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Category: Mental Wellbeing

Body MechanicsMental Wellbeing
Two men chatting in a gym

Let’s Talk About Men’s Health – Nick’s Story

Talking about Men’s Health is something we think needs to be encouraged and done more often.

Four of our Body Mechanics clients have shared their stories about what causes them stress, how they manage that stress and their overall health and wellbeing and in this blog we will hear Nick's story.

It’s interesting to discover what health and wellbeing means to different people and its context in their everyday life.

Nick Thompson

Key Facts

  • 41
  • GM iManageAI
  • 2 kids - Ben 6 and Annabelle 9
  • Gorgeous wife (batting well above my average)
  • No pets although definitely considering one

"Life is never simple nor consistent and can’t be “controlled” so my aim is to do what’s necessary to live in and enjoy the moment so I don’t miss what matters most"

Biggest stressor?

My biggest stressors are definitely work related – I am a problem solver and tend to want to dive into problems to get them resolved as quickly as possible. That uses up tremendous amounts of energy. When in my type of role, it can be better to take a marathon vs sprint mentality given that “problems” are ever present.

How do you manage that stress and your health and wellbeing?

Like everyone I have times when I can manage the stress effectively and then other times less so. Additionally, I am an anxiety sufferer. It is therefore hugely important to my well being that I have a way to manage my mental and physical health. So I have two main approaches – one is to focus on the mental aspects and the other the physical. Starting with the latter, I always ensure that I have a physical goal that I am working towards such as entering races or competitions, that require me to train and therefore ensures I dedicate time to getting away from work.

 

I have two main approaches – one is to focus on the mental aspects and the other the physical

 

In recent years I’ve entered events like the Henley Swim Marathons, London Marathon and Otillo SwimRuns – all of which ensure that each week I need to carve out at least 6-7 hours worth of training time and to keep eating healthily.

From a mental health perspective – and it sounds cliche – but it's good to talk. It never works for me to let things stew inside – much more effective for me has been speaking to close friends, family and folks I work with, to share experiences and hear how common my experience is for others and so share ideas and techniques to manage your mental wellbeing.

For me, the best antidote is knowing you’re not alone in how you feel and hearing other perspectives. So for me the perfect combination is to sign up to these annual races and competitions with friends so you can train together, socialise and talk!

 

For me, the best antidote is knowing you’re not alone in how you feel and hearing other perspectives

 

What do you gain from your competitions?

Mostly it's all about peace of mind. I don’t enter competitions with the focus of winning against others, it's about personal challenges and goals, then enjoying the experience. I can’t describe the sense of wellbeing I get when I find myself in hidden and beautiful parts of the country of the world, that I wouldn’t have otherwise seen if I hadn’t entered a race or competition that scared me.

On top of that I spent my twenties carrying injuries, having surgery on a pair of dodgy knees and with an unhealthy focus on work, I gained a significant amount of weight. In 2012 when my daughter was born things had to change and by changing my focus away from work and getting healthy - I shifted 40lbs and have kept it off since. So having these physical challenges helps me not only mentally, but gets me away from the desk and keeps the weight off!

My health and wellbeing aims...

My aims really all boil down to the pursuit of happiness. Life is never simple nor consistent and can’t be “controlled” so my aim is to do what’s necessary to live in and enjoy the moment so I don’t miss what matters most. Family, friends, connections. Work and health stressors have the power to make you focus on the direct opposite of what’s good for you, making you worry about things that have either happened or might happen. So managing stress, giving myself some slack and focusing on being present are the aim!

We’d also like to hear from you, our male readers, about how you manage your own health and wellbeing. We’ve put together a short survey for you to answer by clicking on the image below.

Please only provide information you are comfortable sharing. Your data is submitted anonymously and is not shared outside of The Body Mechanics Team. We value your privacy. Thank you for your participation. We value your insights.

Two men chatting in a gym

Let’s Talk About Men’s Health – Gavin’s Story

Talking about Men’s Health is something we think needs to be encouraged and done more often.

