REFLECTION
Thrive : A Must Do !
By Fawzia Ali-Kimanthi
I consider myself a moderately active person . I go to the gym three to four times a week . I have added boxing to my regime . I walk over the weekends or during holidays when I have more time .
So , when , I got a slipped disk in June this year , I was both surprised and concerned . As I sat in Dr . Otieno ’ s office in Aga Khan , I was worried about the prognosis he would make . Dakari asked me the usual questions to assess my well-being , physical activity , and sleep pattern . He recommended some tests including imaging work .
He then progressed to trace a typical day in my life . And there-in lay the problem . I go to the gym early in the morning or in the evening after work but the balance of the day from 8am to 6 or 7pm , I am at work and in meetings , mostly seated . As they say , sitting is the new smoking !
As I was listening to the doctor tell me what I was doing to my back , I reflected on a Training session organized for all staff in the company where I work on Thrive . The training was based on Ariana Huffington ’ s first book , Your Time to Thrive : End Burnout , Increase Well-being , and Unlock Your Full Potential with the New Science of Micro steps . The training and the book aim at helping people build healthy new habits that improve their lives and end the epidemic of stress and burnout and help individuals and companies unlock their greatest potential .
Science continues to show that we do not have to sacrifice our well-being in order to succeed ; in fact , science affirms that wellbeing is critical to peak performance .
Does this sound familiar ? Are you in the same boat with me ? My hope is that you are doing better in ensuring that you are intentional about making regular movements as you continue with your workday to ensure there is blood circulation , muscles are stretching , you are taking deep breaths and you are thriving !
However , this sounds easier said than done and that is why I love the book and the tips shared in the Thrive training and I would like to share a few on my column here-in .
First let us understand the key areas we need to be intentional about in order to live a balanced life and thrive at work . According to Happitalism . com , which aligns with the book , we all need to align four elements of being into a holistic interrelationship . The four areas are Body , Mind , Soul , and Heart .
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When we thrive , we can lead very meaningful lives both personally and from a career perspective .
The Body
What does our body require to keep sickness at bay and help us cope with the stress of daily lives ? The good doctor will tell us to be intentional with moving our bodies whether it is walking for a few minutes daily or swimming or riding a bicycle or eating a well-balanced diet .
The Mind
What life goals have you set , how do we make judgments , how do we relate to the world around us ? For instance , if you are eating well and exercising regularly , the mind should be calm . However , if you are working in a job that does not give you mental stimulation , you will be restless . Happitalism . com guides that we need to seek the kinds of work that will make us the happiest - and then pursue it at all costs .
The Soul
What values guide our lives . Are there situations where you feel you need to compromise your values to fit in a group or to accept a business deal ?
The Heart
The heart aligns the desires of the body with the beliefs and values of the mind . Through love and compassion for one another , the heart makes it possible for us to look positively at the world and show gratitude .
10 MAL49 / 22 ISSUE