In our everyday lives, most of us have a full mind, so many distractions as our energies and time are pulled in different directions, from work schedules, family obligations, taking in the daily news, conversations etc. All of this creates ‘noise’ around us, it’s difficult to think clearly and make plans when there is so much to think about. We all need to just stop for a moment and take stock, but it is so difficult to allow ourselves time to do that. One way of doing so and to reap the benefits is to practice being mindful. What are the benefits of Mindfulness? It allows us to notice and be aware of what is going on around us now, in the present, and to make decisions on where our focus needs to be. Multi-tasking is not being mindful, it’s inefficient, and often when we are trying to do too many things at once, our mind is not clear and we end up doing less than if we concentrated on one thing at a time. We are less productive leading to feelings of anxiety and stress because we have not achieved what we want to do or what we perceive is expected of us. Ways to practice mindfulness at work.
- Plan ahead. Think about the tasks you need to fulfil the following day or for the week ahead. I think most of us have come across a system which is often called the ‘Eisenhower Grid’, a 4 square grid which allows you to compartmentalise tasks of urgency and importance so that you can prioritise accordingly. This is a form of mindfulness as you are allowing yourself permission to concentrate on specific tasks rather than an overwhelming feeling of having to get everything done at once.
- Turn off email alerts. Allocate a time of day and for a certain period in which you check and respond to your emails. Create your own alert where the person sending you an email will receive an automatic response to say that you will be responding to emails at a certain time of day due to your busy workload.
- Time blocking. If you need to concentrate on a particular task and you do not want to be interrupted, make sure it is blocked out in your diary and let your colleagues know not to disturb you during that time.
There are also simple ways to practice mindfulness whether you are at work or at home.
- Focus on your breathing. It’s surprising how restful and peaceful you feel when you do this, so if you are feeling anxious or stressed, take a moment to concentrate on your breathing to help calm your mind.
- Sit quietly (or stand, it doesn’t matter where you are) and if you feel your mind is wandering, just acknowledge that is what it is doing and try to bring yourself back to the present moment. It’s not easy to start with, but you will get better with practice.
- Have time for other people and give them your undivided attention to properly listen to what they have to say. Nothing worse than trying to have a conversation with someone when you know they are distracted by their phone or something else going on around them. Don’t be that person!
Make mindfulness a daily habit whether at work or at home and feel the difference! Image provided by hands on at work, pixabay