Work Rituals for a Stress-Free Day

I haven’t always been a beauty and wellness writer. In fact, less than a decade ago, I was sharply dressed in crisp Theory suits and hustling through the subway stations in stilettos. Wall Street was my home for 7 years before I made a leap of faith and moved to Los Angeles to found my own beauty company, Ajai Alchemy, and offer Thyroid Yoga training sessions and retreats. Where I currently live in Nosara, Costa Rica, cubicle walls are a very distant memory. In fact, in my new house, where I currently sit writing articles and designing websites for wellness entrepreneurs, I am surrounded by fresh air and jungle greens on all sides as the breeze caresses my sun-kissed face.

Many of us think that we don’t have time in our day to focus on our well-being, which is why small daily actions can be the best place to start.

When it comes to work life, many of us are interested in balance. Tools for stress are becoming very relevant and the truth is, how we take care of ourselves has an impact on how we live our personal and professional lives. Many of us think that we don’t have time in our day to focus on our well-being, which is why small daily actions can be the best place to start. There are tools and techniques that you can fit into your day that will help you feel good long term.

When my friend Tanya Windman, founder of Communitas, lived in New York City working for advertising agencies on beauty and fashion accounts, balance and harmony were not in her vocabulary. It wasn’t until she had run herself ragged that she realized something needed to shift in a major way. It was a very similar story for me – I fainted in the crowded subway, almost trampled by commuters, and somehow made it outside a Duane Reade where a kind soul called an ambulance for me. Hitting rock bottom was the catalyst for both Tanya and me to wake up.

Our adrenals were fatigued. Tanya recalls that she had been experiencing major anxiety for a few years. Yoga was the first tool to help us both manage stress and take a step towards well being. We needed a plan to transform our reactive, tired energy to a calm and creative one. This goal led us both into the health and wellness community, where developing present moment awareness and connection to community became lifelong tools.

It’s all about cultivating an individual set of tools that are simple and available at all times. Once you begin to prioritize your own wellness, beauty radiates from within. Your complexion is better, and you develop an deep inner smile feel more confident in your own skin.

With increased self-awareness, you’re more equipped to manage others, navigate workplace challenges, combat occupational stress and make decisions based on a willingness to be more curious and receptive to the new and unexpected.

This is what led Tanya to begin offering holistic wellness programs to employees of small and large corporations. Short 3 minute stretches, breathing and mindfulness meditations, simple healthy eating habits, and easy beauty and fashion practices will keep you looking and feeling your best throughout your workday and into your personal life.

Tanya has been developing a unique mindfulness@work program,  which is focused around defining your purpose at work and to learning to communicate with your self, your thoughts, feelings and behavior as a way to strengthen focus, clarity and creativity on the job. With increased self-awareness, you’re more equipped to manage others, navigate workplace challenges, combat occupational stress and make decisions based on a willingness to be more curious and receptive to the new and unexpected.

Here are a few techniques from the beauty, herself: