Written by Founder and CEO, Sara Potler LaHayne
It’s Thursday, you’ve already decided to skip the morning shower in favor of that extra ten minutes of sleep and the only foreseeable silver lining of the day is after work St. Patrick’s Day celebrations — not to mention the fact that you woke up thinking it was Friday. You’re probably a typical American worker, making less money, working more hours, and taking fewer sick or vacation days than usual.
In other words, you’re not like Beyoncé.
While we can’t do much about your pay or work schedule, we can help you take back your morning — and put the rest of the day in Formation.
Upgrade Your Morning
It’s as simple as setting an intention every morning. Setting an intention is a little more than a goal or plan, it’s more like drawing a roadmap. You will have to navigate certain challenges throughout the day: Setting an intention allows you to navigate them smoothly.
At Move This World, we take intention setting to the next level by channeling our inner Queen Bey and embodying the intention as well. The fact is, we’re going to need everything our body has in order to tackle the upcoming day.
That means we have to activate it. Sometimes, this means incorporating yoga. Sometimes, it means working out. And sometimes, it means dancing our faces off.
There are tons of benefits associated with morning movement -especially in making a daily routine of it- including reduced sensitivity to stress, depression and anxiety, and increased functional activity of the temporal lobe, responsible for storing sensory memories. Just 30 minutes of exercise in the morning can improve your mood for up to 12 hours afterward.
The fact is, when you put your mind and body before your daily challenges, before the haters, before the deadlines, the bills, meetings, traffic, or any of the world’s other wrenches, you align yourself with your daily intention.
You also remind yourself that you are bigger than life’s problems. That isn’t merely a mantra: it’s true — and everyone around you should know it, too.
Sasha Fierce #FTW (For The Workplace)
It’s in everyone’s best interest that you show up for the day feeling more fierce than feeble — especially yours. Doesn’t your boss want your best you working on the annual report? Don’t your co-workers want the best you showing up at the presentation?
Of course they do. According to the American Psychological Association, U.S. employers spend an average of $300B/year due to stress-related health care and missed work with 77% of employees regularly experiencing physical symptoms caused by stress.
So putting mindfulness into daily practice kind of sounds like a win-win for everyone, right?
You’ll be the first to notice what a difference setting and embodying your daily intentions has on your day — but you won’t be the last.
When your co-workers feel your new swagger, don’t be surprised if they ask if you happen to carry hot sauce in your bag. Tell them not to worry: Texas Pete isn’t required to change your life. All they need to do is hop on the bandwagon and set their own intention. Once that happens, you’re on your way to building a strong, resilient team, unfazed by common problems. At that point, feel free to break the morning mold and look to apply your intentions throughout the rest of your day.
Ever check in with your employees before a meeting? Ever shake out some stress as a team? Ever take a mindfulness break? Now’s your opportunity.
Try adding in 90 seconds at the start of every team meeting to center and connect with one another and 30 mindful seconds at the end to close. You will be more grounded, present and alert. You will be ready to offer and receive whatever is thrown your way in that meeting. At Move This World we’re responding to the 87% of workers worldwide who are emotionally disconnected from their workplaces and less likely to be engaged. Rest assured, you won’t be wasting anyone’s time. In fact, you’ll be taking it back.
So go ahead, make those daily challenges bow down. You run this world. All you have to do is remind yourself every morning.
