"Mindfulness Sphere Against Burnout" The European Commission’s support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. Acknowledgements Editor: Joanna Szczecińska, SIGNA Sp. z o.o. Authors: Viktor Sušec, Zavod APGA, Agencija Za Promocijo Gibalnih Aktivnosti, Slovenia Joanna Szczecińska, SIGNA Sp. z o.o., Poland Vilma Ferrari, Viesoji Istaiga Svietimo Ir Kulturos Mobiliuju Technologiju Institutas, IMOTEC, Lithuania Publisher: Zavod APGA, Mislinja, Slovenia, Publicated: Slovenj Gradec, 2021 Edition: electronic Mindfulness Sphere, brochure has been created and edited by Erasmus+ Sport project partners: SIGNA Sp. z o.o., Poland, Zavod APGA, Slovenia, Viesoji Istaiga Svietimo Ir Kulturos Mobiliuju Technologiju Institutas, IMOTEC Lithuania Project reference no: 2020-1-PL01-KA204-082465 Cobiss ID 91408899 CIP Kataložni zapis o publikaciji (CIP) pripravili v Narodni in univerzitetni knjižnici v Ljubljani COBISS.SI-ID 91408899 ISBN 978-961-95066-3-9 (PDF) URL: http://apga.si contents 1. A few words of introduction about the genesis of the project and the project itself 2. What is mindfulness? 3. What is a burnout? 4. How can mindfulness methods prevent us from burnouts? 5. Mindfulness from the point of view of an employee and an employer 6. Mindfulness and Music Therapy 7. Wellbeing and Healthy Lifestyle is mindfulness – Sport & Recreation against burnout 8. Mindfulness exercises that can be used to prevent burnouts 1.A few words of introduction about the genesis of the project and the project itself The problem of a burnout is not diminishing at all, on the contrary - recent studies’ results show that it is constantly growing and deepening in quantitative and qualitative statistics. It also affects much more younger people. Many people complain about poor condition of their mental health because of work. Working life causes deterioration in mental condition. Employers’ involvement in improving the mental well-being of employees is not enough. Exposure to stress is considered to be the main workplace health and safety risk by current workers and those with past work experience. Amongst current workers exposure to stress is considered one of the main health and safety risks they face in their workplace (53%) –according the Eurobarometer, 2014 Three institutions from three different countries: - Signa (Poland) - APGA (Slovenia) - IMOTEC (Lithuania) decided to deal with this topic, and especially one of the methods that allow you to counteract and fight burnout - mindfulness - the art of attention to oneself. This is not new, but partners noticed that in their countries, the acknowledgement of this method is mainly limited to participation in trainings and workshops. There is less material for employees who can introduce mindfulness techniques into their private and professional lives without need to participate in special course This is how the project „Mindfulness Sphere against Burnout ”was created. In 2020 it received funding from the Erasmus+ program within the adult education sector. The aim of the project was to familiarize employees of partner institutions with the mindfulness method and its techniques so that they could use it in the fight against burnout. To achieve this goal, the partnership organized three international trainings in each of the partner countries. During the trainings, the experts presented in a practical way a variety of exercises that lead to mental well-being and help support the balance between private and professional life. However, the target group of the project is wider. The Mindfulness method can be used by: - employees who want to avoid burnouts - employees who noticed symptoms of burnout in themselves and want to do something about it - employees who want to create a better work-life balance - employers who want to prevent their employees’ burnout The following publication is an attempt to summarize the knowledge, skills and experiences gained by the project participants and to pass them on to the target group. Formal definition: The most quoted definition of mindfulness describes it as a special kind of attention: conscious, non-judgmental and focused on the moment (Jon Kabat-Zinn, 1990), thus referring to an experience of 2. What is the world that is beyond our expectations and is a kind of mindfulness? experiencing things „as they are”; (Ray, 2002) One of the most famous exercises allowing us to understand mindfulness is so-called exercise with raisin. It is about eating a raisin very slowly, engaging all your senses in this activity. Take a raisin (it can actually be anything you eat) and look at it carefully first. Turn it in your hands, feel its thickness, its skin. Then smell it. Look at it against the sun, put it on the table, roll it gently in your fingers. Look at it from different angles. See the imperfections in the skin. Take it slowly in your mouth, but do not chew it straight away. Pay attention to what you feel - on the tongue, on the palate. Suck it up and bite after a while. Be open to what comes up. You can do it your way. (as Magdalena Gołda from the page https://lifearchitect.pl/blog/mindfulness-dla-poczatkujacych ). Meditation is a formal part of mindfulness, its basis, it is the possibility of training both body and mind, but the most important thing is to transfer skills from formal to informal practice - and life itself is informal practice. There are many mindfulness exercises. In fact, anything done carefully can be your own mindfulness exercise. What this definition means