A vast array of studies has shown that yoga can increase your work productivity. If you want to finally take charge of your workdays and close each one with a satisfied sigh, this ancient practice takes its multitude of benefits well beyond the mat. Yoga does a fine job at tuning your haywire mind, beating the stress, revitalizing your energy, and thus streamlining workflow and helping you get the job done.
Don’t be discouraged by all those advanced yoga practitioners folding themselves into a pretzel. The sweet release of Savasana is just one proof of how even the simplest asanas hold the same number of benefits as those jaw-dropping ones. So, fear not, yoga newbies, time to roll out your mats!
1. It increases your energy levels
Instead of turning to energy drinks and coffee for a jolt of energy, you can easily become more energized and awake with a refreshing natural alternative. With the uplifting benefits of yoga, you will hardly feel the fatigue that has its way of building up over the day or an entire week. And instead of finding yourself bleary-eyed by the middle of your workday, you will be able to power through the long hours and perform better.
If you’re having a busy day, give yourself the quick jolt you need with a combination of movement, stretching, and deep yogic breathing. Only 10–15 minutes of simple asanas—such as Balasana, Cat-Cow pose, Supine Spinal Twist, Butterfly pose, Savasana, Pigeon pose, and Downward-Facing Dog—can help increase circulation, relieve muscle stiffness, reduce mental and physical stress, and improve your focus. Since stretching supports overall fitness, incorporating these elements through yoga is especially effective in boosting both energy and productivity throughout the day.
What is so great about Vinyasa flow yoga is that it can be practiced in a dynamic, vigorous, and stimulating manner, but also in a gentle, soft, and restorative way. In other words, listen to your body. The poses you do needn’t be complicated or difficult because, sometimes, all our body is asking of us is to slow down a bit.
2. Sick leaves become less frequent
Busy lifestyles, sleep deprivation, stress, irregular work hours, and an unwholesome diet have become synonymous with urban business sectors. Consequently, your immunity level is depleting fast, sick days become inevitable, and your productivity drops. Fortunately, yoga cultures healthier habits and strengthens your body’s natural immune system. Next, yoga is practiced for various other physical ailments caused by a sedentary lifestyle and constant staring at computer screens. It helps you keep those pesky headaches, shoulder stiffness, back and neck pain, and arthritis at bay. Not being preoccupied with aches and pains improves your ability to focus on your work and your overall mood.
3. It deepens your focus level
Yoga can increase your work productivity by deepening your concentration level. The key to being and staying focused is presence, and nothing generates the ability to live in the present moment better than mindfulness. By regulating the oxygen flow in your blood, yoga helps you quiet your mind and stimuli bombarding you from all directions, become more alert, fully present, aware of the task at hand, and make better decisions. That is something you can practice with balancing postures because these quite literally make you focus on the present moment and your task at hand to maintain your balance.
4. It unleashes unparalleled creativity
Freeing our mind of day-to-day worries and distractions, harnessing “the now”, and unwinding from the physical stresses work puts on us yields focus and gives way to innovation and creativity. With your body and mind aligned and at ease, the creative thoughts aren’t blocked out by various tasks, worries, and distractions, and the creative process occurs more naturally. As a result, productivity will reign supreme.
5. It’s a stressbuster
Stress and anxiety compromise your ability to cope with the simplest of matters and cause your performance to falter, which, paradoxically, causes more stress. Daily yoga improves your work performance by regulating your breathing and relaxing your body by gently releasing tension. Through practice, you are more able to turn the default “fight or flight” anxiety response into efficient problem-solving.
An increasing number of businesses have come to realize that. Similarly, more and more people are seeking to find a workplace gym or a wellness program among their company’s amenities. And if your boss isn’t very keen on the whole idea, take the initiative yourself. Attending a local class is one solution. If you are about to start a new job away from home, make sure to do your research about gyms close to your workplace so you can make it during your break for lunch or after work. If hitting the gym is not your cup of tea, you can do chair yoga right there at your office or practice yoga at home.
6. You start to exude positivity, self-confidence, and self-esteem
Positivity, self-confidence, and self-esteem: three qualities that clinch that long-coveted promotion. The rudimentary philosophy yoga teaches us is that everything we need to tend to all of our life’s moments, both happy and challenging, lies within. The warrior pose, for instance, helps you visualize yourself as a strong individual who is in charge of their own feelings. The lion pose is powerful because it evokes valor and vigor through the image of a powerful animal. And the lotus pose leaves you with a feeling that you are stable, calm, and composed like a flower resting on the water surface.
As you can tell, yoga can increase your work productivity by empowering your body and your mind. It teaches self-validation and the importance of nurturing our “authentic selves”, which in turn keeps you healthier and happier with yourself. Subsequently, you are bound to exude positivity, confidence, and self-esteem. And, suddenly, you find yourself encouraged to take on bigger challenges, confidently sharing your creative ideas, and becoming a radiant, inspiring person everybody wants to work with.