RE-DEFINING PRODUCTIVITY IN THE WORKPLACE

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We can never go back to how we used to work. We would wear our exhausted, burnt out expressions like a badge of honour, we’d try to squeeze every ounce of ‘productivity’ out of each day but end up with a never-ending list of things to accomplish. 

We need to let go of our old ways that no longer serve us, and the same goes in the workplace. Working incredibly long hours and overloading ourselves and our team with work is no longer productive, and our guess is that very few employees will tolerate it. 

But how can we start to work smarter, not harder, and redefine what workplace productivity is? Here’s a few tips to consider. 

Set boundaries with emails

How often do you get stuck in an email time warp? Chances are, it happens more often than you wish. 

Now we know that we can’t avoid emails altogether, as it’s a hugely important part of how we all work and communicate, but limiting the time we spend replying and fishing through our inbox could drastically improve our productivity levels. 

At The Yeh Yoga Co., we love to create time blocks in our day to avoid being stuck on emails for hours and hours. Dedicating an hour or so in the morning and a block of time in the afternoon means that we keep on top of our communication with clients and teachers, but we don’t spend the whole day in endless back and forth chats. You may want to explore shorter time blocks or lengthier ones (depending on how much of your work gets done via email) but making sure you have dedicated time away from emails can do wonders for your productivity.

A common problem that we’ve noticed with many clients is email apnoea : the temporary absence of breathing, or shallow breathing, while you do emails. And so while you are in your block of time dedicated to emails, remember to breathe slowly and consciously. If it helps, write a little post-it reminder and stick it on the corner of your screen.

Create a culture of personal development

How do you elevate a group of people to believe and trust that they are part of something larger than themselves, and each individual has a responsibility to shape the reputation and behaviour of the company? It’s simple really - invest in your team, so they invest in you. 

Productivity amongst your employees is also dependent on how much they feel like their employer supports their personal development. 

If you want to see long-term growth from your team, it’s time to really invest in them as individuals. Whether that’s having a mentorship scheme, time given during the working week to volunteer for charitable organisations, or even a workplace sports team to burn off some energy at the end of the day, having these outlets for your employees to develop themselves is so key to the overall productivity of the team. 

Encourage regular micro-breaks

Finally, in order for your team to be productive, they need to be able to have small pockets of time away from their work throughout the day. Just 5 minutes of meditation a day can sharpen your focus and re-energise you.

One of our favourite sessions to run for clients is yoga nidra, aka yogic sleep. This is very similar to a meditation, but you’ll lie down on a blanket or mat with therapeutic music playing in the background. You’ll then be led through a guided meditation to bring about total body and mind relaxation. It's thought to be as effective 4x the amount of sleep, so essentially 45 minutes of yoga nidra will help people feel like they've taken a 3 hour nap. It's honestly magic! 

Rest is just as productive as work, so make sure it’s not knocked off your to-do list. 

Fancy trying out a yoga nidra session, or want explore different ways to support your team’s wellbeing? Get in touch with us at hello@theyehyoga.co