What Do the Yamas and Niyamas Have to Do with Your Work Stress? (Ps. It’s Everything)

Does work make you feel like you’re constantly running on empty? Trying to juggle deadlines, expectations, emails and colleagues, only to collapse into your sofa at the end of the day wondering where your energy went?

This is something I hear all the time in the ESY community! So many women tell me they want to make time for Yoga, but work stress has taken over their lives. They feel disconnected, frazzled, and frustrated and even getting on the mat feels like another task on the to-do list.

But the thing a lot of us forget is that, Yoga isn’t just about the poses we do on the mat.

In fact, the part of Yoga that can help you feel more peaceful, more spacious and more grounded doesn’t require leggings, a mat, or even 60 minutes of free time.

It starts with the Yamas and Niyamas, these are the first two limbs of Yoga philosophy and if you’re feeling overwhelmed by work, or stuck in a cycle of stress, then these ancient teachings might just offer the reset you’ve been searching for.

First things first, what are the Yamas and Niyamas?

Think of the Yamas and Niyamas as your internal Yoga. They are a kind of mindful manual for how to live a life with more ease, compassion, and clarity.

They’re the foundations of Yoga, guiding how we treat ourselves (and others) off the mat. So even if you haven’t unrolled your mat in weeks, the good news is, is that you’re still doing yoga when you live with awareness.

Here’s how it breaks down:

• The Yamas = how you relate to the world

• The Niyamas = how you relate to yourself

There are 5 of each and you don’t have to remember all 10 right now. You just need to know that every single one offers a powerful antidote to the way work stress shows up in your life.

“But how can ancient Yoga philosophy help my modern-day work stress?”

Let’s look at a few ways the Yamas and Niyamas can help you feel calmer, clearer, and less stressed, even in the middle of career confusion, burnout, or overwhelm.

Yama #1: Ahimsa (translation: Non-violence) AKA stop being so hard on yourself

How it helps:
You know that harsh inner voice that tells you you’re behind, not good enough, or failing at life because you didn’t get through your to-do list?

Ahimsa invites you to treat yourself with more kindness, to stop the self-judgement and start softening the pressure.

It’s not about everything being sunshine and rainbows. It’s about compassion for everything, everywhere and it starts with ourselves.

Ask yourself: If I spoke to my best friend the way I speak to myself about work, would she still be friends with me? (I’m guessing the answer here would be, definitely not!)

Tiny shift to try today:
Notice when you speak unkindly to yourself about your productivity or career. Pause. Replace it with a gentle truth. (For example instead of saying “I’m never going to get through all my work today” try, “I’m doing my best with the energy I have today.”)

Niyama #2: Santosha (translation: Contentment) AKA stop waiting until everything’s perfect

How it helps:
Santosha invites you to find a sense of peace and sufficiency right now, in the present moment. Not when you get the promotion, not when the inbox is empty, not when you finally figure out your dream job.

This doesn’t mean settling, far from it, it means learning to breathe in the present moment, even when things feel uncertain or messy. This is where what you practice on the mat, easily translates to what happens off the mat. Think about a time when you managed to breathe through a difficult Yoga pose, now next time you’re struggling at work, practice this again!

The more we chase contentment externally, the further away it gets. Santosha reminds us that contentment is an inside job.

Tiny shift to try today:
List 3 things you're grateful for in your work as it is right now, even if you’re planning a change.

Niyama #1: Saucha (translation: Cleanliness) AKA energetic spring cleaning

How it helps:
Saucha encourages clarity and simplicity, mentally, physically, emotionally.

In a stressful job, your brain feels cluttered with noise and decision fatigue. Saucha invites you to declutter your time and energy, so you can actually hear yourself think.

Tiny shift to try today:
Tidy up your desktop. Delete an app that drains you or simply take 3 slow, deep breaths before switching tasks. That’s Saucha too.

Yama #2: Satya (translation:Truthfulness) AKA what do you actually want?

How it helps:
Work stress often comes from living out of alignment with what we truly want, such as staying in roles or routines that don’t feel like us anymore.

Satya is the practice of honest self-reflection. Not people-pleasing or doing what you think you “should" be doing. It’s about tuning in and asking “Is this work, or way of working, still true for me?”

Tiny shift to try today:
Journal for 5 minutes on this prompt: What am I no longer available for in my work or career?

Niyama #5: Ishvarapranidhana (translation: Surrender) AKA trust the process

How it helps:
If you’re a perfectionist, a planner, or someone who needs certainty, this one’s big.

Ishvarapranidhana invites you to release control, soften your grip on how things "should" go and trust that you’re allowed to pivot, even if you don’t have the full plan yet.

Because chasing certainty often creates more stress. But allowing space for change can bring relief.

Tiny shift to try today:
Instead of asking, What should I do next? try asking, What do I feel drawn towards today?

So, how can you start living your Yoga, even when work is chaos?

You don’t need more time to de-stress, it’s more intention you need.

The Yamas and Niyamas offer bite-sized mindset shifts that meet you right in the middle of your inbox, your deadlines, or your commute.

You can do them in your slippers, whilst you’re sipping your coffee. You can do them in a single breath.

When you’re ready to get back on your mat, they’ll be waiting for you, but for now, just know that you’re already doing Yoga when you start living with awareness.

Want to take this further?

If this blog spoke to you, keep your eyes peeled over the coming weeks for my brand new FREE online challenge, that’s taking place in September!

I won’t give too much away at this stage, but if work is a major stress in your life, you’re going to want to be involved!