In Disney’s rendition of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, the dwarves whistled while they worked. They had a magical way of bringing lightness and joy to their workday.
We live in stressful times. For many people, work is serious and stressful. What if we made it more fun? What if we added joy and pleasure?
What is Pleasure?
According to the dictionary, pleasure is “a feeling of happy satisfaction and enjoyment.” Imagine bringing happy satisfaction and enjoyment to your work. How much more energized, happy, and healthy would you feel?
There are 3 types of pleasure: everyday pleasure (like enjoying a beautiful sunset or a funny video), sensual pleasure (like enjoying a relaxing massage), and sexual pleasure.
Pleasure Increases Productivity
Our society values productivity over pleasure. However, pleasure leads to improved productivity!
Pleasure is just as important as hard work, because it raises your vibration, boosts your energy, relieves stress, improves your health and happiness, boosts your creativity, and opens your intuition. When your intuition is flowing with creative ideas, you can accomplish more in less time with less effort.
Pleasure also brings you into the present moment and away from your stressful worries about the future or regrets of the past.
Have you ever noticed after going on a pleasurable vacation how much more refreshed and energized you feel the first day back at work? This is called the Pleasure Effect. Building pleasure into your workday allows you to experience the Pleasure Effect every day.
If you are overworked and under-pleasured, you will love these 11 tips to add pleasure and joy to your workday, whether you work from home, in an office, or anywhere else.
11 Pleasure Practices to Add Joy to Your Workday
#1: Self-Care Before “Screen Stare” (Morning Pleasure Practice)
You are a vibrational being. Your vibration matters and impacts how your entire day unfolds. If you want a magical, loving, abundant, joyful day, start your day with a Morning Pleasure Practice. Pleasure helps you tap into those high vibrations.
Practice self-care before “screen stare.” In the morning, before checking your phone or email, make time to set your vibration. Get yourself feeling good and happy through pleasurable activities like movement, dance, meditation, gratitude, a nourishing breakfast, time in nature, lovemaking, and/or sexual self-pleasure (sacred masturbation). Whether this Morning Pleasure Practice takes a few minutes or a few hours, it will make a significant difference in your day.
#2: Savor the Flavors
Pleasure happens through your senses. While you work, drink delicious tea, coffee, or whatever you love to drink. Instead of sipping mindlessly, notice how your beverage tastes. Notice the warmth or coolness. Notice the sensation of the fluid flowing down your throat. Breathe and receive the delicious flavors and pleasure of your beverage.
#3: Cuddle with a Blanket
When you are comfortable and relaxed, you are more open, creative, and intuitive! Get comfortable by cuddling with a soft blanket while you work. If you sit at a desk, place the blanket across your lap. If you can work outside, place the blanket in the grass and sit upon it. Let the blanket transport you like a magic carpet to the land of pleasure.
#4: Massage Magic
Stress lowers your vibration and blocks your intuitive and creative flow. This includes stress and tension in your body. As you work, take a few moments here and there to massage your body. While you’re in a meeting or reading an email, gently massage your arms or thighs. Rub lotion on your hands and massage your hands. You can even reach back and give yourself a mini shoulder massage.
Bonus Points: Schedule a professional massage in the middle of your workday. You will come back to work refreshed, relaxed, grounded, focused, and more productive!
#5: 5-Minute Dance Party!
Getting tired or overwhelmed? Take a 5-minute dance break to move your body and boost your energy. Play your favorite dance song and move to the groove. This is especially helpful if you sit for extended periods of time.
#6: Soul-Satisfying Music
While you work, play music that matches the vibration you want to experience, whether joy, relaxation, or fun (think of instrumental music, drumbeats, relaxing spa music, or dance music). The sound waves will wash over you and shift your vibration.
#7: Self-Pleasure Break (Oooh La La!)
If possible, take a break from your work and enjoy some sexual self-pleasure (sacred masturbation). Sexual pleasure improves your health and happiness. Even 5 minutes of self-pleasure can raise your vibration, clear brain-fog, and boost your energy, creativity, intuition, and outlook.
#8: Essential Oil Splendor
Keep essential oils on your desk and smell them throughout the day. Choose whichever one you are drawn to in the moment and breathe in the scent for 2-10 seconds. Or even better, diffuse essential oils in a diffuser. They can shift your mood, boost your energy, and raise your vibration.
#9: Flower Power Pleasure Practice
Buy fresh flowers and place them on your desk. Throughout the day, take time to look at the flowers, admire them, and smile at them. For added sensory pleasure, smell the flowers and feel the joy of the sweet scent dancing its way into your heart.
Another great Flower Power Pleasure Practice is to gently place your fingers on the flower petals. Notice the soft texture of the flower petals and allow the softness to wash over you like a wave of relaxation. Flowers love helping us experience pleasure and be in the present moment.
Bonus Points: If you work remotely, whenever possible, sit outside in a beautiful nature scene to immerse yourself in the healing pleasure of nature.
#10: Stay Fueled with a Steady Flow of Food
In order to be productive and joyful, your brain and body must be fueled with energy. Eat regular healthy meals and snacks to keep your energy levels steady. If you don’t eat regularly, your blood sugar levels drop. This can negatively affect your mood and ability to focus, think, and function.
Simple self-care for your body allows your spirit to soar.
Bonus Points: If you tend to work while eating lunch, instead stop working and fully focus on enjoying your meal. Savor the flavors and allow yourself to experience the joy and pleasure of your food.
#11: Follow Your Turn-On
Are you working on projects that are boring, tedious, dull, or not fulfilling? Your work is meant to bring you joy and deep fulfillment. Only say yes to projects that LIGHT you up and turn you ON! Politely decline everything else (and if necessary, delegate it to someone else).
This Pleasure Practice helps you stay in alignment with your soul and life purpose. The more you experience pleasure, the more easily you can tune into what turns you on and lights you up.As you can see from the Pleasure Practices above, pleasure happens through your senses, such as aroma, touch, taste, movement, or sound. These 11 Pleasure Practices will make it easy and fun to bring pleasure and joy to your workday, so you can stay balanced, in alignment, happy, healthy, and productive.
Pleasure boosts your spirits in small yet significant ways. A little pleasure goes a long way.
What other ways do you like to add joy and pleasure to your workday?
Action Step:
Choose one of the Pleasure Practices above and practice it today. Notice the difference it makes in your energy level, joy level, and productivity!
Originally posted on SoulSpring.org on 4 May 2021
