Working puts extra strain on your body. From early wake-up calls to long commutes to completing overdue tasks, you face much more stress – physically, emotionally, and mentally. Yoga can help you balance it all.
Settle Anxiety
Work is such a common detriment to mental health that the World Health Organization has a full webpage dedicated to the issue. Yoga is commonly used for stress relief and mental health, and there’s growing empirical evidence of its efficacy in this role. But that isn’t all. Yoga may help you overcome unhealthy coping mechanisms, like emotional eating. Doctors suggest it boosts mindful eating, a practice essential to those in the workforce. Allowing anxiety to dictate meals and snacks can lead to physical and emotional discomfort. An upset stomach only makes anxiety worse. Mindful eating also helps you fully enjoy new delicacies.
Relieve Aches
Even the best seats in the office are still seats, and a long day at work leaves your body stiff. Flexibility is one of yoga’s key benefits, but it also supports cardiovascular health. Taking time for a session after a long day of work helps you work out the kinks from staying in a single position for too long while helping you manage mental and cardiovascular stress. Think of it as taking time to reacquaint yourself with your body and its natural range of motion. Yoga gives you a space to decompress, literally and figuratively.
Sooth Overworked Muscles
Whether you go by plane, train, or automobile, traveling on a business trip often becomes an unexpected workout. Terminals seem to grow longer every year, carry-on baggage throws your posture out of alignment, and you may find yourself using muscles you never knew you had while hoisting a suitcase into the overhead compartment. You may find you have trouble using your arms after the first day of a business trip. Hotels are rarely as close to the train station as they appear, and the longer the journey, the heavier your bag becomes. This goes without mentioning hauling your laptop around for a full weekend conference or trying to handle your travel work tasks along with your regular tasks that are piling up in the office.
A good yoga session can help reduce minor aches and pains in the moment and in the morning. One study suggested participating in yoga after a workout reduced muscle soreness. Unwinding after a long, taxing day and checking in with your body can boost energy and mood, too.
Prepare for Rest
A good night’s sleep is critical to good health. Unfortunately, many find it out of reach during the workweek. Whether it’s taking care of tasks at home or having an anxious mind, you may find yourself studying the bedroom ceiling for hours at a time. Some studies have shown yoga increases melatonin levels and may help patients suffering from insomnia. Adding it to your routine can help you master your internal clock at home and at work. Mindfulness, a major element of yoga, also supports better sleep hygiene habits.
After a long day at the office, it can be tempting to just go to bed, but it’s important to make yoga a priority.
