Mindfulness involves maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of feelings, thoughts, bodily sensations, and the surrounding environment. In a place where stress and pressure are daily occurrences, being able to shift to a mindfulness state is essential.
The question now is, are workplace wellbeing initiatives like mindfulness easy to practise at work? The answer is yes, and these 10 mindfulness training tips will help you do that.
1. Do Short and Simple Mindfulness Exercises at Work
Mindfulness exercises help your brain maintain a mindful state. However, most mindfulness exercises usually require a quiet place or a big empty room that is difficult to find in an office setting. But, there are actually short and simple exercises that you can do, such as:
Sitting Meditation: As its name suggests, you simply have to find a comfortable chair and sit, then slowly focus your attention to every part of your body and be aware of the emotions and sensations that are going on in every part.
Breathing Exercise: This mindfulness exercise will help remove your negative thoughts. Simply close your eyes and start breathing steadily. Focus on the sound of your breathing. Doing this for a minute can help you regain your composure at work.
2. Set a Schedule
You’ll only experience the benefits of mindfulness training if you consistently do it. This is why it’s highly recommended that you set a schedule. Ideally, you should schedule doing mindfulness exercises when you are not busy at work, like in the mornings or during lunchtime.
3. Focus on One Task
Nowadays, many people spread themselves thin by taking on multiple tasks all at once. Instead of increasing productivity, multitasking can result in more chances of mistakes. This is why one way of practicing mindfulness at work is by striving to be a single-tasker. Focus on one thing at a time and make sure to do it well.
4. Use a Mindfulness App
Thanks to modern-day evolution, plenty of apps are available that will help you practice mindfulness anytime, anywhere.
Download these apps and use them to remind you when to do a mindfulness exercise. Some apps will also guide you through the steps of mindfulness exercises which makes them even more convenient.
In addition, there are mindfulness apps that you can use for free, so you should take advantage of them.
5. Develop a Growth Mindset
A growth mindset will help you thrive despite adversities. It will teach you to see failure as something that will help you grow to become a better version of yourself.
There are days when you feel like everything around you is a problem and set back in your office. But, by practicing a growth mindset, you can turn those negative thoughts, stress, and pressure into fuel to overcome problems.
6. Take a Break
It can be very tempting to use your break time to catch up with the work that you are falling behind. However, doing that would actually be counterproductive because you are pushing yourself to the limits. Instead, take your break to eat, drink, or even nap. Doing this will help you be more mindful of your what you are doing, your surroundings, and emotions and will improve your wellbeing at work.
7. Stretch Every Time You Can
Being mindful is not only about having the right state of mind, but it also means having an awareness of your body. Since you sit all day at the office, it’s highly recommended to stretch every time that you can.
You can do basic stretches with your hands, legs, and arms. These can significantly help relieve tension that’s accumulated in your body from sitting down all day and facing the computer.
8. List Your Accomplishment
Have you ever felt so tired by the end of the day, thinking if you have done something worth celebrating? If yes, then you know that not being able to recall your accomplishments for the day can be a bummer, so you should list them down.
Listing your accomplishments will remind you that you actually did a good job for the day. This will help mitigate your negative thoughts and boost your motivation. At the same time, it will help you become aware of what needs to be done the following day.
9. Be Present
Sometimes, work can be so mundane that you find yourself on autopilot, which is the complete opposite of being mindful. You have to learn how to be present and stop yourself from daydreaming in times like this.
There are several ways for you to ground yourself and be in the moment. However, the best way is by asking yourself questions. For example:
What is the next task that you have to do?
Who is around you, and what’s going on?
Where is that noise coming from?
Answering questions recenter you and help you become aware of yourself and your surroundings. At the same time, this can also help you boost your concentration levels, giving you the power to accomplish your tasks for the day.
10. Don’t Be Too Hard On Yourself
Being mindful does not come easy. You might find yourself frustrated because you cannot do the things you set out. When this happens, it’s easy to fall into a rabbit hole of sadness, depression, and lack of motivation. This is why you shouldn’t be too hard on yourself.
Everybody needs to fail to learn. If you find yourself slipping back to old bad habits, try to do better the following day. There’s nothing wrong with taking small steps because you’ll eventually get to wherever you want to be.
Besides, mindfulness is also being aware of your body and mind’s current state. If you are not at your best, it’s okay to take a break and try again.
Final Words
Practising mindfulness at work is more manageable than you think. Simply follow the tips mentioned above, and you are already at a good start.
