This is actually my first blog post, EVER, so please forgive me if I am a little unsure of where I am supposed to be going…You see, Lindsay has been asking me to share my perspective on working and motherhood from my human resources point-of-view so here is my first take on it…
A big part of my job here at Graco is to organize employee events and to look for opportunities to make working at Graco a little more fun…with a little more work-life balance sprinkled in wherever I can manage. As a busy mom myself (I have a 22-month old and am expecting my second in February), I rarely carve out “me” time for exercising, meditating, or just being in my own “zone” for a little while. That’s why when one of our engineers asked me if we could start a weekly yoga group I wanted to see how we could make that request happen. Of course, I knew going into it that I personally wouldn’t be participating in my state; but I could certainly provide some “body, mind, and spirit” rejuvenation to anyone who might be interested. Amazingly enough, 35 people signed up to participate. (Incidentally, when I am in the office, I sit in on the sessions just for the dim lights and reflecting music which I find to be an excellent mood-booster.)
We found a great site where you can stream video yoga practice sessions or download them to your MP3 player or computer for later use. We even found an online meditation site with background music that is just perfect for finding that personal quiet place. So far, so good…in fact, we quickly moved from one day a week (during lunch) to two days a week.
I think it is imperative for organizations to listen to people who have great ideas for managing that narrow space between their work and their personal lives. Truly, they know this space best…listening helped me find a wonderful, NO COST option for bringing 90 minutes of stretching, relaxation, and mediation to people who may or may not have found a way to get it done outside of the workplace each week.
Hey, your first post went well!
The yoga groups sounds like a great idea and a great stress reliever.
That’s awesome that Graco is supporting this! I know it would’ve helped me in a couple of places where I used to work.
What a wonderful idea! I love workplaces that are proactive about listening to their employees and about helping them achieve optimal physical health.
P.S. I also have a 2-year-old and I’m expecting baby #2 in March. How are you feeling these days? Congrats on your pregnancy!
Thanks for the comments. You are all very encouraging.
Stephanie-regarding baby #2…Let’s just say much more tired than when I was pregnant with Lovey-gone are the days of crashing on the couch when I get home from work!!