Mindfulness at work

Mindfulness at work

What are the benefits of mindfulness at work and how can we train ourselves to be more mindful in the workplace?

Do the preparation task first. Then read the article and do the exercises.

Preparation

Have you ever missed important information in a meeting because you were thinking about something else? Or eaten your lunch at your desk without even noticing what it tasted like? 

If this sounds familiar, you're not alone. Research has shown that 47 per cent of the time, people are thinking about something other than what they're doing. People's minds wander, whether they are trying to read important emails, speaking to clients, updating the sales figures, or talking to colleagues. Interestingly, it was also found that people were less happy when their minds were wandering than when they were not. Being mindful and paying attention to the present can not only improve our focus, but it can also help us reduce stress, improve relationships and allow us to feel more connected with the present moment.

But what exactly is mindfulness?

According to Psychology Today, mindfulness is a state of active, open attention to the present. When one is mindful, one observes one's feelings and thoughts from a distance without judging them as good or bad. Being mindful means living in the moment and actually experiencing what life has to offer. There are different ways that we can train our minds to do this. One easy and effective way is through meditation and mindfulness exercises.

So, how can we learn to be more mindful at work? 

1. Make time for short mindfulness exercises.

You might not have time to sit down to do long mindfulness meditations every day, but you can take a moment to focus on your breathing and become conscious of your senses. In A Monk's Guide to Happiness, Gelong Thubten recommends practising micro moments of mindfulness. One way to do this is by sitting with a good posture and becoming aware of the sounds you can hear. Through exercises such as this one, you can learn to focus your attention and train yourself to become more mindful. 

2. Be aware of what you're doing.

Mindfulness is about being present and consciously experiencing every moment. 

When you're talking to your colleagues, pay attention to their body language, their intonation and what they're really saying. When you're sitting at your desk, be aware of the sensation of contact between your body and the chair. If you find your mind wandering from what you're doing, notice those thoughts and bring your attention back to the present. 

3. Make a list of things you are grateful for.

In our busy day-to-day lives, it's easy to only focus on things that have gone wrong and be negative about the people and the things around us. By making a list of things we're thankful for, we can have a more balanced view of our reality.  Being mindful of the things that are going well can also help improve our motivation, creativity and productivity.

4. Avoid multitasking.

Do you sometimes try to reply to emails while attending a meeting? Or look through your work chats while having your lunch? Doing multiple things at a time might make you feel more productive, but it often means you are not concentrating fully on any of the things you are trying to do. This makes you inefficient, more likely to make mistakes and worse at ignoring things that are not important. It can also make you unhappier as you lose connection with the present moment. So the next time you find yourself shifting your attention between multiple things, allow yourself a moment to decide what you really need to focus on and try to give that your full attention.

The more we practise doing these four things regularly, the more we can train ourselves to be more mindful at work and the more we see its benefits. So, bring your mind back from whatever you're thinking about and turn your attention to the here and now.

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Discussion

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Submitted by gosia_czech on Mon, 19/06/2023 - 08:14

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I'm very interested in mindfulness cause I believe that if we pay attention to the small things in life it becomes much richer and more special. In today's society, a lot of people tend to be on so-called "auto-pilot" - not paying attention to what is going on around them, the food they eat or the conversations they have. We sometimes forget to appreciate how amazing our lives are and to be grateful for the people that surround us. That's where practising gratitude comes in handy.
I've been practising mindfulness daily by journaling down things that I'm grateful for this day, practising meditation, paying attention to my senses while I go on my walks, eating mindfully by paying attention to what I eat and so on. It made me appreciate life more and it made my life more enjoyable.

Submitted by Jazmin11 on Fri, 15/07/2022 - 18:15

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Actually, I have always thought that being multitasking is better in all aspects, but lately I´ve realized that it´s the oppisite, we need to be focus in what we are doing at that moment. What helps me get better concentraded is to breath, to stretch and to repeat to myself, everything is going to be fine, so relax yourself and let´s do it one more time. And avoid distractors like cellphones, people, etc..

Submitted by I am on Mon, 18/01/2021 - 17:24

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I'm focusing on one task and after successful completed of this task I've take some short brakes.

Submitted by alauddinm on Wed, 25/11/2020 - 15:50

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By living more at the present moment and avoiding multitasking, we can become more mindfulness at work. When I am in meeting email and notifications from colleagues, distract me a lot, and I tend to switch one task to another. End of the day, I found lots of jobs started but seldom, I able to finish those on time. I will follow the four advice from the author to improve my mindfulness at work.

Submitted by Nief Osman on Thu, 25/06/2020 - 16:29

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This are useful tools for me, I am multitasker, Really I usually feeling unhappier and I am out of control due I can’t concentrating on one task. I can add one of valuable tool, I recommend to use tasks schedule application that help all the productive people to be more concentrating on the task with high efficient .

Submitted by senes19 on Mon, 15/06/2020 - 11:49

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There are many different ways to make more attraction what you are doing according to your situation. For example, while i am joining any important meeting, I may close my phone, or only urgencies. While i am reading a letter from a important anyone, I may read a loudly. I think it is the best way to pay more attention is to explain what you should do to your any friend.