Four of our Body Mechanics clients have shared their stories about what causes them stress, how they manage that stress and their overall health and wellbeing and in this blog we will hear Gavin's story.

It’s interesting to discover what health and wellbeing means to different people and its context in their everyday life.

Gavin Williams

Key Facts

  • An Irishman living in England since 1997. I moved over here for work and then somehow never left.
  • IT consultant, working with large enterprises on their transformations to new technologies.
  • I am privileged to be married to a Yorkshirewoman and have two fantastic children, a girl and a boy aged 11/9.
  • We have 2 rabbits and I feed the local cats.

"Animo Sana in Corpore Sano, a healthy mind in a healthy body"

Biggest stressor?

In general, work is my biggest stressor. There is always more to do than time to do it, and we obviously are both in a competitive situation as well as ensuring that we deliver to the right quality in areas which are often new.

However, this stress is x2 when at the same time there is any level of stress at home, e.g. perhaps the children are sick and need care or any other items.

How do you manage that stress and your health and wellbeing?

The biggest relief I use to manage stress is to find some physical way of releasing it. While others may purge and exhale the stress through mindfulness, I tend to use exercise.

I am a keen cyclist and typically will get up 05:30 each morning to hit the bike and wake myself up as well as flush the system.

I am also a black-belt in 2 styles of Karate, and find the energy and physical nature of that to be very releasing.

Finally, cuddling with the children and reading books together during “Bookie and Cookie” time is the icing on the cake!

 

While others may purge and exhale the stress through mindfulness, I tend to use exercise.

 

What do you gain from your exercise?

I have had several back issues in my life, related initially to poor core stability during exercise and also through a fundamentally sedentary lifestyle and weight drifting upwards.

What this exercise does is it not only keeps the weight at the right ratio, but the movements in Karate strengthen the core and the bicycle allows multiple gentle mobilisation of lower back. Thanks to this, (and regular ministrations from Nikki Roy), my back issues have not been a problem now for a number of years. Touch Wood!!

 

There is always more to do than time to do it

 

My health and wellbeing aims...

Overall my aim for health and wellbeing is to be able to enjoy life. It’s very important for me to be able to be a physical role model for my children who will in turn grow up into a life much more sedentary than the previous generation.

I want to get stronger and faster on the bike, and am faster than I was 18 years ago.

I am absolutely a firm believe in ASICS (not the shoe brand but still!). Animo Sana in Corpore Sano, a healthy mind in a healthy body. Achieving this life balance gives me the ability to manage work stress, achieve my health goals, and in being more relaxed, be a more fun and participative husband and father to my family!

We’d also like to hear from you, our male readers, about how you manage your own health and wellbeing. We’ve put together a short survey for you to answer by clicking on the image below.

Please only provide information you are comfortable sharing. Your data is submitted anonymously and is not shared outside of The Body Mechanics Team. We value your privacy. Thank you for your participation. We value your insights.

Two men chatting in a gym

Let’s Talk About Men’s Health – Steve’s Story

Talking about Men’s Health is something we think needs to be encouraged and done more often.

Four of our Body Mechanics clients have shared their stories about what causes them stress, how they manage that stress and their overall health and wellbeing and in this blog we will hear Nick's story.

It’s interesting to discover what health and wellbeing means to different people and its context in their everyday life.

Steve Williams

Key Facts

  • 55 years young
  • Watchmaker (fully qualified with nearly 40 years in the trade), company director/owner of a small independent watch and clock retail and repair business
  • Married to Michelle for 23 years
  • Pets are numerous cats, at one point having 4 in the house but now sadly only 1....

"Life is a challenge to everyone, it’s how you face that challenge and try to overcome it that will give you a fulfilling and enjoyable existence."

Biggest stressor?

The biggest stressor I find is to be running a small business while trying to make ends meet in the current difficult retail environment. This is made even more difficult by the Brexit uncertainty and the proliferation of online retail, this year more-so, with the enforced lockdown closure which us and many businesses have had to endure....

