National Relaxation Day on August 15 (#NationalRelaxationDay) really resonates with me because I was obsessed with being productive early on in my entrepreneurial journey. I was always trying to optimize my production. But one thing that I realized in the past few years is that sometimes one of the most productive things that you can do is just relax. That mindset leads to a more productive and healthier day with more harmony in it. Even if you take just five-minute blocks of time for yourself and scatter them throughout the workday.
If you’re a manager or business leader, make sure to give your staff the time to relax so that they can re-energize. Building a culture that encourages employees to take little breaks will help teams be much more productive. We have a huge puzzle in the middle of the ops department at one of my companies where people can be creative and clear their head for a few minutes at a time. What’s important is to find an area that makes you feel comfortable or calm.
One way to relax is to focus on breathing, choose a part of your body that you want to bring your awareness to tighten and then relax the muscles or meditate. You can also actively daydream, which is called visualization. Close your eyes visual and visualize a relaxing place where you create your own virtual reality. Another form of relaxation is taking a gentle walk and paying close attention to your surroundings. Whatever the activity, find something that satisfies you and just the action of taking control of a circumstance feels empowering.
Related Article: Flexibility is key to a healthy, happy and productive workforce