Lost in thoughts at work

Did you have the experience today in the morning that when you were approaching work you passed through different thoughts? Thinking about what was necessary to do during the day, planning a difficult project or thinking about that meeting with your boss. Maybe you were thinking that yesterday was not a good day because you have some discussions with a colleague because he/she didn’t do what you expected to do.

Have you thought this morning about your kids going to school and the good or bad qualifications any of them got recently? And didn’t you thought at the same time what you will eat or cook tonight? Well don’t panic! You are not alone in this continuos dancing of ideas and thoughts, it’s extremely normal.

Actually yesterday I was talking with a business leader and one of the things he mentioned to me that his mind was working all the time, with hundreds of thoughts at the same time and that was his biggest challenge in working life. I told him that he is suffering a lost in thoughts.

The fact of been at work (although this situation also happens to people who do not have a work as well and sometimes even worst, but anyhow, I focus on our work environment mainly) inmersed and lost in your thoughts, planning things to do, future needs, future projects, past problems, resolution of conflicts, etc, etc make us to lose the actual reality of the awareness of this present moment. With the consequence that we became less empathetic with our people in our teams, with our friends and colleagues, less creative, less innovative, we can become more anxious, anger can arise easier, the ambition can grow or decline in a strong manner.

But if we are able to come back for a moment, to the present time, by placing our awareness on the feelings of the body, right here and right now, then we will be able, with some practice, to notice in our body and identify that we are lost in thoughts.

For example if your become more mindful of your body, you will listen and observe it carefully. When you observe that your hands are humid it means maybe that your are lost in thoughts of fear, for example before an important presentation. If you feel that your chest tights maybe it means that anger is growing on you, if you move your right foot constantly maybe is because your are getting anxious for something, and by knowing and listening to your body right now, you will be able to manage that situation and overcome it in a good , simple and gentle way.

As I mention, this is not coming just like that, you will need to practice a bit because more your practice, then it becomes a habit in your daily life.

I practice this in order to be able to identify what my body wants to tell me, you can do it anywhere and anytime at work. These simple steps will only take you for 5-10minutes:

1.  Seat in a comfortable way in your chair or in the floor.

2. Close gently your eyes and observe the panorama of your mind.

3. Breathe deeply from the nose and mentally count till 3, and exhale from the nose and count till 6. Repeat this 3 or 4 times and with every exhalation let go the tension of the body, already you will feel a comfort at this stage.

4. Start to scan your body like a scan machine, starting from the right hand, the right fingers, and scan up your arms, your shoulders, your chest, other arm/hand, abdomen, legs and feet. Do it slowly.

5. At each part of your scanned body stay and observe the contrary emotions. If your body is hot or cold, if it is tensed or relaxed. Does it hurt somewhere? Check if it moves or it is still. Is it wet or dry? Remember, listen and observe your body.

6. Stay and observe.

7. Open your ears and listen the outside sounds.

8. When you open your eyes and observe again.

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Hope it helps you and if you practice it and want to share how it went let me know.