How do you manage that stress and your health and wellbeing?

To combat the stress, and to keep a good work/life balance, I enjoy exercise and also teach martial arts (been training in a Japanese style, Shorinji Kempo, for over 35 years) after many years of being a “gym body” the last few years have seen me getting back into cycling in a big way (used to cycle in my late teens but had almost 20 years off the bike) now cycling around 100 to 200 miles every week. I also so callisthenics workouts 2 or 3 times a week instead of gym training, to keep the body fit in addition to the cycling.

I enjoy travelling, but more the long weekend city breaks than the week or two lazing on a beach.... a long weekend is just enough to recharge the batteries. Although this last year there has sadly been no travelling, that just leaves more time for the bike....

Also a great de-stressor is to get a good book, and a cat (other pets are available) on your lap and just chill out for a couple of hours.....
A physiotherapy and/or sports massage session regularly can also help to de-stress the body and ease those muscles you are working to de-stress the mind....

 

What do you gain from your physical exercise?

For me, physical exercise is an essential part of keeping my mental health as well as my physical health. Other people may find other ways to maintain mental health and stability, whether it’s seeing friends, socialising, alcohol, food, anything..... it doesn’t matter as long as it works for you and doesn’t have a negative effect on others, then it’s great.....

 

For me, physical exercise is an essential part of keeping my mental health as well as my physical health

 

My health and wellbeing aims...

Looking to the future, I just hope that I can maintain what I’ve got. We all suffer ageing in different ways and I’m already suffering arthritis in my hips but by keeping up the exercise routines I’m hoping to be active well into retirement.....

Life is a challenge to everyone, it’s how you face that challenge and try to overcome it that will give you a fulfilling and enjoyable existence.

We’d also like to hear from you, our male readers, about how you manage your own health and wellbeing. We’ve put together a short survey for you to answer by clicking on the image below.

Please only provide information you are comfortable sharing. Your data is submitted anonymously and is not shared outside of The Body Mechanics Team. We value your privacy. Thank you for your participation. We value your insights.

Two men chatting in a gym

Let’s Talk About Men’s Health – Tom’s Story

Talking about Men’s Health is something we think needs to be encouraged and done more often.

Four of our Body Mechanics clients have shared their stories about what causes them stress, how they manage that stress and their overall health and wellbeing and in this blog we will hear Tom's story.

It’s interesting to discover what health and wellbeing means to different people and its context in their everyday life.

Tom Davies

Key Facts

  • 41 years old
  • Commercial Director
  • Married with two children aged 5 and 3 years old

"You always get a better outcome when you provide your full attention to one task, especially if that is an interaction with someone at work or your children"

Biggest stressor?

The biggest stressor for me is balance across all aspects of my life. With a busy job, a young family and now that things are opening up again, the opportunity to see friends and family, play sports and travel more, I find it very hard to make sure I am achieving the right balance. I find that trying to achieve that balance often leaves me feeling that I am doing everything badly, or at least not to the level that I should be, which in turn can sometimes cause stress and anxiety.

How do you manage that stress and your health and wellbeing?

There are a number of things that I do to try and achieve a good balance and reduce stress and anxiety as much as possible.

Exercise is hugely important to me, and running in particular - I find running helps me to reduce stress, as well as giving me time away from devices, to make plans and priortise my time. I try and exercise at least 3-4 days a week.

 

I started doing 15 minutes of yoga every morning, it gives me a bit of space before starting the day.

 

Yoga - I started doing 15 minutes of yoga every morning during the second lockdown, and it is now a key part of my routine for reducing stress. I do it as soon as I get woken up by the kids and while they are still entertaining themselves and it gives me a bit of space before starting the day.

Attention - One of the areas I am working hard to improve on is a focus on attention. It is so easy to try and multi-task in today's world, but you always get a better outcome when you provide your full attention to one task, especially if that is an interaction with someone at work or your children. I am trying to bring this into my life as much as possible.