in practice This is the way of taking care of your mental and physical health. Being mindful means being aware of your thoughts, feelings, actions. Thanks to mindfulness, life is better, peace is easier to achieve, and one has more patience. Mindfulness itself is not a problem-solving technique, but it helps you to deal with issues in a more conscious and less nervous way. Mindfulness is a deliberate (i.e. conscious) directing of your attention to what you are experiencing at a particular moment - here and now, to what you are experiencing at present, but not thinking what it means – what we have to do is only to calm down our emotions and put the conscious part „aside”; so that we can focus on the present-moment experience without looking through a filter of pre-formed views. Mindfulness helps reduce stress, achieve emotional balance, and cope better with difficult situations to get more pleasure from life. By practicing mindfulness, we have the opportunity to better understand yourself, your reactions, behaviour and ways of action. 3. What is burnout? Burnout is a condition in which the work performed so far does not bring pleasure anymore, it becomes more and more tiring, What is discouraging and causes physical and mental burnout? exhaustion. Burnout is also a disease entity. Burnout can happen in any profession. It affects people of all ages, recently getting younger. The cause of occupational burnout is a long-lasting stress, which results in mental and physical exhaustion. Excessive duties, improper diet, sedentary lifestyle and the permanent lack of time to rest make us nervous and stressed. The causes of The other cause of occupational burnout is also inability to regenerate the emotional, intellectual and physical forces that exhaust themselves professional burnout while performing difficult tasks related to professional work. It is not always the employee who is responsible for the occurrence of burnout, but also the atmosphere in the workplace, working hours, requirements for employees and work organization. Burnout manifests itself in different ways in each different person. The most common symptoms are: - difficulty sleeping - headaches - constant fatigue Symptoms of burnout - emotional problems (irritability, irritation, depression, difficulty concentrating) - unwillingness to go to work and do it - lack of a sense of personal achievements and competences in the work performed. Burnout manifests itself in different ways in each different person. The most common symptoms are: - difficulty sleeping - headaches - constant fatigue - emotional problems (irritability, irritation, depression, How to prevent burnout? difficulty concentrating) - unwillingness to go to work and do it - lack of a sense of personal achievements and competences in the work performed. 4. How can mindfulness methods prevent burnout? According to the research and observations conducted, mindfulness increases the level of happiness and well-being as well as a sense of meaning and satisfaction in employees. It develops the ability to focus and concentrate, think creatively and innovatively, and also reduce anxiety and overwhelm. At the same time, it helps to achieve ordinary business goals. Considering the alarming news of post-pandemic depressed mood and weakening mental condition of employees, as well as a constantly changing world, universal multitasking and a large number of stimuli, causing ever deeper levels of distraction, looking for measures to support mental health becomes an urgent necessity. The pace of life is accelerating. There is a growing sense that we need to do more: faster and better at the same time. We compete and race not only with others, but also with ourselves. We have to be on the move all the time and do something, otherwise we feel useless, we are afraid of being criticized by others. Such tensions most often can be observed in the corporate world, where models based on efficiency and the multiplication of profits are used. The stressful atmosphere affects both employees and the entire organization and its functioning. That is why it is so important to skilfully deal with the difficulties encountered, and mindfulness may help us in this. It is also worth remembering that mindfulness is not only a technique, but also a kind of accepting and non-evaluating attitude. There is an indispensable kindness connected with it, directed towards oneself and towards others. The point is not to always offer Mindfulness courses to employees, but to apply this method or philosophy in the company’s actions. 5. Mindfulness from the point of view of the employee and the employer Employee: At work, mindfulness training will help us to consciously manage our attention so that we can fully focus on what we are doing, but also be aware of what distracts us. Workplace mindfulness allows you to: - be more aware of your participation in the organization/company - be more efficient - be more resistant to stress - communicate with the employer and colleagues better - improve social relations between co-workers – both superior and subordinate A very good mindfulness practice is also the usual trip to work or a walk during a break time. Walking simply for the sake of walking, realising that we are walking. No rush, no planning, no judging. Before the start of an important meeting, it is a good idea to close your eyes and sit quietly for a few minutes, deeply breathing in and out. The longer the better for our mind. If you take a minute before the meeting