By Jamie Broadley & Paul Dockerty
We tend to live our lives in fast forward or rewind, imagining future events or stewing on previous ones, which can lead to symptoms of anxiety and depression, as well as sapping our creative capacity and preventing us from being the people we want to be.
It is possible to enjoy our work despite all the busyness and haste. Through simple daily practices we can create a sense of balance, ease and energy. The key is to encourage more mindfulness into our work days. In this article we’ll cover some basic techniques that you can use right away to focus yourself in the present moment and start experiencing the myriad of benefits of mindfulness.
Breathe Mindfully
The breath can keep your awareness tuned into the moment. Think of the breath as a mindfulness tool you have on hand at all times.
Tune into your breath when moving from one to task to another, simply stopping for a moment to concentrate on the breath allowing it to flow effortlessly, in its own comfortable rhythm.
Feel your lungs expand and contract, your belly rising and falling, and the sensations of your breath as it passes in through the nostrils.
Allow yourself a few moments each day where you just stop and pay attention to your breath. This could be waiting for your computer to load up in the morning, standing in a queue at the shops or waiting for dinner to cook.
Chunking
More and more research is proving that multi-tasking at work is ineffective and can lead to us making 2-4 times more mistakes than doing things one at a time.
Chunking allows us to focus on one task at a time, therefore improving productivity and precision and, even more importantly, it means we can focus our attention in the present moment. A study out of Harvard shows that our minds are lost in thought 47% of the time and that this is a direct cause of unhappiness.
Try to plan your day so that you can focus on specific tasks at specific times. Don’t get tempted by trying to multitask.
Mini Breaks
Take time out, at regular intervals during the day, for mini breaks. Set an alarm or timer to go off periodically alerting you to draw your attention back to your mind and body. We recommend the Marinara Timer – a great web programme that allows you to set work intervals, structuring your day to optimise energy and performance. Set it to go off every 30 minutes during the day and when it pops up on your screen stop whatever you’re doing and try a simple mindfulness exercise like the one below:
Step 1. Allow yourself to get comfy in your seat, relax the shoulders and place for feet on flat to the ground…
Step 2. Take a deep breathes in through your nose and out through your mouth…
Step 3. Gently close your eyes and start to take awareness of your body and/or your emotions and notice how it feels…
Step 4. Aim to feel what is there without judging good or bad with an attitude of inquisitiveness and kindness…
Step 5. Open your awareness to take in the whole present moment — the sounds in the office, how you’re feeling both physically and emotionally and then accept them for what they are…
This process can be done in no time at all and within 30 seconds you will have reenergised and refocused your mind, which in turn will help manage your workload more efficiently.
Practice makes perfect
Mindfulness is a skill, and like all skills, takes practice. The good news is that just 5-10 minutes a day will quickly give you tangible benefits for your health, happiness and performance. Try to identify specific moments in the day to practice, maybe first thing in the morning when you wake to prepare yourself for the day, at lunchtime or coffee breaks to calm a busy mind, or even as part of your nighttime routine to help prepare you for a deep sleep. Experiment and enjoy the process.
If you would like support on your mindfulness at work journey, then we recommend Headspace as a great place to start, it gives you 10 free, 10 minute, guided meditations to get you started. If you want to get a bit more of the context for why mindfulness is important to check out this TED Talk called ‘All it takes is 10 Mindful Minutes’ – by Andy Puddicombe, the Headspace founder, where he asks the question –
‘When did you last take time to do nothing?’
So, in summary, no matter who you are or what you do there is always scope to be more mindful. This simple practice that can be seamlessly incorporated into your day will give you more than you may think. Start experimenting today and explore the benefits of presence for yourself.
# mindfulness at work