Modern nomads are self-starters and have the initiative to either run a business or work independently. This can be both a blessing and a curse… both paths bring freedom through self-discipline, but it comes with the challenges of working with zero structure. Most work frustrations come down to mental comfort. You probably have a running list of tasks, mental or physical, and you feel good as you start to work your way through. But some days you might feel like you didn’t quite we quite own it… maybe the list went down, but a magic ingredient was missing: flow. A master workday is all down to rhythm. There’s an upward synergy where one high is topped by another.
We all know this feeling, but it can feel hit or miss. Perfecting the daily rhythm is something between an art and a science, you need some guidelines, but the umbrella goal is to stay in tune with what each moment needs. To do this means your optimizing workflow as well as good vibes. Positive energy fills in the gaps between tasks. These are my tested recommendations to upcycle your workday:
1. Wake up with sweet coffee and exercise.
Forget sugar’s bad hype, a milky coffee with palm sugar is nurturing and soothes the nervous system. Exercise gets blood surging and is the best way to prime your digital muscles for the workday ahead.
2. Get the early light.
Start work near a window or on a porch, patio or deck for early morning light. The cool bluish early AM color tones function like splashing cool water on your face, and you can hum along without overheating.
3. 11am: peak brain time where you’re overloaded.
There’s lingering thoughts of tasks you completed bumping up against almost-lunchtime what-to-eat thoughts. In this fuzzy space it’s easy to waste time figuring out what to do next. This is a key momentdon’t ignore it and try to ride over this hump, it will burn your day out early. Instead take a break and let the brain dry out. Try this quick 2 minute braincooling yoga pose, an ace remedy even for nonyogis. Supta konasana(forward bending triangle) is a sitting, forward bending pose where you try to place your forehead on your footpads. This pose brings all the heat from your forehead and transfers it to the cool base of your feet. It feels like an icy suction cup, and afterwards your head will feel light and empty. Enough mental space until lunchtime.
4. Lunch.
Please if you only take one point from this list: do not eat at your computer. You escaped the rat race for a reason, don’t fall back into this bad burnout habit. In every single other non-western culture people break for lunch and spend time either in silence or with friends. Disobeying this commonsense rule is like eating in the bathroom or wearing shoes in bed… it doesn’t mix.
5. 3-4pm: the second slump.
We start to feel distracted and conflicted thoughts can kick in, so it’s time for a power break. Have a coconut, go for a surf or take a scooter ride around the block. Airconditioned oxygen is dead and it flattens creative thinking. Try this 1 min breathing exercise for instant oxygenation. Sit cross legged on the floor and inhale and exhale forcefully for one minute. This rapid fire breathing purifies all your channels- not only lungs, but it also balances your nervous and hormonal system. Think of it like brushing out all the frazzled nerve endings.
6. Break before sunset.
Even if you think just one more hour will make all the difference, it won’t. You’ll just tire yourself out more for the next day. Sunset and the twilight time are what allow our internal body clock to automatically recharge and reset.
7. It’s over.
Don’t carry work with you once you shut down your laptop. When it’s over, it’s over. Last, always count the personal good things that were accomplished in the workday. Tracking positive work habits, like breaking for a beach walk, increases the optimistic mindset. You have to love your flow and put up no resistance. Discipline implies force, but work should be effortless. Try these simple subconscious body-mind management tools for 3 days in a row to notice exponential benefits.