Massage - With all the exercise, I also have regular massage sessions with Body Mechanics which really helps to keep me de-stressed and relaxed.

 

I am more focused on making sure I take the best care of my body, and my mind and maximise the enjoyment I get out of life

 

What do you gain from your management techniques?

Focusing on my wellbeing, by making sure that I make time in my week to do things that are important to me, has the multiple benefits of keeping me motivated, keeping me focused, de-stressing me and making my life more enjoyable.

My health and wellbeing aims...

My key health and wellbeing goals have changed a fair amount over the last few years. I used to have very specific targets and times I wanted to achieve for runs or triathlons, whereas now I am more focused on making sure I take the best care of my body, and my mind and maximise the enjoyment I get out of life.

We’d also like to hear from you, our male readers, about how you manage your own health and wellbeing. We’ve put together a short survey for you to answer by clicking on the image below.

Please only provide information you are comfortable sharing. Your data is submitted anonymously and is not shared outside of The Body Mechanics Team. We value your privacy. Thank you for your participation. We value your insights.

Image of a forest with someone walking towards to the trees

Walk Your Way to Mental Wellbeing with Stag Walkers

With many of our favourite pastimes closed off to us during lockdown, walking remained a simple but vital way for many of us to stay fit and de-stress.

As the country continues to gradually move out of lockdown, we are hopeful that we are finally moving on to better times. The impact of Covid-19 has been huge and devastating for a variety of reasons, especially with regard to mental health.

The awareness surrounding mental health has improved in recent years, but the potential remains to do more. According to the Mental Health Foundation, mental health and behavioural problems (e.g. depression, anxiety and drug use) are reported to be the primary drivers of disability worldwide, causing over 40 million years of disability in 20 to 29-year-olds. It is also estimated that one in six people in the past week experienced a common mental health problem.

The past year or so has been particularly difficult for people who have found themselves out of work due to lockdown, either because of redundancy or furlough. Having our day-to-day normality suddenly interrupted and the concern caused by new practices being put in place, not to mention the challenges of juggling a job with parenting and home-schooling, can place a huge burden on a person's mental health. Our pastimes and pleasures, such as playing sport, going to the pub or cinema or simply visiting friends and family, often play a vital role in helping us deal with the pressures of everyday life. But with many of those avenues closed off during the pandemic, walking has become something of a saving grace for many.

Lift Your Mood

Photograph of a group of young people walking in woodland as part of Stag WalkersMental Health Awareness Week, which took place between 10th-16th May, provided some top tips on how to connect with nature to improve mental health. For example, visiting natural places like parks, gardens or forests can help you reduce your risk of mental health issues, lift your mood and help you feel better about things. Throughout the pandemic, increasing numbers of people have turned to walking, either for exercise, relieving stress or spending some valuable time with someone for a socially distanced catch up. In the second half of last year, the Ramblers, welcomed 30 per cent more new members than for the same period the previous year. The Ramblers is a charity whose goal is to protect the ability of people to enjoy the sense of freedom and benefits that come from being outdoors on foot.

There are thousands of miles of beautiful countryside to explore, and that is how members of Ramblers groups often spend their leisure time. Stag Walkers, for example, is a friendly and sociable Ramblers group aimed at people in their 20s and 30s across Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire.

Staying Connected

The Stag Walking group walking in an urban area under a bridgeDespite not being able to meet up for group walks during lockdown, many of the group’s members have stayed connected by sharing photos from their solo walks. As well as the physical benefits, being a part of a group like Stag Walkers has further advantages when it comes to mental health. Face-to-face contact and just being able to talk to a friend now and again is extremely important to help us remain happy and balanced, whatever the day throws at us. This is something the Stag Walkers group remained conscious of as the group's Chair, Rebecca Dawson, explains:

“During lockdown we realised that many of our members might appreciate some virtual events to keep us all in touch. So, as well as online socials and the ubiquitous pub quiz, we also put on some virtual walking events such as our recent Icknield Way virtual challenge, and Land’s End to John O’Groats virtual group walk.”