to organize your thoughts and reflect on the purpose of your actions, it will have a positive effect on the meeting. Here are several ways to introduce mindfulness at work: Look around your office as if you saw it for the first time in your life and notice something you haven’t noticed before. May be the colour of flowers, interior? Look out the window and look deeply into what you see. Observe the outside. Try to change your surroundings during the lunch break, try not to eat at your desk. Try to take a break of 1-3 minutes every hour while you consciously focus on your breathing Use breaks to relax: instead of coffee, cigarette or newspaper, walk or stretch a few times. During lunch or break, talk to a friend. Try not to talk about things related to work At the end of the workday, try to sum up all your activities and congratulate yourself on what you have achieved. Prepare a to-do list for tomorrow as well. Adapted from Mindfulness and Mastery in the Workplace: 21 Ways to Reduce Stress during the Workday. ( https://mindfulnessinside.pl/uwaznosc-w-pracy-jak-ja-cwiczyc/ ) Employer: Mindfulness is more than just an individual phenomenon, it can be applied to the entire organizational system. Organizational awareness is distinguished as a separate type, which is a permanent feature of the organization, resulting from its structure and practices implemented by managers. Mindfulness in an organization can support group processes, prevent conflicts, and shape interactions within the team. Collective mindfulness is therefore a team-wide process where team members are willing to contribute to team discussion, align their own actions with those of others, and develop a shared mentality. Mindfulness is about building a work environment that positively effects the well-being and health of employees on a daily basis. It is worth investing in wellness programs and courses of work-life balance, promote healthy food and provide benefits such as sports cards or cafeterias. 6.Mindfulness and Music Therapy The light and steady beat of hand drums can have a calming effect as it follows the beat of your heart. A beautiful melody can bring you to tears, and sometimes just the right word in a song can pull at your heart strings. What Is Music Therapy? Music therapy is an emergent field in psychology and medicine utilizing the power of music to help people suffering from many different types of psychological and physical issues. The inspiration for music therapy is from an experience with music we all know well. Sometimes when I hear a song, I am stopped in my tracks – it could remind me of a time in my life, or something completely new manifesting a distinct emotional or psychological response. Music has importance in our lives because of its emotional and psychological impact on us. The power of music is evident in how it makes us feel, how it makes us think, and how it makes us behave. Music therapy uses this recognized power to impact people’s thoughts and feelings in a way that will lead to a happier life. Psychologist Heather Craig writes that music therapy has been found to increase quality of life, and has measurable effects on outcomes before, during, and after treatment. But, the power of music therapy doesn’t stop there. How Does Music Therapy Heal People? Music therapy as a source of healing has been documented by Harvard psychologists as an effective method of changing feelings and behavior for a healthier life and outlook. There are five different classes of psychological modification which music therapy is known to help with: What Matters – Music has the ability to grab our attention, and keep it there. Think of every time you’ve listened to a great solo and was hypnotized by its beauty. What You Feel – Music can make us feel certain emotions, and music therapists use music to unleash and explore emotions at the appropriate time during a session. What We Do – Music makes us move to the beat, tap our feet, and give up control of our bodies. Music therapy utilizes this for therapeutic purposes. How We Think – As an intervention tool, music can change our thinking about adverse situations and mindsets. This is especially true when we find a song that speaks to a specific experience in our lives causing depression, PTSD, and any other number of psychological sickness. 6.Mindfulness and Music Therapy How Does Music Therapy Heal People? How We Communicate – Much of what music says to us is without words. Many music therapists find non-verbal communication through musical improvisation helps us understand our emotions better, transforming how we tell people about them. Even further, researchers at the Greater Polish Cancer Center have found music therapy aids in physical healing, as is the case with cancer patients. As the scientific world learns more about the relationship between music, the body, and the mind, further applications are expected to manifest within the field in the coming years. Music therapy sessions can include any number of musical activities, including but not limited to: 1.Simple Playing – Therapists will sometimes bring instruments to a session for a patient to play, most times with the therapist. 