Welcome back to another Mindshare Monthly round-up, where we share our community’s answers to the question of the month! This month we asked our members to share something in their daily routine that brings them joy, and we were once again blown away by the incredible response.
Welcome back to another Mindshare Monthly round-up, where we share our coworking community’s answers to the question of the month! This month we asked our members to share something in their daily routine that brings them joy; a key element in achieving a healthy work-life balance in our busy lives. Once again we were blown away by the incredible response received! So many were kind and vulnerable enough to share what makes them happy. We want to thank you for helping us start a conversation about the importance of making time for ourselves.
As our Community Lead Melina, who you might recognize from our Yonge & Sheppard location, so perfectly summarized:
“Having a daily routine offers a sense of security and stability in an otherwise unpredictable and sometimes chaotic day. When trying to reduce the feeling of being overwhelmed and anxious thoughts, it can be small incorporations in your daily life like exercise, meditation or hobbies. In finding the time for these routines we prioritize our well-being and nourish our passion.”
We couldn’t have said it better! One of our favourite suggestions was one that we at Workhaus have the joy of experiencing every day: chit-chat! Opportunities to connect with other members of your community are a core benefit of coworking spaces like ours. Some mentioned talking with friends, others mentioned family, and a few mentioned the conversations they have with their on-site Community Lead (we loved this and we’ll have another article about it soon!).
Another one of our favourites, and a common response, was adding a daily ritual or practice into your routine. More than 1⁄3 of our members mentioned that they have a daily ritual. The responses we collected all shared many practices that bring inner harmony and contentment.
“There’s a feeling of inner harmony and contentment. It’s always been important for me to find balance and inner peace when it comes to my daily routine. For me I always need to incorporate 30 minutes of meditation, journaling and breathwork into my daily routine. It brings me joy to have something for myself that helps me in my personal growth and journey in life.”
– Melina, Community Lead at Workhaus, 2 Sheppard Ave
Meditation, breathwork, and yoga were all popular answers among our members, and it’s no wonder why! All of these activities involve drawing your focus inward to your body and your breathing, which has been shown to have calming effects. These positive effects are part of why a healthy work-life balance is so important, and why Workhaus offers quiet rooms that can be used for meditation, breathwork, or just a moment of quiet time. These spaces allow our coworking members to reconnect with their inner peace and refocus during their workday.
In addition to offering the positive impacts of its breathwork element, Yoga has existed as a practice used by millions of people over thousands of years. While longevity is far from the only measure of worth, we certainly think that that counts for something! In recent years a growing body of research continues to back up the many benefits of yoga, including reduced stress, pain management, and more.
“The teaching was calming and did not feel pressured, no matter which level each of us were in. We simply followed our body’s comfort level and enjoyed both physically and mentally therapeutic moments. Afterwards, my body felt much lighter as I could release lots of muscle tension from desk work!”
Erina, Community Lead at Workhaus, 181 University Ave, after attending one of Workhaus’ and the Adelaide Club’s recent string of member yoga nights.
On the flipside, some of us have tried yoga and found it’s not for us, which is totally valid! Different things work for different people. This brings us to one of the most unique suggestions we received: Screaming.
Yes, that’s right. Now, we don’t mean screaming at other people– that’s not fun for anyone involved– but sometimes it feels good to make some noise, and hey, we get it! Everybody gets mad, sad, or overwhelmed sometimes (we’re only human after all). Bottling up our emotions isn’t healthy. You’re allowed to feel like screaming, even though in most social situations you probably shouldn’t do it. When things get hard, you should try talking to someone you trust. Look to a friend, family member, therapist or other mental health professional. When talking doesn’t hit the spot though, there are options to vent your frustrations in a safe and supervised environment. For example, have you ever heard of a rage room? It might just be worth a try!
Finding activities you enjoy outside of work is essential for maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Shopping, dancing and singing, playing video games like FIFA, and watching movies, documentaries, k-dramas or anime were all mentioned. Music was also a popular response, and we loved the sound of this suggestion! There are so many different types of music and every listener has their own preference. Just look at our team for example. We asked some of our team members what music brings them joy and their answers fell all across the spectrum. There was Bollywood, classical, oldies, German pop, and LoFi And more specific answers like Youtube’s Alex Rainbird or the new Taylor Swift album, and even ASMR.
Taking care of our bodies and brains is another important component in achieving joy and work-life balance. Many acknowledged this by sharing things that they do to take care of themselves: warm showers, afternoon naps, soaking in the sunlight, and exercise. Some of the favourite forms of exercise were bike riding & running.
Finally, there were favourite snacks mentioned that bring joy. From the Kashi snacks we’ve shared at the desk, to treats like popcorn and cake; the answers left our mouths watering! Let’s not forget the drinks too, with bubble tea being a common favourite. Others mentioned enjoying a glass of wine with dinner, and of course there was the timeless classic, water. Whether it’s sparkling, mineral, flavoured, or just plain old ordinary water, hydration is always important for your health, and even your mental wellbeing. So don’t forget to refill your water bottle next time you pass through the kitchen!
That’s it for our latest Mindshare Monthly. Rest assured there will be more questions and answers to come! Finding joy in your routine is a crucial part of overall well-being, which ultimately contributes to a successful and fulfilling work life. To see all of the answers that our community shared, keep an eye on the community boards at each location. To respond to our latest question just swing by the front desk.
Once again, we’d like to thank everybody for their contributions. We’ve enjoyed connecting with you and learning what brings joy into your routines. Our members are always bringing joy into our days, which helps us in our mission of having everyone happy to go to work every day.
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