Ramblers groups can also provide a relaxing and social way for people to familiarise themselves with new locations. Vicky joined Stag Walkers in July 2019 after moving to Letchworth in Hertfordshire. She said: “I knew nobody in the area so I was keen to explore and meet new people. I love being able to explore the countryside on a led walk and not have to check my map constantly. During lockdown the group has also been a real lifeline as I live on my own and even though group walks were suspended I was still able to meet up with members one-on-one for a walk.”

Thankfully for Vicky and her fellow Ramblers, group walks are back on - with appropriate Covid-safe measures in place.

Rebecca Dawson concluded: “For a walking group like ours, whose main purpose is to enjoy the great outdoors together, we’ve missed being able to do what we love. We can now look forward to welcoming back our members and anybody with a new-found appreciation for walking.”

Case Study: Will joined the Ramblers after a life-changing operation. This is his story:

“I had always enjoyed longer walks but there was a period in my life where walking was almost impossible. I could barely walk 100 metres let alone anything else. In early 2018 I had a life-transforming operation that gave me my life back. Though breathing wasn’t the only thing that I needed to get back on track. I had become incredibly insular and was barely coping with depression. So, late in 2018 I joined my local Ramblers group, Stag Walkers. It did a number of things for me as well as improving my physical fitness, but it gave me a social life back. Almost three years later I have made a great group of friends and I now have the confidence to lead walks and take an active role in helping to run the group. Stag Walkers has almost given me as much of a life as the life-saving operation did.”

Walking for Health has some top tips to help you stay motivated when walking:

Set (realistic) goals
Setting yourself personal goals can really help to keep you focused and keep you walking. Make sure that they are challenging, but realistic – and that you set a time limit so that you can tell if you’ve achieved them.

Take on a challenge
Signing up for a walking challenge is another way to give yourself a goal to aim for. Having an event to aim for and people sponsoring you will give you the encouragement you need to get training by walking more day to day.

Don’t do it alone
Walking with a friend or a group is a great way to keep motivated – you can help and encourage each other to keep going. If you set specific dates to go out with other people, then you’re less likely to decide against it at the last minute.

Find new routes
It’s great to get out and discover new places – with a group or on your own. You can find new routes by joining different Walking for Health walks around you.

Or if you want to branch out on your own, you can find routes to follow in your area using Ramblers Routes. They’re all developed by trained volunteers, so you know that you’re in expert hands.

Use technology and track your progress
It can be really satisfying to see the distance you’ve walked, the steps you’ve taken, or the calories you’ve burnt mounting up. If you have a smartphone, there are lots of great apps around to help you track how far you’ve walked and provide lots of other stats. Or you could use a pedometer or step counter to keep track of how many steps you’re doing.

Image of a girl with her back to the camera, holding a phone to photograph the woodland

Connect with local groups

To view and book on to upcoming Stag Walkers group walks visit their MeetUp page.

There are 500 Ramblers groups across GB, with most counties having a younger-age walking group nearby.

Image of a team of 4 people sitting around a table discussing work with laptops.

How Delegation and Outsourcing Can Relieve Your Occupational Stress

Photograph of Sarah Banks from Banks' Business SolutionsSarah Banks of Banks’ Business Solutions provides outsourced support to sole traders and small businesses. She has been providing admin and marketing support to Body Mechanics for just over two years, so we know first hand how valuable getting support is.

This article is aimed at those with small business or who work alone and are looking at how they can relieve some of the stress associated with being a business owner.

In the corporate world, it’s natural to delegate, indeed it’s encouraged. It’s widely understood that working as a team, with the best individual for each task doing their work to the best of their ability, enables projects to be completed successfully. It doesn’t matter what the industry, whether it’s a café, a hospital or a firm of solicitors, this is the working practice we’ve come to accept as best practice.

