9 Steps to be more mindful and enjoy your work
Mindfulness at work – Series
Balance can help you enjoy your work.
Having a bad day at work happens more often than you think. No matter what job you have, every single one has it pros and cons.
But there is a practice you can implement in your work life (in your whole life, actually). If you practice Mindfulness you will have a better performance when working plus, you will enjoy your job a lot more.
What is Mindfulness?
Many times people asked me how come, after 25 years of working in the same company, I still feel so passionate about what I do everyday. My answer about that is that thanks to mindfulness I have been able to develop a sense of wellness at work that allows me to see it with a different perspective.
This has a greater meaning that covers many aspects and, if you practice it, you will be able to earn an important tool to enjoy your work (and your life) as well as I do.
Mindfulness is a feeling of peace in your mind and body that separates yourself from the noise there is in life besides other negative emotions. Everyday your mind is constantly thinking: according to scientists we have more than 6200 thoughts per day. Mindfulness allows you to focus on your 5 senses and puts your attention on what is happening in the present.
Mindfulness means paying attention to what happens with you and around you in the present moment and it begins with something that is incredible simple: “a pause”.
Mindfulness and wellness
An important aspect of this “wellness sensation” is to be thankful for the opportunity and things you have. In my case I am grateful to have the work I have. These years I learned to be grateful for all that I have achieved; all the people I have met along these years.
the colleagues,
the friends,
the customers,
the business partners and,
the resources I have, to develop my job every day.
In addition, knowing that what we are doing has a positive contribution to the planet, to the practice of coaching and sharing my own experiences to younger talents that are coming up, growing steady like a nice strong tree, is like a fuel that gives me the energy to go on and on.
But let’s be honest… You know that many times, things can be hard and not everything is a walk in the park. It is OK to have a bad day. But even if they had a stressful component, in the end, they are also a great pleasure and give me this sense of wellness, appreciation and daily happiness.
It took me a little while to practice it but now I can realize when a situation could be stressful so that I can turn it over and not get involved into stress or anxiety.
How can you be more Mindful at work?
I would like to share with you, from now on, a series of meditations that you can do – like I do – that will help you to achieve this sense of well-being; thus increasing your performance, happiness and relaxation at your work.
I learned them some time ago when I did a meditation training with two teachers: Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield from the US. I still use these lessons on a daily basis.
These practices, I would like to share with you, are specially for people who does not have any experience with meditation, so do not see this as something impossible for you.
Just try and see.
The first lesson of Mindfulness
You can call it “Pause for Presence”
Consider this: your stress is mainly generated because your mind is jumping like a wild monkey from one tree to another, from one though to another, from things you have to do in the future and things that had happened in the past.
For example: a discussion you had with your boss or colleague at work.
It could be something silly that someone might said but, inside your mind, you are going through the same moment over and over. Thus, making you lose connection with the sensations of what you are doing in the present moment. You start to lose connection with what really matters.
This is for you: no matter if you are an accountant, a service employee or an executive.
For you as a doctor, scientific or construction worker. It is time to make a pause for recovering presence.
Mindfullness will give you the possibility to practice it and help you arrive to the present moment, it will help you feel comfortable in your own skin, relax from anxiety, enhance performance and improve the relation with yourself and with others.
Recent studies at Harvard showed that for a big group of people that were using a meditation app, 50% had there mind wondering somewhere else while they were listening but the same test showed that the same people were more happy when they were doing things related to their present, like cooking, washing, gardening, walking and talking with friends.
Imagine for a moment that you are watching a movie in the theater and suddenly the movie pauses. Think for a moment what will be your sensation your feelings at that moment and the feelings and reaction of the people around you. Same happens if you get block in a traffic jam or if you have your boss criticizing at you, or a disagreement with a colleague. If you are able to pause just by breathing in, you will be able to take one step back of the situation, observe it and be able to come back with a more kind and gentle approach to the situation that arised.
Try this exercise:
Sit down, with your back straight, on the floor or on a chair.
Close your eyes.
Take a deep breath (with your nose) while you count to 4. Then exhale as you count to 6.
Repeat the previous step 2 or 3 times more.
Focus on the sensations in your body, your head, your face and your shoulders. Everytime you pass your attention through them, relax the area. Continue with your chest, your heart, your abdomen and your legs.
Try to feel what parts of your body are different. You may feel some parts hot, cold; tensed or relaxed.
Resume your breath back to normal and keep your attention in your breathing. Feel the air coming in and going out through your nose.
Stay like this for a while.
When you feel ready, open your eyes slowly and see around you. You may see a different surrounding.
Mindfulness advices
Note that it is pretty common for your mind to wonder. You can always come back to the exercise by focusing on your breathing.
You can start doing this for 5 minutes a day before doing it for longer time periods. Make sure to do it in a quiet place and in a way that fits you.
It is fine to do it as many times you want during a day.
The more you practice it, the more you will be able to have a pause and come back to what really matters.
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Let me know, in the comments box, how the experience was.
I think you are going to like it.