5 Ways to Incorporate Mindfulness into the Workplace
Mindfulness, defined as non-judgmental awareness of the present moment, may seem simple in concept but can often feel challenging in practice. However, the benefits of mindfulness are reason enough to try, and even more reason to bring the technique with us to our professional lives. Mindfulness increases calmness and productivity, improves clarity of thought, and helps us better manage stress and anxiety.
Whether you work in an office, remotely, or constantly traveling, here are 5 ways to incorporate mindfulness into your workday:
1. Notice where and when you hold tension in your body.
As we get busy, quickly moving from one task, meeting, and project to the next, many of us physically hold tension in different areas of our body. Common places we hold tension are in the neck, shoulders, jaw, stomach or in between the eyebrows. Notice where you hold tension. Notice how often you hold tension here at any given moment during your day. See if you can physically soften this area of tension before continuing with whatever you are doing.
2. Notice the quality of your breath.
If you find yourself becoming stressed, agitated, or overwhelmed, simply start to notice the quality of your breath. Are you holding your breath? Does your breath feel short or long? Try to deepen your breath focusing on slow and steady inhales and exhales. Over time your breath can become an anchor of focus to bring you deeper into the present moment and into a state of calmness.
3. Observe when you are judging yourself.
Non-judgment can be a very challenging practice but it benefits us in so many ways, including better decision-making and clarity of thought. It allows us to see how things are versus how we wish they were. Notice when you start to say things to yourself like, “I shouldn’t have done that”, or “I should be better at this” or “know better”. See if you can let go of some judgment through compassion for yourself. It doesn’t mean we don’t hold ourselves responsible or try to grow and improve, but it helps us to not dwell on the past, or react based on what we think should be true versus that which is true.
4. Observe when you are judging others.
It can be quite easy to judge others, particularly if we find someone hurtful or irritating. We are all guilty of it. Start to notice if and when you are judging others (without judging yourself for judging!). As with yourself, see if you can let go of some judgment with the help of compassion (even if it’s in your own mind). Open yourself up to the possibility that you may be missing some important information about this person (maybe they’ve lost a loved one, are having health problems, or something else you don’t know that might shed light on their behavior). It does not give people a pass for harmful behavior, but compassion softens our hearts and increases connectivity for better relationships not only with others, but also with ourselves and our feelings towards others.
5. Notice attachment to criticism or praise from others.
Workplaces in particular make us sensitive to criticism and praise from bosses, colleagues, clients, etc. It is only natural to feel incentivized by recognition or reward from others; or even by fear of pushback or ridicule. There is a place for these feelings, however it’s worth noticing what happens when we are less attached to the reactions of others, and more focused on the quality we put into the task at hand. Non-attachment to outcome is another way of bringing ourselves back into the present moment, ultimately improving the quality of our work, purifying our intentions, and easing unnecessary performance pressure and anxiety.
While the benefits of mindfulness are vast and all encompassing, try not to put too much expectation or pressure on the exercises as if you are trying to “fix” or “solve” anything. Focus on one aspect at a time and think of it as “building a muscle”, which like anything else, becomes easier with time and practice. Be kind to yourself in the process and see what you find!
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