2.Performance – Therapists will play songs for patients before, during, or after treatments to calm the mind and make it easier to heal. 3.Creation – The act of creating music helps patients and clients express their feelings, and gives them an opportunity to create an impact on their world. Having such a large impact on people who are so in need is a great responsibility. That’s why over the past 60 years music therapy as a serious clinical practice has inspired a world of study to prepare practitioners for all number of opportunities to help people heal. 7. Wellbeing and Healthy Lifestyle is mindfulness – Sport & Recreation against burnout Physical Activity in EU Nearly half of Europeans never exercise or play sport, and the proportion has increased gradually in recent years. In a given week, more than half of Europeans do not do any vigorous physical activity, and around half do not engage in moderate physical activity. These figures emphasize the crucial role that other actors can play: employers, for example, can help addressing sedentary behaviours at the workplace, and provide opportunities to improve healthy life habits (physical activity, nutriution). Physical activity is the basic human need. Research shows that neglecting and reducing physical activity in recent years has today become one of the main problems of modern society. Overweight, damage to the moving apparatus (bones and joints), deterioration in muscular performance, negative self-image, less psychological endurance ... are only some of the consequences of neglecting the physical activity. Experience in the world shows that sports and recreational physical activity is one of the most successful ways of improving the psychophysical state of an individual and thus improving of his working and overall ability. Investment in sports and recreational activities of employees contribute to multifaceted benefits. Research have undoubtedly proved that funds invested in guided and organized physical activity both during work and outside working hours bring profit. Promoting and investing in sports and recreational activities of employees has, in addition to financial, equally important social effects. Generally, a better worker's well-being affects the relationships between each other, the relationship between the individual and the employer, and ultimately the reputation and social validity of the company and its representatives in a narrower and wider social environment, which in turn has an impact on the company's higher income. Worksite Health Promotion The workplace is one of the most important living environments. Adults live a third of their lives in the workplace. In the past few years, many studies show that the workplace has had a profound impact on the health of employees. The health and well-being of employees affects their job satisfaction and vice versa, and benefits both the company and the individual. Comprehensive health promotion must become part of the company's policies and values. The active involvement of employees in physical activities is a fundamental goal. It is not realistic to expect that all employees will be included in the programs, but the goal is to: • reach all employees with promotional activities and awareness-raising information • create opportunities for inclusion for all employees • include at least 50% in physical activity programs, or optimally 75% of employees. Forms and programs of physical activity in the work environment can vary, depending on needs, desired effects, work processes, motivation and many other factors. • programmed recreational break during work • sport recreational activity outside working hours • programmed health-preventive breaks • sports and social gatherings • health preventive control. Programmed recreational break during work Work process, or the individual's ability to work is influenced by various factors that act negatively and reduce the individual's productivity. With appropriate, guided activities, these factors can be minimized. •shorten the time needed to adapt to work •interrupt the monotony of the work •reduce the occurrence of mental and physical fatigue •reduce the number of illnesses and accidents at work •improve the health status of employees •reduce the number of spontaneous and unwanted breaks during work •improve interpersonal relationships •increase motivation for work Sport recreational activity outside working hours From the perspective of both the employer and the employee, this is the most acceptable form, since it does not directly affect the working hours, the choice of activities is more varied and allows the individual to satisfy his interests to the greatest possible extent. •does not burden working time •greater social impact •useful use of free time •involvement of the whole family •individual treatment •regular guided exercise •content tailored to individual interest •improving general psychophysical condition Regular sports recreational activity at least once a week has a significant positive effect on the psychophysical state of the individual. Sports and social events Social meetings are one of the ways to improve mutual relationships, which consequently also affect the motivation of workers and the attitude towards the employer. Sport is, of course, one of the contents of such meetings. In the framework of regular sports activities, we can organize various sporting events, e.g. the league of competitions that take place all year round. Sport and social gatherings in various sports can be organized at different levels of organization of the company, for example, between working groups, between establishments, among group companies, between business partners … 8.Mindfulness exercises that can be used to prevent burnouts 1 . What is feeding you, what is draining you? Try to write down your typical