But in the world of self-employment, we’re no longer part of a team with a manager for support and colleagues to share the workload with. We’ve stepped out on our own and often, that means we feel we have to do everything alone. There’s a tendency to take on every task ourselves, whether we know how to do it or not, whether we have the time to do it or not, and this is a major source of stress for the self-employed and freelance community.

Around 60% of new businesses fail within five years, and 20% of that number within the first year. Commonly cited reasons for these failures are a lack of business plan and poor cash flow, but there’s one factor that doesn’t get talked about so much - stress.

 

"Outsourcing is simply delegating your business tasks to another business or freelancer."

 

There's so much to do and only one person to do it, that stress does increase when you're self-employed or a freelancer. From finding the work to completing it, to dealing with invoicing and chasing late payments, to making mistakes along the way; there are many stress-generating activities in our day to day lives and it can feel impossible at times.

But it doesn't have to be that way. You might not be part of a team anymore, but you can create your own team, and you can do that through outsourcing.

Outsourcing is simply delegating your business tasks to another business or freelancer, and yes, it can seem scary entrusting your business activities to someone else, but the benefits of doing so can relieve the stress and make your business stronger as a result.

Remember that you're not delegating to employees, but seasoned professionals and business owners just like yourself, so, trusting in their abilities to do the job well and in their own way, is something I always emphasise with my clients.

Outsourcings vs hiring - how to get it right

It can be stressful going through the outsourcing process and finding the right people to make up your business team, so here are some key considerations to bear in mind:

Understand IR35 regulations

If you’re hiring someone and treating them as an employee, but paying them as a contractor, you might be falling foul of IR35 regulations. In a nutshell who you outsource to, should set their own hours, methods of working, be able to outsource that work themselves if needed (i.e., it’s what they do you’re paying for, not the individual), and the arrangement ends when the work is complete. The regulations do come with some costly fines so make sure you understand them thoroughly, and check with your accountant for their advice.

Ensure your freelancer is properly setup

It can be scary entrusting your business activities to someone else, but do you know how to tell if they’re prepared for the job? Working from home has become the norm, so don’t be concerned if you see their kitchen or living room on camera, but do ensure they have insurance, a contract that covers you both, a good understanding of what you’re trying to achieve, and that they offer their own ideas and suggestions on ways to make it happen.

Remember, you’re outsourcing to a professional not an employee.

Understand what you can outsource

Really, any part of your business can be outsourced to a freelancer or other small business owner. Some of my clients outsource the tasks they hate, others outsource the tasks that take them a long time to complete, others will outsource additional services to a freelancer so they can offer their clients more, like SEO services if you’re a web designer, for example.

Consider what’s causing you the most stress in your work life right now.

  • Is it not enough time or energy to get everything done?
  • Is it not having the skills or knowledge to complete essential tasks?
  • Do you simply want to devote your entire work hours to your clients and outsource everything else?

The answers to these questions should guide you toward the kinds of tasks that are ideal for outsourcing for your business. Generally, tasks can be split into the following areas:

Administrative – from getting the books done to data entry, audio transcription and taking minutes of zoom meetings. There are a wide range of admin-based tasks that can be outsourced from your business, usually to a Virtual Assistant who specialises in that area.

Customer support – from client follow-ups to virtually answering the phone, if you have a lot of clients who regularly contact you for support or further information, this can be a huge drain on your time. A customer support assistant can help you streamline your processes, or take care of some of these tasks for you.

Marketing – email newsletters, social media, website design and support, search engine optimisation, advertising, etc there are so many marketing tasks to contend with, that marketing is one of the most commonly outsourced areas. This is where I personally outsource the most, as I’d spend too much time on this and I’m not a marketing expert!

As an online business manager, I help business owners save time by simplifying the technology they use, but also by identifying the tasks they can outsource and how to find the right freelancer or business to ensure this delegation is a success. I guide my clients through what they’re trying to achieve and the best way for them to do that, in alignment with their own values and goals.

