what we are doing or we turn into robots.

Is it possible to increase motivation at the workplace? The answer is a clear YES! Sharing the organization’s passionate WHY is crucial. Why is the company in business, what is the ultimate goal it has? Making money is a result of the company’s operations – not the ultimate why. Research shows that when employees know and identify with the passionate why of their employer, they give their best effort to make the company successful. Simon Sinek TED presentation gives an excellent explanation how this works in practice:

Does your organization offer corporate wellness programs? Not yet? At St. Louis Corporate Yoga we have easily customizable on-site yoga programs for companies in the St. Louis metro area. Our programs are flexible for smaller organizations as well as for big corporations.

We would be happy to share the benefits of a corporate yoga program and work with you to customize our program to fit your specific needs. All you need to do is call Michelle at 314-630-1677 or send a message directly through the box to the right.

Setting up an on-site yoga program does not have to take a lot of time, either. As soon as the financing of the program is approved, we will select the best yoga instructor for your company. All our yoga teachers go through our in-house yoga teacher training and certified through Yoga Alliance. We have been training yoga teachers for a decade. The best graduates have the opportunity to work with us in our local Clayton Yoga Studio plus with our corporate clients.

We also share the best practices to promote your new yoga program to your employees so it will be a success from the start. This is a win-win for everybody!

Need More Energy?

Late winter is the time that many people complain about having very little energy to go through the day. No wonder … after the winter, our bodies are depleted and usually low on some vitamins and minerals. And we all feel the impact… some days seem to drag on for too long, we don’t feel productive at all and struggling with taking action. Getting stuff done seems to be just wishful thinking on some days.

A few easy tips to increase your energy in the spring time:

Go outside, walk and breath in the spring air! Go on a walk during your lunch hour instead of shopping. Stop and look at the beauty of spring, breathe in the smell of new life. Feast your eyes on the energizing colors around you.
Pay attention that you get enough sleep. You might need a bit more at this time of the year so try to get at least 7 hours of sleep every day. If you feel very tired and under pressure but have to finish a project, it might make more sense to get some zzzzzz before you attempt to continue working. Yes, this sounds counter intuitive as you feel that you are losing valuable time, but you can abuse your body only to a certain extent….
Let citrus fruits brighten your day. Sniffing at oranges or lemons will make you more alert. Of course eat them, too. Let the peel sit on your desk for a continued dose of lingering scent.
Elevate your mood with essential oils. With low energy levels, the chance to feel depressed, hopeless and inactive grows. Turn to pure scents to gently increase your capacity for joy. Peppermint, rosemary, basil, pink grapefruit, orange, ginger, lemon and lemongrass are just a few of the natural oils that can work wonders for your mood.
Enjoy a handful of raw nuts every day. Cashews, almonds and hazelnuts… full with magnesium goodness will help you get an energy boost without the sugar.
Add color to your life for a better mood. Yellow, orange, red, vibrant blue and green – colors influence our lives. Leave those dark winter colors behind and let your home and office get a makeover. Just adding a few strong accents of color will have a huge impact on your energy levels.
Feeling dead tired? You might be dehydrated without even noticing it. To really understand how much water you drink, get a water bottle, fill it up and keep track of how many bottles you finish per day. Most people get less water than they need to function properly. Your brain needs water so if you need your brain working properly… go and get a glass of water now.
Begin practicing yoga! If you are lucky to have on-site yoga classes at your company, definitely take advantage of those. No corporate yoga classes yet at your workplace? St. Louis Corporate Yoga can help your company to build the best yoga course for your colleagues and employees. All you need to do is to connect with us through our contact page or give us a call at 314-630-1677.

Let’s get you energized!

Sweet Sleep For Increased Productivity

Lack of sleep has a major impact on productivity. It is difficult to function 100% and keep your focus when you haven’t slept enough. We all know the leady tiredness after a night that didn’t bring enough sleep.

Sixty million Americans have occasional sleep issues. Just imagine how many of your employees might suffer from the consequences of sleep problems!

“At least 40 million Americans each year suffer from chronic, long-term sleep disorders each year, and an additional 20 million experience occasional sleeping problems. These disorders and the resulting sleep deprivation interfere with work, driving, and social activities. They also account for an estimated $16 billion in medical costs each year, while the indirect costs due to lost productivity and other factors are probably much greater. Doctors have described more than 70 sleep disorders, most of which can be managed effectively once they are correctly diagnosed.”

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/brain_basics/understanding_sleep.htm#sleep_disorders

Insomnia, the most common sleep problem affects more than half of all adults in the United States. Sleeplessness means the inability to fall asleep or to stay asleep as long as one desires.

Would you like to know if you suffer from this condition?

Do you have difficulty falling asleep? Does it take longer than 20 minutes to fall asleep?
Do you wake up during the night and cannot go back to sleep?

If you answered yes to those questions, you might well be suffering from insomnia.

Most often you get a prescription for sleeping pills in order to deal with your sleeping problems. But do they help? Taking sleeping pills might get addictive fast, robbing you the ability to fall asleep without the pills.

Fortunately there are ways to ensure that you can fall asleep fast and easy even after a stressful day.

How practicing yoga will lead to better sleep

Sometimes people are just too tired to fall asleep. This might sound as illogical but true. You need to relax in order to be able to fall asleep.

If you are tired before your bedtime, doing restorative poses and breathing will help. Practice for a few minutes – even 5 minutes will make a difference – until you feel more relaxed and then go to bed.
Doing yoga breathing slows down your heartbeat and helps you relax. One of the easiest breathing exercises that you can do anytime and especially beneficial before sleep is this: Inhale to the count of 3, exhale to the count of 6. Important thing is to exhale twice as long as you inhale. Breathe through the nose. You can increase the count to 4+8 or even 5+10 as you get more advanced.
Try progressive muscle tensing and relaxing when you lie in bed. Lie down comfortable in the Savasana pose. From your toes up tense and relax your body parts. It takes only a few minutes and will raise your awareness for your body. If you need help, there are audios available as mp3s or CDs to learn this method.

During our corporate yoga classes we pay special attention to breathing and restorative poses. What you learn during those classes, you will be able to use in any situation. Plus if you have any special questions, your yoga instructor can give you expert advice. Or even put together a special yoga sequence just for you!

We would love to show you how St. Louis Corporate Yoga can help to increase productivity in your organization! Give us a call at 314-630-1677 for a consultation if you are interested to learn about our company yoga programs!