“How much of what you did today was simply due to inertia? Never get so busy that you forget to actively design your life.”
– Writer Steph Smith asks a valuable question.
Wellness Tip:
Level Up Your Home Workouts
Doing your workouts at home these days? You’re not alone. The good news is, home workouts can be highly effective (and convenient!).
Consistency is key, so make a routine that’s easy to stick to. Here are some tips:
- Lay out your clothes the night before and keep your equipment easily accessible.
- Ditch the distractions. Don’t get scrolling between sets or you’ll lose track of time.
- Get pumped with energetic music.
- Mix it up and don’t repeat the same workouts over and over.
- Focus on good form and mind-muscle connection.
- Set yourself goals you can build up to – like reaching a certain number of reps.
- Use apps or YouTube videos to expand your workouts.
Check out some more home workout tips here. Got any of your own to share?
Productivity Tip:
Try Job Crafting
When we find meaning in our work, we’re more motivated and fulfilled. Enter “job crafting”: proactively redesigning our jobs to get more meaning out of them.
There are three key types of job crafting:
- Task crafting: adding or dropping responsibilities. E.g. Doing more tasks you enjoy.
- Relationship crafting: changing who you interact with. E.g. Drawing in those who are positive and energizing.
- Cognitive crafting: changing how you see your role. E.g. A medical receptionist might choose to see filing as crucial to keeping people healthy.
Think about how you might reshape your job or change your perception of it. What might you do to make it more meaningful? Read more here and let us know how you go.
Routine Breakdown
Taryn Toomey, Mother, Entrepreneur & Fitness Instructor
Founder of The Class and mother of two Taryn Toomey uses her mornings to care for both body and mind. She:
- Drinks water then does a few rounds of Uddiyana Bandha (yogic breathing)
- Teaches a fitness class on an empty stomach (or if she doesn’t have a class, has a smoothie and coffee)
- Meditates for 20 minutes
- If the mood in the house needs lifting, pumps up some happy music
Why it works:
- Uddiyana Bandha has been shown to strengthen the deep core muscles.
- Meditation reduces stress, improves sleep and much more.
- Music really can boost your mood.
Toomey hits on another important point: How to fit in daily meditation when you have kids.
“My kids flow with it—they know they can come in if the house is on fire, but overall they respect that time,” she says. “Kids thrive on structure and routine, so my making this habit creates this great container for them, too.”
How’s your meditation habit going? The monthly section of Panda Planner is great for building habits. Tick the ‘H’ box every day you do your meditation – seeing your progress streak will keep you motivated.
