Sharon Richens: How To Improve Your Mood, Productivity And Sleep

Do you know how long you sit each day? Would you believe, that the amount you sit significantly effects your mood, productive, sleep and long-term health? In this episode Dave and Sharon share with you the outcomes of too much sitting and the ways you can include more movement in your day so that you can increase your mood, productivity and sleep.

Here are some of the main points and their time makers:

4.20 - Sharon’s experience volunteering in Tanzania as part of a medical team helping 1800 children.

10.10 - How the use of technology has change our habits around movement and sitting

12.20 - To get the most out of our minds we need to move our body.

13.20 - Sitting for more than a total of 11 hours per day is a critical risk point for developing cancer, diabetes, heart disease and obesity. Unfortunately, it is very easy to get up to a total of 11 hours sitting per day because of time spent travelling to and from work / school, eating, study, watching tv and surfing the internet.

15.17 - Sitting too much during the day significantly reduces sleep quality which then means that we don’t want to move very much the following day. This reduces sleep for that night and then the cycle begins.

16.55 - If we just move a little bit more we sleep a little better, if we sleep a little bit better we deal with stress better. It is all interrelated.

17.30 - Create an exercise routine that works for you, or create incidental movement or exercise during your day.

18.37 - Incidental movement during the day increases your ability to concentrate and focus. Find more moments for lunch, light and air.

19.29 - Instead of grabbing coffee, chocolate or sugar for an afternoon energy boost, get up a move - even just for a couple of minutes.

21.25 - How much movement to have each day? Ideally aim to stand up about 2 or 3 times per hour. Or, take a 5min walking break once every hour. Or, find ways during your day to walk just a little bit further or a little bit more often - such as getting a smaller water bottle so you have to fill it up more often, and walk around when you are talking on the phone.

24.35 - Should you use a standing desk? Standing all day can be really hard for body, so if you use a stand desk, ease into it. Be sure to alternate between standing and sitting at your desk.

28.20 - Being productive while walking and standing, such as talk on the phone while walking around the block, or have a walking or standing meeting.

30.44 - Classroom techniques for allowing the students to stand and move to refresh their minds, energy and focus.

33.06 - Be kind to yourself and start small if you would like to make changes.

33.58 - What does ‘Do Life Better’ mean to Sharon Richens? Being the best version of yourself by understanding the connection between your mental wellbeing and your physical wellbeing. Being kind to yourself by knowing what you need each day to be the best version of yourself for the day.

36.10 - Challenge for this week: Lunch, light and air.

You can contact Sharon Richens at www.happybodyatwork.com.au and [email protected]

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To contact us about retreats, leadership training and workshops, visit www.projecthatch.com.au or email us at [email protected].

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Now, go out and create a great day.