Does working under tight deadlines and pressure increase your productivity? We all know that during tax season we are all under pressure. Humans by nature are meant to have high and low stress periods and if you prolong those highs you can actually decrease your productivity. Use easy Yoga moves to reduce stress and anxiety and increase productivity.

Desktop Yoga Anyone?

Here are a few Desktop Yoga moves to help you make it through the day.

• Sit up tall in your chair, or if possible, stand up. Stretch your arms overhead and interlock your fingers, turn the palms to the ceiling. Take a deep breath, and on the exhale, extend your side torso and take the tips of the shoulder blades into the body. Take another deep breath, and on the exhale, stretch to the right, inhale and straighten, and while exhaling, stretch to the left. Straighten.

   

• Inhale, lift your shoulders up to your ears, and then exhale and let them drop. Repeat 3 times. Contract the trapezius muscle fully when you lift your shoulders up, and then on the drop it will release more completely.

   

• Stand (or sit at your desk) with your feet planted firmly on the ground. Inhale and raise the arms out to the side, palms down. Exhale and rotate the palms up, rolling the shoulders back. Inhale. While exhaling, bend the elbows in toward the waist. Inhale. While exhaling, bring the palms to the belly. This exercise helps to open the chest and extend the upper back.

   

• Place your hands behind your back and interlock the fingers, stretching the shoulders back, opening the chest. Take several breaths. Make sure that your head stays in the mid-line and that your eye gaze is on the horizon.

For more Desktop Yoga moves go to:My Daily Yoga.

Create an Ergonomic Workplace

• Monitor(s) should be 20-26 inches from your eyes, and monitor screen(s) should be clean and positioned to minimize glare.

   

• Table should be 25-29 inches high.

   

• Chair should support lower back, thighs should be horizontal to the floor, and feet should be flat on the floor (use a stool if necessary).

   

• Elbows should be parallel with your keyboard.

   

• Forearms should be parallel with the floor.

   

• Wrists should remain straight while you are typing.

   

For more tips, see The Ultimate Guide to Workstation Ergonomics.

See the complete library of Workplace Fitness exercises.