Mindfulness at Work

Mindfulness at work

By Katelyn Dawson our Well-being Consultant

You may have heard the word mindfulness thrown about a lot.

It’s associated with numerous health benefits. It can help lower anxiety and depression, lower blood pressure, improve sleep and improve concentration. It’s even believed to lower pain. Sounds pretty good right?

In this modern world, where we are constantly stimulated and rushed off our feet, how do we practice mindfulness? It would be great if we could all have a long meditation session every day and be totally at peace with ourselves. But unless we’re living at a yoga retreat, I don’t think that’s realistic.

What is realistic though is finding moments to be mindful, scattered throughout our day. First though. We need to understand what mindfulness really is so we can work out how to have mindful moments throughout our day.

Mindfulness is about being present in your own life, instead of being on auto-pilot. Have you ever been doing something, say washing the dishes, and you find your mind so distracted by other thoughts that you finish the dishes without realising it? That is the opposite of mindfulness. That is being stuck inside your head instead of being present in your own life. To be mindful in that situation, you would focus on the feel of the warm water on your hands, the smell of the detergent, how the sponge looks all soaped up on the dishes, the “ting” of the plates being put in the drying rack. Focus on how you are feeling while you do it. That is mindfulness. That is being present, in the moment.

You may not realise it, but your mind needs these mindful moments throughout the day. Your brain is constantly thinking - about the next email you need to write for work, the next client you need to call, what you’re going to have for dinner that night. It’s exhausting! In the same way that you can’t go all day without sleep, you also can’t go all day without giving your mind a rest.

So, how do you fit mindful moments into a busy workday? I have two easy ideas I’d like you to try.

• Mini meditations or “Coffee time”

Take your cup of coffee or tea somewhere quiet. If possible, just shut your office door or sit outside. Set a timer for 2-5 minutes. Now, become aware of all your senses. How does the coffee smell? Is the cup warm against your hands? Is there a beautiful pattern on your cup? Can you hear birds singing outside, the hum of a photocopier? Take a big sip, how does it taste? How does it make you feel?

Really try to immerse yourself in that moment. If thoughts come into your mind, acknowledge them, but don’t give them any time, go back to your moment. It’s very important not to judge yourself if you’re interrupted by a lot of thoughts. Its normal. Keep sweeping them away and coming back into your coffee time. Once your timer goes off you can go back to your day.

• Acceptance

In this scenario, you’re having a busy, possibly stressful day at work. Something has happened that’s worried you.

Be mindful of the situation and how you’re feeling. Remember not to judge yourself or how you’re feeling. Grab a notebook or think aloud. It really helps to get your feelings straight.

State the situation. My client has just given me some negative feedback.

Identify your emotions*. I feel sad, stressed, guilty.

Now, talk to yourself. Ok, my client has given me negative feedback. This makes me feel sad, stressed and guilty. My feelings aren’t good or bad. It’s just the way I am feeling right now. I am not going to criticise myself or the situation. I am going to take a few deep breaths until I feel better. If my mind starts to dwell negatively on the situation, I will sweep it to one side and focus back on my breathing.

This may sound a bit cheesy but it’s very helpful. Being mindful of how we are feeling in times of stress is so important. Accepting our situation, without judging ourselves, can help us to move forward with a clear mind and make better decisions. It can also be the difference between letting something ruin our day or not.

The main thing to remember with mindfulness is that no one is perfect at it. We just have to remember to do it. Start living more mindfully now and you will have a more productive, efficient and most of all happy work life.

Bonus Tips:

*Find moments to breathe deeply.

* Enjoy the little pleasures in your day, don’t rush your coffee down.

*Get outside and into the fresh air.

*Avoid screen time during lunch breaks, go for a walk or sit outside and be in the moment.

*Avoid multitasking.

*Check in with how you’re feeling.

*Find something you are grateful for.

*You can download emotion wheels online to be able to help you identify exactly which emotion you are feeling.