“In this moment, there is plenty of time. In this moment, you are precisely as you should be. In this moment, there is infinite possibility.” ~Victoria Moran
Mindfulness—the practice of being aware of where you are, what you’re doing, and why you’re doing it—has become trendy lately. Talk show hosts are discussing it, newspapers are putting it in headlines, gurus are popping up on YouTube. But mindfulness is more than just a fad, and it turns out the workplace can really benefit from it.
A
growing number of companies are acknowledging the power of mindfulness and
bringing the practice to the office with meditation sessions, mindful lunches, and more. In fact,
a recent survey of over
100 companies found that 22% of employers currently have a mindfulness program
at their organization, and 21% are thinking about introducing one in 2017.
Because
of meetings, deadlines, presentations, and more, it’s only natural to feel the
inevitable stress that comes with your job. But mindfulness can act as a tool
to help you manage that stress and take on your day with ease and confidence.
Several recent studies have indicated that there could be health benefits to
mindfulness, including lowering stress levels (by decreasing levels of the stress hormone cortisol) and helping you focus (by
helping the brain have better control over processing emotions). And
participants in “Search Inside Yourself,” the
popular mindfulness course offered to Google employees, report being calmer,
more patient, and better able to handle stress.
image source:www.livemindfully.co.uk
Ready
to make room in your workday for a mindfulness practice? Even if your company
doesn’t offer an official program, you can still reap the benefits. Here’s how:
image source:goodnet.org
Just
breathe. Simply breathe in and out. If your mind starts to wander,
notice what you are thinking about and work on bringing your attention back to
your breath. No need to resist your mind’s natural tendency to wander, but with
practice, you can train yourself to return to the present and focus on your
breath.
image source:imgur.com
Do
nothing. Sounds simple right? It’s actually harder than you think.
Try to spend 5 minutes a day doing nothing—literally, nothing. Just sit in
silence, become aware of your thoughts and most importantly, step away from any
distractions—your laptop, phone, iPad—and just be.
Eat mindfully. Instead of racing
through your meal, slow down and simply enjoy the food in front of you. Observe
the smells and tastes that you are taking in, bite by bite, and think about how
your food is making you feel. Step away from your desk, put away any distractions,
and focus on each delicious bite. You’ll end up appreciating and enjoying your
food more.
image source:eatingmindfully.com
Take
things one at a time. When you’re overwhelmed with a long to-do list, you might
find yourself half-doing everything at once. You’re drafting an email, while
reading an unrelated message, while trying to read the New York Times. Slow
down! Instead of juggling several items at once, try to focus on completing
each task one at a time. You’ll end up feeling more productive and
focused on your work. And before starting a new task, consider taking a
break—do some stretches or get some steps in.
Avoid Negativity around you. Our surroundings affect us in various ways; there may
be negative people around us who can affect our aura and unknowingly we tend to
be affected by the negativity. So please avoid chatting negative stories for
long time and don't speak with negative people for long, just move on.
Keep focus on your surroundings: Sometime our surrounding may contain some negativity
which emits some negative vibration which in turn affects our mind. Make sure
your surrounding is clean and hygienic and remove the things which you are not
using for long time or things which are broken (empty pen, broken pencil...etc) which may emit negative vibrations around you.
This
article is not intended to substitute for informed medical advice. You should
not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or condition.
Always check with your doctor before changing your diet, altering your sleep
habits, taking supplements, or starting a new fitness routine.