day schedule and all the activities you do on that day, from the moment you get up. If you want, you can break down larger activities into a number of smaller ones, e.g. work - it can be broken down into activities such as “e-mails, conversations with co-workers”. Now that you have a piece of paper written down, you can ask yourself two questions: · does this activity raise my mood, give me energy, feed me? · does this activity drain my mood, take away my energy? Once you have done this, try to mark the letter „F” for „feeds”; and the letter „D” for „drains” for each of these activities. This is a very simple exercise, but it can show how much what we do affects our mood, and how some kind of critical mass of many draining activities can pull us down. Of course, when doing this exercise it is good to have the same activity perceived differently depending on our emotional state and our mental habits. Based on: Training Modules and Materials for Action Learning Sets. Project: Erasmus Employment Plus: building labor market resilience for Europe's low-skilled and unqualified through targeted vocational guidance practice. http://erasmusemploymentplus.org/training-facilitators/ 2. Coaching GROW model Goal should: The GROW model is a simple goal-setting and problem- - have positive form solving method. - should be dependent on you Goal: What is your goal? · What is important to you? - be detailed · What do you want to achieve? - have appropriate size · What do you really want? - Be economic –comparing costs and benefits. · What do you want to change? Options: What are your options to reach your goal? - What can you do? Reality: Where are you now in relation to your goal? - What do you think you need to do next? - Have you already taken any steps towards your goal? - What do you think you need to do to get closer to your - Why haven't you reached that goal yet? goal? - What do you think is stopping you? - What would your friend, another person advise you? - What skills/knowledge/attributes do you have? - What would you advise yourself if you were 6 years / 100 years old? - What's the best/worst thing about each of these Will/Way: What will you do? options? - What actions will you take? - When are you going to start? - What will be your first step? - When will you do your first step? 8.Mindfulness exercises that can be used to prevent burnouts 3. Mentoring Case study about Gary Read the case study “When Gary first started working as an employment adviser, he loved his job and looked forward to going into work every day. It was like he had found his dream job. Of course, sometimes it’s stressful when clients tell you about the problems that they have, but he tried to help them as much as possible. But two years on, Gary has lost weight, cannot sleep and dreads going into the office. He is stressed all the time and feels that his work is meaningless. It all started when they started restructuring his team and the threat of redundancy hung over all of the roles. Fortunately he was lucky, and his job was safe but it was a tough time worrying about what he would do with no job, how he would pay the bills and the mortgage and possibly lose the job he loved. Gary has now started to stress about other things: he worries about not achieving his targets each month, feels like he is not good enough and isn’t making a difference to his clients anymore. On top of all this, his mum is very ill and he has been trying to see her as much as possible, but it is impacting on his ability to spend time with his family and friends. Some of his friends and colleagues have noticed that he doesn’t seem to be himself, but Gary is beginning to feel increasingly desperate and is finding it more and more difficult to focus on work and life in general. He is at a loss to know who to reach out to for support.” 4. Desk exercises – 10 moves and stretches to do at the office desk One of the best things you can do for your health is to move more often, even if it is just for a few minutes at your desk. Sitting for 9 hours a day hunched over a computer causes us to develop muscle imbalances that can lead to injury. Below are 10 Desk Exercises that will correct imbalances and get body moving without you even having to leave your desk. These stretches and isometric exercises will open you up and get the correct muscles activated to help you remain pain and injury free! Now answer the following questions: 1. What do you think is going on with Gary? 2. What do you think Gary should do to get support in work? 3. What resources could Gary call upon to support himself? 4. What support could be available to Gary outside of work? 5. What do you think will be the first step for Gary to take? 10 Desk exercises These stretches and exercises will help improve your posture and prevent shoulder, neck, back, hip and even knee pain. They basically force you to do the opposite of what you do for 9 hours a day at your computer – they work on extension while you generally sit in flexion. And these moves not only stretch but also activate the correct muscles so that the muscles that should be working, are working. Not only will this help you remain injury-free, but it will also help you get the most out of your workouts! 