Hate Mondays, bored with your current job, and finding it incredibly hard just to get out of bed.
Are you experiencing these problems? In fact, these feelings may not seem unusual if they happen only once in a while. But if they occur continuously over a long period of time and frequently affect your mood, they may be signs that you are facing burnout at work.
Try checking yourself against these signs to see whether you might be experiencing burnout:
- Feeling exhausted, physically drained, and taking longer to complete each task
- Feeling emotionally worn out, bored, hopeless, lacking motivation and enthusiasm, working as if you have no passion
- Becoming irritable more often, having lower tolerance, and experiencing more conflicts with people at work
- Beginning to neglect self-care, especially in terms of health
Reignite your work energy with these simple stretching poses
If, after reviewing the symptoms above, you find that you may be experiencing burnout, the first essential step is to increase rest and restore balance between work and personal life. Relax stress by doing activities you enjoy, or help your body unwind through self-care such as visiting a spa or stretching.
If you don’t have much time yet, you can start by trying these stretching poses that we’ve prepared for you.
1. Head-to-Knee Forward Bend Pose
This pose helps calm the mind, stretch muscles fatigued from overuse, and relieve anxiety, headaches, depression, and insomnia.
- Sit with your legs extended. Bend one leg so that the sole of the foot rests against the inner thigh of the other leg.
- Take a deep, slow breath in. Lean your torso forward, extending both arms parallel to the extended leg, until your head reaches toward the knee.
- Hold for 5 seconds, breathing in and out comfortably. Return to the starting position, then switch sides using the same method.
- Repeat 5 times.
2. Cat Pose
This is a very easy pose to perform but highly beneficial, as it helps stretch the lower back muscles, relieve fatigue, and give the mind an effective rest.
- Kneel on the floor and place your hands shoulder-width apart, with arms straight.
- Arch your torso and lower back while looking forward.
- Take a deep, slow breath in, then lower your head until your chin touches your chest while rounding your back as much as possible.
- Hold for 5 seconds, breathing in and out comfortably. Return to the starting position and repeat 5 times.
3. Legs Up the Wall Pose
This pose can be easily used for meditation by focusing on the breath. It helps reduce stress effectively and improves blood circulation back to the heart.
- Lie down and place your legs up against a wall. Slowly move your hips closer until your buttocks rest against the wall.
- Relax your arms alongside your body and focus on your breathing.
- Hold the position calmly for about 5 minutes.
Reference: https://www.davidwolfe.com/8-yoga-poses-flush-stress-hormones-body/