Welcome back from the long weekend. We hope you made out ample time to rest? Rest is paramount to boost productivity. To be more emphatic, your productivity is largely dependent on your mental state entering the new week.
If you already feel defeated first thing Monday morning, chances are you may not be your most productive self, same way if you’re positively pumped and charged for the new week, you stand a much better chance of tackling and hitting your goals spot on. To be in your best mental state for work, there are a few workouts you should engage in, and no, you won’t be hitting the gym.
Here are some workouts you should engage in, to build your resilience and mental stamina for the new week.
Visualize positive outcomes.
At the beginning or at the end of each day, think through all those uncertain situations currently in your life both big and small, and now, take each of those and visualize the most optimistic and amazing outcome to the situation. Not just the “okay” outcome, but the best possible one you could imagine.
This isn’t to set you up for an even bigger disappointment if you don’t end up achieving them, instead, it should build the muscle of expecting the positive outcome and might even open up ideas for what more you might do to create that outcome of your dreams.
Dare to try something new
These days, it is a lot easier to take a new online class, join a local sports club or book club, or participate in productive or relaxing virtual events. Take advantage of those.
The goal is to push your brain and body to try something you never would have considered before. It doesn’t have to be a workout, and it doesn’t have to be hard. It can be something right above your level or just slightly outside of your comfort zone.
Practice reaching out for help.
Being able to ask for help in your workplace, staying connected to friends and family, and actively nurturing supportive, encouraging relationships not only enables you to keep anxiety at bay, but also shores up the sense that you’re not alone.
For some people, It is not a very easy habit to cultivate, but the belief and feeling that you are surrounded by people who care about you is crucial during times of enormous stress, when you need to fall back on your own resilience in order to persevere and maintain your well-being, and lightens a truckload of stress you didn’t even know you were carrying.
Immerse yourself in nature
Science has shown again and again that spending time in nature has positive effects on our mental health. A 2015 study, for example, found that it can significantly increase your emotional well-being and resilience. You don’t need to live next to a forest to immerse yourself in nature. A nearby park or any quiet environment with greenery where there aren’t that many people around will work just fine. Even a trip to the beach on the weekend can be good for you.
Breathe, relax and become aware of the sounds, smells and sights. Use all your senses to create a heightened awareness of the natural world. This exercise boosts your overall resilience as it acts as a kind of restoration of energy and reset to your equilibrium.