4 Ayurveda hacks that make you more efficient at work
If you take a closer look at your life, you can easily observe that it’s complex. Only examining our own body with all the functions will take ages. But once you take a dip in this vast ocean you will find out that our inner world is absolutely intertwined with the outerworld. For a moment just think about being at a crowded party with loud music, you are dancing, laughing and moving your body. Now what will happen because of this? Well I bet you become extremely outgoing and excited. If it is a good party of course, otherwise you will feel sad. Either way, once you’re home you need to relax and go back inwards if you want to catch a restful sleep. Immediately going to bed after dancing will just not work, agreed?
Your environment, behaviour, lifestyle and nutrition. They all play an important role on how you feel and act. Or how we say it so beautifully in Ayurveda: ‘The outer world, reflects the inner’. Now how to use this knowledge to become more productive in life?
No. 1 – Live your passion
Well at first, you’ve to take your own responsibility here. Meaning that you’ve to make sure that you have the right job, because productivity and efficiency are at their best when we feel good. For this you need to be aligned with the work you do which touches Ayurveda’s core philosophy in which it is stated that you can only live your life the fullest if you are following your own passion (called ‘Dharma’). Doing the things that make you happy, makes you feel aligned and therefore productive. Now, I’m aware that this is easier said than done. It’s for a reason that I stayed in my lawyers seat for years. But that’s another story. What I can tell you from my own experience is that following your curiosity will help you a step ahead in the right direction. What is it that you would do if you would only have 100 days left (being with your family and friends excluded)? Or what are the things you’re constantly searching for in Google search? That’s probably where the tip of the answer lies.
Doing the things you like will make you extremely productive
No. 2 – Follow the biological clock
Secondly, you’ve to tune in with the biological rhythms which are in Ayurveda linked to the 3 main types or energies (called ‘Doshas’). They show for example, that evenings are supposed to go inwards and are as such not the best time to work. Yes, you read it well: In Ayurveda we don’t believe in ‘night owls’, this is just seen as using the fiery (pitta) energy that is more predominant around 22 pm – 2 am wrongly.
If you would like to use this biological rhythm to be more productive, here are a few things you can try:
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Complete your most challenging work around 12 and not later than 2 pm (in Ayurveda terms ‘Pitta time’). This is also the best time to plan strategy meetings and get things done.
Tip: put your phone on airplane mode and close your email program to avoid distraction.
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Create a to-do list for the next day in the afternoon around 3 pm (in Ayurveda terms ‘Vata time’) so you can start the next morning with the thing that’s most important.
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Follow your task list from the day before in the morning around 9-10 am (in Ayurveda terms ‘Kapha time’).
No. 3 – Relax more
Thirdly, and I bet you’ve all experienced this, relaxation plays an important role in your productivity. Making sure that you are not constantly in flight and fight mode will help you to be more efficient. A very simple tool to use is of course meditation. Just simply take a comfortable seat, set your alarm (5-10 minutes) and focus on your breath.
In the same context it’s very important that you sleep well. Now I’ve already explained that ‘night owls’ do not exist according to Ayurveda. It will actually deplete you if you keep working these hours. So if you want to be more productive it’s best to allow yourself a restful night of sleep which will help you to digest the day on both a mental and physical level. From an Ayurvedic point of view the biggest part of this digestion naturally occurs in between 10 pm – 2 pm. Going to bed in time will therefore absolutely support you in being more productive.
No. 4 – Tune in with the planets
Lastly, and this may be more for the real geeks, you can tune in with the energy of the planets and pick your tasks accordingly. For example, Tuesdays are the best days to take action and put your ideas into existence and studying can best be done on Wednesdays. For more info on the planets and their supportive function check out my article ‘Live your days colorful with Ayurveda’.
Good to remember is that Ayurveda is all about finding out what works for you. So please, just see this article as some inspiration for you to try new things rather than putting all your effort in ticking off the boxes. That will of course do the opposite.
Hope this will raise your productivity.
With love,
Kim