Comet's Meeting Scientists share three simple exercises, before a meeting, in the middle of the day and at the end of it, to protect your energy at work.
Wellbeing is proven to improve communication between employees: it helps strengthen bonds and improve relationships between colleagues, including with managers, because when we feel good, we work better. In other words, it raises performance and efficiency, improves decision-making, stimulates creativity, increases productivity and reduces absenteeism. Cognitive science also tells us that our attention is a limited resource: if we want to be productive and at the peak of our creativity and collective intelligence, we need to avoid mental overload and find the right balance between body and mind.
With the support of its Meeting Scientists, its experts in productive meetings, Comet recommends a series of exercises throughout the working day to regenerate our energy and our nervous system through the body and by channelling our attention.
Unwinding before a meeting: conscious breathing
Sit in a relaxed position, feet under your knees, back straight and neck lengthened. Set a timer for 3 to 5 minutes and close your eyes. Pay attention to your breathing without changing it: where do you feel its movement? What is its rhythm, what is its volume? Do you feel relaxed or tense? Keep your attention on these sensations, seeking to still both the body and the mind. By focusing on them without trying to change them, you will reach a natural state of relaxation.
Restoring your energy at midday: opening up to the outside
In the middle of the day, we are often caught up in our own thoughts and, to revive ourselves and rebuild motivation, it is essential to disconnect in order to reconnect. There are several ways to do this: taking a short walk outside the office without a mobile phone, starting a conversation in which we listen carefully to colleagues without distraction, or simply taking a moment to observe our surroundings without thinking about anything else.
Ending the day in peace
Sit on a chair with your back straight and your feet anchored to the floor under your knees. Raise both hands towards the ceiling and, using your right hand, push your left hand upwards. Hold the posture and breathe deeply and comfortably. Repeat the exercise on the other side. This posture stretches and restores the space between the vertebrae that compress during the day, releases tension in the back and massages and opens the front of the chest, which helps prevent back pain caused by sitting for long periods.
Practising these exercises is essential to remind us, at work, that our body is not just a support for our mind and that it deserves to be looked after. That is why Comet offers its clients wellness sessions that encourage in-person meetings in environments conducive to collective intelligence, equipped with innovative technology and set in inspiring places.