8.Mindfulness exercises that can be used to prevent burnouts 1. Mountain Pose – Simply forcing yourself to stand with proper posture can help you prevent injury because it can realign your body, loosening tight muscles and activating under-active ones And this proper posture to realign your body is called Mountain Pose. To do Mountain Pose, stand with your feet about hip-width apart and your arms down by your sides. Stand nice and tall and press your chest out, drawing your shoulder blades down and back. As you open up your chest, try to elongate your body as if a string is attached to your head and pulling you up. As you feel yourself elongating, feel your feet firmly planted in the ground. Pretend you are standing on a piece of paper and that you are trying to tear it apart by pressing your feet down into the ground and apart. Feel your glutes tighten and squeeze as you open up your hips. Stand tall and remember to breathe. You can also do a variation of the Mountain Pose and reach up overhead and back as you stand tall. This will stretch our your arms and lats as well as your hips a bit more than the basic Mountain Pose. 2. Standing Forward Bend – This move is a great full body stretch that really loosens up your hamstrings, low back, chest and shoulders. To do the Standing Forward Bend, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart or wider. Clasp your hands behind your back with your arms straight and palms together. Then lean forward, keeping your legs straight as you bend over. As you bend over, let your hands fall away from your back toward your head. Try to keep your palms together as you let your arms fall forward toward the ground. Breathe as you relax over, trying to get your hands as far from your back as possible and your legs straight. 3. Half Wall Hang – Often because we sit all day hunched over a computer, we have poor thoracic extension and our chest and lats are tight. This can lead to neck, shoulder and back injuries. The Half Wall Hang stretches out our upper body so the big muscles of our back can then be activated. It helps us prevent injuries when we do overhead pressing or snatching in our workouts! To do the Half Wall Hang, place your hands on the wall and walk them down until your chest is parallel to the ground. Walk your feet back so that you are hinging over with your hips bent to about 90 degrees and your legs straight.Your back and arms should be straight with your arms running along side your head. You want a nice straight line from your hands on the wall to your tailbone.Press your chest out through your arms and feel a nice stretch through your chest and down the sides of your back. 8.Mindfulness exercises that can be used to prevent burnouts You may even feel a stretch down your hamstrings as you lean over against the wall.Hold and breathe. Try to press your chest through toward the ground as you hold and work on your thoracic extension. Beginners may need to start with their hands higher up on the wall and their feet closer in so that they aren’t leaning over as much. Make sure your back is flat and not at all rounded as you hold. 4.Seated Pigeon Pose – This stretch is a great way to stretch the outside of your hip as well as your glute and low back. To do the Seated Pigeon Pose stretch, sit up nice and tall in your chair and bend one knee to place the ankle on top of your other leg just above the knee. Sitting tall, press down on your knee to open up your hip. Flex the foot of the leg crossed over if you feel too much pressure on the outside of your knee. Breathe and relax as you press down on the leg to feel a nice stretch in the outside of your hip and glute. Pay attention to how the stretch feels on each side. Make note of any imbalance. Is one knee higher up than the other? Can you press one down more? If you notice one side is tighter, make note. Imbalances can lead to injury more so than even if both sides are just super tight. 5. Scapular Wall Hold – If you want better posture and to alleviate neck, shoulder and upper back pain, you need to do Scapular Wall Holds almost every day, numerous times a day. This move will help stretch out your chest while activating the big muscles of your back so that your upper traps and shoulders don’t try to do work they can’t handle and end up in pain and injured. To do the Scapular Wall Hold, stand with your back to the wall just a few inches away. Bend your arms to 90 degrees and drive your elbows back and your chest out. Lean back and place your elbows on the wall with your chest pressed out and your shoulder blades drawn down and back. Do not shrug your shoulders as you drive your elbows back and pinch your shoulder blades down and together. You want to open your chest up toward the ceiling as you lean on your elbows against the wall. Do not let your upper arms or back to touch the wall.Relax your head back instead of tucking your chin. Pinch your shoulder blades down and back while keeping your core tight as you lean into the wall. Squeeze your glutes and don’t arch your low back. Really press your chest out so that you feel this move low between your shoulder blades. 