I’d love to help you save time, resources and free yourself from some of the stresses of being self-employed through delegation. To find out more, why not hop on a call with me and see what you could achieve through outsourcing.

Banks' Business Solutions LogoContact Sarah if you would like to know more.

Sarah Banks, Online Business Consultant
Banks' Business Solutions
www.banksbusinesssolutions.co.uk

5 Ways to Improve Your Sleep

This article first appeared as a blog on https://fiit.tv/

Stress can disrupt the quality of our sleep, which in turn can result in reduced energy, brain fog, and a general lack of engagement. Our partners at Fiit highlight 5 ways we can get our sleep patterns back on track during stressful times.

Sleep is important. Like… really important.

We spend more than a third of our lives throwing Z’s. And sleep problems impact around 45% of the world’s population.

Professionals talk about the four pillars of health: exercise, relaxation, nutrition and sleep. The first three are conscious decisions. The fact you’re reading this means you’re probably smashing the first one. So how can we get the best out of our sleep?

1. CARDIO
Exercise does an excellent job of making us tired. Cardio improves our performance on the mat. But it also boosts our performance in the bedroom. And yes, we’re still talking about sleep.

Regular cardio helps stabilise your mood and relax your mind. Helping you get to sleep quicker.

One study showed that exercise can halve the time it takes for you to get snoozing – giving you an extra 41 mins a night. Which sounds as luscious as it does luxurious.

2. STRENGTH
Turns out pumping iron makes for a good night’s kip. Which makes us slightly jealous of Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Resistance training results in lots of micro muscle tears. For your body to repair them, it changes your glucose levels, blood pressure and boosts your metabolism. And this reduces stress indicators like cortisol – which can be a real pain in your sleep side.

3. YOGA
Getting bendy does more than open you up and feel amazing. Just like strength, yoga can lower blood pressure and cortisol levels.

One survey found that over 55% of people report better Z’s when they zen.

Which is fair enough. Because sleep seems like a logical step after savasana.

4. BREATHWORK
We’re not talking about everyday breathing. Although that it’s pretty damn important.

We’re talking about deep breathing exercises and techniques. And they’ve been known to improve your mental and physical well-being.

This works by slowing down the heart rate, lowering blood pressure and relaxing tension – giving you a lovely feeling of calm. The more you do it. The more you can replicate it when your head hits the pillow.

5. ROUTINE
One of the best ways to improve your sleep is to sync up with your circadian rhythm.

This is your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle. And working your routine around it is an absolute game changer. Try and get up and go to bed at the same time each day and exercise at the right time.

We recommend getting your cardio in early. Your strength during the day. And yoga and breathwork at night.

Plus, you can schedule any of these classes into your Fiit app. Locking in a routine. And adding some extra accountability.

If you’re new to Fiit and you’re looking to get sleepy – we’ve got a huge variety of cardio, strength, yoga and breathwork classes – specifically designed to take your fitness to the next level. And your sleep.

Want to improve your quality of sleep through fitness?

Click here to get access to Fiit.

Find out more about our partners Fiit by clicking here.

Stress At Work: Try These Simple Relaxation Techniques From Yoga

This article was written by: Bene Spoelders, Yoga Instructor at Body Mechanics

When you feel stressed with work pressure, you feel in a constant state of alertness: your mind is focused on your job even after work hours and you wake up during the night worrying about your colleagues or deadlines. You know that you have managed similar and even worse pressures in the past, but you can’t stop your mind from racing and worrying. In this article, I briefly talk about stress at work and how it can impact your productivity and happiness, and why clever companies offer wellness programmes to their employees. I finish by giving you 3 simple practices that you can do right now to combat stress.

