Physical activity can be incorporated into a busy schedule. The key is to build activities into your routine in a regular spot. Treat it like a very important meeting. Better yet, bring it into your meeting.
When you’re sitting in a meeting, or in any desk chair for that matter, pay attention to how you’re sitting – many of these chairs are made for comfort but don’t support your body in a positive way. Create a strong seat for yourself.
How to create a strong seat:
- Scoot your hips to the front of the chair so that you can feel the connection to the seat of the chair just where your legs and hips meet.
- Bring your knees in front of your hips – about hips-width distance – and then your feet just below your knees.
- Place your feet flat on the floor, and, if you can get away with it (and you are not grossed out), slip off your shoes and feel your feet as flat as you can on the ground.
- Rest your arms somewhere, hands on your knees, crossed on the desk in front of you, somewhere that they can be comfortable and you don’t feel like you’re using your shoulders or arm muscles to hold them up.
- Sit as tall as you can, feeling like you’re lifting the top of your head toward the ceiling – this is a great place to add in a deep breath as you feel tall, then relax your shoulders as you breathe out.
In this seat, the front of your body might feel like it’s working about 20%-40%. Let the back of your body feel relaxed. Pay attention to your seat, notice if you start to loosen or slouch, and take a breath and find the seat again. As you sit, you can bring your breath to be a little deeper and focus your attention to the topic at hand.
A little disclaimer…if you’re not used to sitting like this, your belly, sides, shoulders, or even your back might start to get a little tired or sore. That’s OK!! Be patient with yourself about how you feel. Notice what comes up and acknowledge it without judgement. Then find your strong seat again, or rest, remember, this is for YOU.
In most meetings/conferences/classes most people sit, but if you are feeling tired or you need a change of position, take it. Stand with feet flat on the floor and weight evenly between your two feet. Stand tall with knees slightly bent! Stand, breathe, and listen.
Finally, pay attention to parts of your body that might be calling out for attention. For example, if your hands and wrists are stiff or tired – choose to move them. Find a strong seat (see guidelines above), and either resting your forearms on the chair arms or at your sides…
- Spread your fingers as wide as you can then create fists
- Keeping it as straight as you can try to move each finger toward and away from your palm
- Touch each finger to your thumb, try with fingers straight and bent
- With flat hands that extend directly from your wrists bend at your wrists in any direction you can imagine – side to side, forward and backward, and anywhere in between.
Depending on how you feel and what your body needs, these movements can be held or alternated. And if it’s not your hands and wrists, start thinking about groups of body parts that you could move in a similar way to the example above. Some common spots for attention that can easily be moved in the confines of a meeting: feet/ankles, hips, lower back, shoulders, neck. You could move your eyes 👀 too but be careful to avoid shifty eyes or too many eye rolls!
Give it a try, whether finding a new seat, standing, or some movement. When you do, pay attention to how you are feeling and whether you find a bit more focus on the meeting at hand!
Thank you to Jonathan, Diamond, Chris, and Tyler from the Oakland branch of Dollar Bank for the meeting picture!