How to be “in the zone” when working at your desk

An athlete “in the zone” is super-effective, yet relaxed and pain-free. Can you be in the zone when working at your desk?
Would it be worth a little extra effort to get in the zone?

You may remember I told you in last week's article that you need to get into athletic training to sit well and work effectively for long periods.
Working out in the gym may help but it won't get you there.
Here's how you can, literally, get “in the zone” at work.

Imagine being in an archery contest

You're putting an arrow to the bow-string and then drawing the bow. Imagine the feel of tautness, of sheer power, in that bow.

To send the arrow on its way, would you have to push it?

Not in a million years. At the moment of loosing the arrow, you simply let it slip from between your fingers and away it flies.

You need to be like that archer and his bow

The bow-string is taut, stretched to the limit by the bent bow. The champion archer is just the same: every fibre of his body is stretched, every sinew is taut and almost humming with ready power.

And yet his movements are lazy, graceful: like a tiger on the prowl.

Here's what you need to do to be like that. (Even though this will probably only work if you've had a good few Alexander Technique lessons, try it. There's no harm giving it a go.)

Start off sitting on the front edge of a chair

Make sure your chair has a solid, flat, level seat. A kitchen or dining chair is good. If there's a dip in the chair seat, use a book or a hard cushion to make yourself a flat seat.

Sit up in balance on the chair

Most people think they're sitting in balance when they're really leaning backwards quite a bit. To be in balance, deliberately sit so you feel you're leaning a good way forwards. You won't be exactly in balance but you'll be a lot closer to it.

Notice how, even sitting like that, your heels are not resting on the ground. Allow them to drop down onto the ground. If you can't, then move your feet forward just enough so that it becomes possible. Move your feet so that your heels are either directly under or a little behind your knees.

Now you should be able to drop your heels.

Next, allow your heels to press down into the ground so that all the weight on your feet is going through your heels. Don't force your heels down, just have the strong intention for them to press down — as though you were trying to push the ground out of the way.

Notice the sense of tension or strain in your legs as you continue. This will increase. In fact, it will probably increase until you feel you can't take any more. That's okay, it's what happens when you do what I said: you're just allowing your legs to function in the taut, stretched manner I described earlier. The sense of strain is because you're not used to your muscles being so stretched.

Time for the next step…

Allow yourself to lean forwards very slowly

Don't pull forwards, just let your weight take you.

As you slowly fall forwards, be on the lookout for any tendency to also pull forwards. Also watch for any tendency to push up into standing. Unless you move VERY slowly, you won't notice either of these things. So lean forwards as slowly as you can.

No, really, more slowly than that! Seriously.

If you do notice yourself pulling forwards or pushing up, don't try and stop yourself. Just let it happen and carry on noticing. Whether it happens or not, just observe and let your body decide what to do next.

Keep going until all your weight is on your heels — and none on your bottom.

If that isn't really hard work, you're not doing it right. If it is really hard work and if all your weight is on your heels, you feel stuck. Stuck, like you should stand up but can't.

That's great.

What happens next?

Here are some possible things that might happen:–

1. The strain on your legs is too great and you collapse back into the chair. That's fine if it happens. Just give yourself a lie-down on the floor and come back to it later.
2. You end up jerking yourself into standing. That's your habits taking over. Again, it's fine if you recognise it for what it is. In this case also, give yourself a lie-down on the floor and come back to it later.
3. You find yourself gradually standing up — even though you are not doing anything to make it happen. This can feel somewhat disconcerting — and yet exhilarating at the same time. Typically, it feels a bit like you're in a lift and somebody has pressed the button for the lift to go up.

If number 3 happens, then you've just got your first taste of what it might be like to move like a tiger: powerfully, purposefully and yet lazily. Congratulations.

That's it.

“This is too hard”

“The strain on my knees is just too great”.

Yes, it always is at first, so don't worry. Just do your lying down and come back to it later. If you've done that a few times, you've done enough for today. Come back to it tomorrow.

To conclude:–

There is some really important stuff that I left out. Let's go back and fill it in.

1. Paying close attention to your tendency to pull forwards

It is vital that you pay close attention to your tendency to pull forwards (and also to push with your legs). If you don't pay extremely close attention, you won't notice yourself doing it. If you don't notice it, you won't get very far.

What's happening is that you are noticing a part of your habitual, automatic, unconscious way of moving. Once you begin to notice it, you have the option of letting your body behave differently. Until then, you will remain totally stuck in your old habits.

So keep watching, for however long it takes to catch yourself doing those things.

If you just can't catch yourself, then you could do with some help. Remember what I said earlier: “This will probably only work if you've had a good few Alexander Technique lessons”. Catching yourself doing something you've been doing automatically for years is hard. Very hard.

When you notice, don't stop it happening. Even though we want it not to happen, let it happen. Why?

2. WHY you need to notice and let it happen

You notice in order to let your body choose what to do next.

If you don't notice you have no opportunity to give your body any choice in how it works: it has to do what your habit tells it to do.

If you notice and try to stop it, you are again no longer giving your body any choice. So let it happen. Trust your body with the choice.

What your body then chooses is usually, emphatically, not what YOU would choose. YOUR choice is normally automatic. It is dictated to you by your habits. My ship metaphor article will help you to understand, and picture, the difference

Perseverance is the name of the game

Stick with it and you too will eventually be able to get “in the zone”. You too can become as masterful, as lazily confident in the office as Robin Hood at an archery contest.

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