Fight or flight

Stress at work, financial worries, and emotional unrest can all be sources of stress that send your body into the ‘fight or flight’ mode. This is a useful state of mind sometimes, when you have to perform under pressure, but not when it becomes chronic. Chronic stress leads to a permanently increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, digestive problems, shallow breathing, a scattered mind, and anxiety. The problem is that we are often unaware of being in this heightened state of worry and alertness.  

Relaxation response 

Chronic stress is the cause of many health problems, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, back pain, digestive disorders, a weakened immune system, etc. It is important to include activities in our daily lives that will counteract this chronic state of alertness. Dr. Herbert Benson used the term “relaxation response” to describe the state of recuperation after the fight or flight mode. To promote the relaxation response, he says we only need “10 to 20 minutes in a calm environment, a focus for the mind, and a passive (non-judgmental) attitude”.   

Interestingly, doing yoga fulfils these criteria: it happens in a calm environment, focuses the mind and the aim is not to judge or compare one’s performance. Doing physical postures with awareness, concentrating on the body and the breath, allows the “fight or flight mode” to change into the “relaxation response”. As yoga students, we often start a yoga session with a racing and troubled mind, sometimes without even realising the tensions. Amazingly, we leave the class feeling calmer, content and more clear-headed. It is not that we have tackled the problems head-on; on the contrary, the only thing we have done is paid attention to our body.  

Yoga for the workplace 

It is no surprise that offering yoga classes at the workplace is increasingly popular.  Research has repeatedly proven that yoga classes can be an efficient and cost-effective part of a company’s corporate wellness programme. The University of Michigan Research Centre found in 2010 that for every $1 invested in workplace wellness, a company can expect at least double in cost savings.   

The benefits of doing yoga for employees include not only physical ones such as improved back health, reduced neck, and shoulder tension, and optimized breathing but also mental benefits such as reduced anxiety and stress, greater focus and concentration, and reduced fatigue. All these lead to increased efficiency at work and greater job satisfaction. 

The gains for employers are an enriched corporate culture, reduced sickness and absenteeism, increased productivity, and increased employee retention. 

Try this… 

Maybe your workplace does not offer yoga classes yet, so today I would like to share 3 exercises that can promote your body’s relaxation response. I purposely chose practices that don’t require a lot of time and that you can incorporate in daily activities: one simple movement, one way of mindful walking, and one breathing exercise. You will get the best results if you practise these every day.   

1. Feet, breath, and focus:

Do this preferably in bare feet, but you can also do it in shoes when you are alone in a lift or waiting for the bus. 

  • Inhale and lift your heels so you come to stand on the balls of your feet.
  • Exhale and slowly bring the heels down. 
  • Repeat for about a minute, paying attention to the coordination of breath and movement. This means that you use the whole inhalation to lift the heels and the heels only touch the ground again at the very end of the exhalation.
  • Make sure you keep the weight behind all the toes, and not only behind the big toe or little toe, which can be detrimental to the strength and stability of your ankles. 
  • Once you have mastered the weight distribution and slow coordination of movement and breath, add the arm movement: bring your arms to the side and up to shoulder height as you rise onto the toes, lower them with the exhalation. This movement promotes calm, expands the chest, and strengthens the feet.  

As always with yoga: don’t do it if it hurts.   

2. Mindful walking:

While walking, consciously observe your surroundings: sounds, smell, colours, shapes, light, and shade. As soon as you catch yourself thinking of other things, bring your attention back to your surroundings. Try to practise this every time you walk. This is an interesting practice: it demonstrates how little we normally notice in our surroundings and how entertaining they usually are.   

3. Breathing to promote the relaxation response:

At your desk and need a little pause? 

  • Close your eyes or gaze at something non-specific and breathe in for 4 counts, out for 6 counts. It does not matter how fast or slow the counting is, just keep the ratio between the in- and out-breath.  
  • While breathing like this, feel your body relax on the chair, keeping the front and back of the body long and broad.
  • Continue for at least a minute.  

This breathing exercise is not only relaxing, but it will also allow you to take a step back from what you were just doing, giving you greater peace and clarity.