8.Mindfulness exercises that can be used to prevent burnouts 6. Dip Hold – This is a great move to improve your posture, activate your lower traps and even work your core and triceps. And the best part is, you don’t even really need to move from your desk chair! To do the Dip Hold, sit on the edge of your chair with your hands down on the chair on each side of your body just outside of your butt. Your fingertips should hang over the edge of the chair. Slide your butt forward and off the chair, keeping your legs out straight in front of you. As you move your butt off the chair, press up to the top of the dip with arms straight down and shoulder blades drawn down and back. Press your chest out and do not tuck your chin or shrug your shoulders. Maintain a nice tall posture. Make sure you don’t press your hips up toward the ceiling as you hold the dip. You should remain in a seated position with your back and butt close to the chair. Hold at the top of the dip. If you start to shrug, relax out of the hold. Beginners may want to walk their feet back in toward the chair and bend their knees to take some strain off their upper body. Advanced exercisers will want to keep their legs out straight in front of them. 7. Desk Chair Posterior Plank – If you want to stretch your chest and hips while activating your glutes and back to improve our posture and prevent pain and injury, then you need to do the Posterior Plank. However, crawling around on the ground at work isn’t really an option. That is why the Desk Chair Posterior Plank is a great option if you want to move and prevent injury at work.To do the Desk Chair Posterior Plank, sit on the edge of your chair with your hands down on the chair on each side of your body just outside of your butt. Your legs should be out straight in front of you and you should be sitting nice and tall. Then bridge up, driving up through your hands and heels. Lift your hips up as high as you can while pressing your chest out. Squeeze your glutes and draw your shoulder blades down and together. Relax your head back and don’t shrug your shoulders. Make sure you aren’t hyperextending your low back to try to get your hips higher. Keep your legs straight as you bridge up and hold. Raise one leg off the ground if you want to advance the movement. 8.Mindfulness exercises that can be used to prevent burnouts Beginners may need to start with the Desk Chair Camel instead. This move is more of a stretch than the Posterior Plank; however, it will open up your chest and hips just like the plank. 8. Warrior III – The Warrior III pose is a great way to improve your balance and core stability. However, you may find it isn’t an easy move to do in dress shoes or even heels. If you can, do this move barefoot. (It could be a great chance to quickly roll out your foot with a tennis ball and stretch your calves as well to help prevent injury!). To do the Warrior III pose, balance on one foot with your knee slightly bent. Hinge over at your hips, lifting your back leg toward the wall behind you as you lean your chest over. Pretend you are driving your foot straight back into the wall behind you. As you hold the pose, keep your back flat and your core tight. Reach your hands overhead or back behind you. Hold in this position. Do not let your back round or your other foot touch down. You want a nice straight line from the bottom of your lifted heel to the top of your head. Make sure you do not lock the standing leg out as you hold. Also make sure your hips don’t rotate open up as you hold. Squeeze your glutes to keep your hips level. Beginners may need to use the wall behind them to help them balance. Stand with a wall behind you and when you hinge over have the lifted foot lightly touch the wall behind you to help you balance. 8.Mindfulness exercises that can be used to prevent burnouts 9. Extended Triangle Pose – If you want to improve the mobility of your hips and back, you need to try the Extended Triangle Pose. This move will stretch out your legs and open up your chest and back. To do the Extended Triangle Pose, step one foot forward so you are in a nice wide lunge stance. Then place your back heel down on the ground and turn the toe out. If your right leg is forward, your left foot will be perpendicular to your right foot. Keeping your legs straight, reach forward and down with the right hand. Place your hand on the ground inside your foot or on a block or your shin if you can’t reach the ground while keeping your front leg straight. Reach the left hand up toward the ceiling, opening your chest up toward your left hand. Hold that pose and relax and breathe. Make sure to keep both legs straight. If you feel too much strain on your knees, bring your feet closer together. If you can’t rotate your chest open toward the ceiling, don’t reach as low with your hand. You can place your hand on your shin or even your desk chair if needed. 10. Table Top Bridge – If you don’t mind getting down on the ground at work, the Table Top Bridge is another great way to activate your glutes while opening up your chest and hips. It is also a bit easier than the Posterior Plank, especially if you have knee pain or problems. To do the Table Top Bridge, start seated on the ground with your feet flat on the ground in front of you and your hands on the ground behind you. Squeeze your glutes and lift your hips up as high as you can, driving through your hands and heels. At the top of your bridge, lean your head back and press your chest out. Squeeze your glutes. Keep your core tight as you bridge up. Try to create a “table” with your body. Don’t hyperextend your low back just to get your hips higher. You want to feel your glutes working and your chest stretching. Hold at the top of the bridge or complete repetitions. These 10 Desk Exercises are a great way to stay active and prevent injury all while staying at your desk. If you take just five minutes a couple of times a day and do a few of these moves, you will see your aches and pains lessen while improving your overall health. 