Mindfulness At Work, No Yoga Mat Needed
Guest blogger: Alex Draginis
Three months into 2017 and the common theme among friends and family is that it’s been a tough year so far. Whether it’s the polarizing political climate, the frozen tundra we live in or personal issues, we’re off to a rough start.
Unfortunately, when we’re having a tough time, it can seep into our work lives making us less productive and more stressed, which is no fun for anyone. So how do we combat this? How do we stay present and focused? How do we take care of ourselves and our work?
There’s been a trend the past few years of bringing mindfulness into the workplace. It’s taking over the business world from Google to Wall Street, and I’m a big fan. And before you say, “but I don’t have time to meditate or do yoga at the office,” let me stop you. Mindfulness can be achieved in many different ways and can mean so much more than sitting on a yoga mat.
According to Dr. Penman, a writer with a PhD in biochemistry, “Mindfulness is about observation without criticism; being compassionate with yourself. When unhappiness or stress hover overhead, rather than taking it all personally, you learn to treat them as if they were black clouds in the sky, and to observe them with friendly curiosity as they drift past. In essence, mindfulness allows you to catch negative thought patterns before they tip you into a downward spiral. It begins the process of putting you back in control of your life.”
Keeping this in mind, here are a few ways to be mindful in the workplace.
- Accept how you feel in the moment and validate your feelings. This is not to say we should stay in a bad head space or a bad workplace but we need to accept how we feel before we can begin to make a change or make a plan. So often, especially as women, we are told to feel a certain way, but instead, we need to validate our own feelings. No feelings you have are wrong or invalid. Think of it as driving a car. You know you need to get to work and you know there will be traffic. We accept these facts and then develop a game plan. Or in other words, “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.”
- Take a break, and breathe. This does not need to be an hour-long break, and you don’t need to pull out a yoga mat to do it, although you can if you’d like. Dr. Penman says all you need is three minutes a few times a day and it can drastically improve mood and productivity. There are a lot of great resources for mindfulness and meditation out there and I encourage you to find what works best for you. But here’s a free 3-minute download to get you started.
- Un-plug. I know, I know, this is another trend sweeping the business world. There are even retreats you can go on to help you un-plug! But even with all the hype, this is one fad I can buy into because of the overwhelming evidence of how damaging constant connectivity can be.We live in a world where we can be constantly bombarded by emails, calls, and texts, if we choose to be. It’s awfully hard to be mindful if we can’t even process the information we currently have because we are constantly getting new information to process. If you can’t bear to let go of your beloved smart phone, start small. Leave your phone in a desk drawer while you grab lunch. Then you can work your way up to longer periods of un-plugging.
It’s a crazy world out there and we could all use a little more love and light. So be kind to yourselves and be kind to each other.
Keynote speaker, trainer, and consultant, Sarah Gibson, helps organizations leverage the power of communication, teamwork and diversity to improve engagement and transform teams. To buy her book or inquire about her speaking programs, please visit www.sarahjgibson.com.