8.Mindfulness exercises that can be used to prevent burnouts 4.Mindfulness in physical exercises at the gym EXERCISE 1. CHEST STRETCHING WHILE SITTING ON A BALL WITH A ROLLER • take your hand roller at the rear when you sit on the ball • move shoulders back/ stretch shoulders blades • open your chest • hold this position for 20s • keeping straight hands at the elbows slowly lift the roller up and slowly lower it down • repeat this exercise 8x EXERCISE 2. STRETCHING THE BACK AND CALF MUSCLES WITH THE BALL • while standing brace the ball against the wall with your front • keeping straight hands in the elbows slowly turn the ball up the wall • lift your heels up • slowly turn the ball down at the same time lowering your heels to the floor • repeat this exercise 8x 8.Mindfulness exercises that can be used to prevent burnouts EXERCISE 3. STRENGTHENING THE ABDOMINAL MUSCLES USING A ROLLER • brace your forearms shoulder width apart on the roller • move hips and knees up to one level • stretch shoulders blades • pull the belly button in (suck it) • do not join your hands • hold this position for 20s • repeat exercise 3x EXERCISE 4. STRENGTHENING THE BACK AND ABDOMINAL MUSCLES WITH A ROLLER • brace your knees at the width of your hips on the shaft, and your hands at the width of your shoulders on the mat • alternately lift up the straight right hand and the straight left leg and then the straight left hand and the straight right leg • lift your hand to shoulder height, and your leg to buttocks height • keep your abdomen tense • your head is an extension of the spine • you can lift over the mat • hold this position for 3s • repeat this exercise 16x (8x per side) 8.Mindfulness exercises that can be used to prevent burnouts EXERCISE 5. STRENGTHENING THE SHOULDER MUSCLES BY RAISING THE ROLLER • take the hand roller when you sit on the ball • keep straight hands at the elbows and slowly lift the roller up to shoulder height then slowly lower it down • keep your back stretched on the ball • keep abdomen tense • hold this position for 3s • repeat this exercise 8x 6.Mindfulness in outdoor activities DISC GOLF Recommended group size/type: 4-12 person Recommended time: 1-3 hours Exercises Objectives:walking in nature, precision skills, teamwork Resources required: disc golf court Disc golf, also known as frisbee golf, folf or frolf, is a flying disc sport in which players throw a disc at a target; it is played using rules similar to golf. The sport is usually played on a course with 9 or 18 holes. The ball is replaced by a frisbee/disc and hole is replaced with a specially designed basket. Players complete a hole by throwing a disc from a tee pad or area toward a target, known as a basket, throwing again from where the previous throw landed, until the basket is reached. Usually, the number of throws a player uses to reach each basket is tallied, and players seek to complete each hole in the lowest number of total throws. The game was first introduced in early 1990, today it’s present in over 490 countries and has its international association, Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) Game can be played even by oneself but makes more fun as a group play. Player can play each for him/her-self or group can be divided in doubles (or more if bigger group, but no more than 4). Disc golf course played can be with more or less “holes” and thus duration of activity can be shorter or longer. Players throw the disk towards the “holes” in court order. The goal is to finish the court with lower number of throws. Trainer activity: present the technique of throwing, control order of throwing control counting of throws Participants avtivity: keep order of throwing count the number of throws. 8.Mindfulness exercises that can be used to prevent burnouts Conclusion: Being physically active playing a game or competing also increases motivation for being active. Activities in nature provide extra quality of physical activity also providing more psychological satisfaction to participants. Effect of being in nature increase the effect of activity itself. Recommended link: https://wfdf.sport/2021/08/professional-disc-golf-association-pdga-approved-as-associate-member-of-wfdf/ RESTLESS TOWER Recommended group size/type: 4-12 persons Recommended time: 1 hour Exercises Objectives:teamwork, balance, self-confidence, endurance, concentration We provide security for a “climber” reassuring safety. Climber starts piling up the boxes and stepping on the top of the pile. The goal is to pile us many boxes as possible and staying on the top. The game is over if pile fals or if climber doesn’t want to go higher. Trainer activity: supervision of activites safety control Participants activity: responsabilty teamwork team suport. Conclusion: Activity strengthens team bonds, mutual responsibility. On personal level it improves self-esteem, self-confidence, team trust. 8.Mindfulness exercises that can be used to prevent burnouts HIGH SWING Recommended group size/type: 4-12 perosns Recommended time: 1-2 hours ExercisesObjectives: teamwork, self-confidence, self-esteem We provide security for a “climber” reassuring safety. Participants is attached to a rope and lifted by team members to a height that still makes him feel comfortable. When lifted participant can detach from lifting rope by himself thus deciding when to swing (or not). Trainer activity: ·supervision of activites ·safety control Participants: ·responsabilty ·teamwork ·team suport Conclusion/summing up: Activity strengthens team bonds, mutual responsibility. On personal level it improves self-esteem, self-confidence, team trust. S ERNTR PAT ECJO PR