How to Be Mindful at Work in 15 Minutes or Less

In a world of 24-7 emails, calls, messages, video-chats and meetings it’s almost impossible to disconnect, and for a first timer, meditation can be a daunting and seemingly frivolous activity. In reality however, making a small change and carving out a few minutes of your day to practice mindfulness can help you focus, alleviate stress and be more effective and productive at work. Here are 4 easy tips to help you become more mindful:

Be Present

Quite simply, be aware of you. Put your thoughts and your energy into the task you’re doing at that moment, ensure when your thoughts begin to wander you gently bring them back to the present, and don’t wander back into the past. Try hard not to multi-task and put all of your energy into thinking about the task at hand. Concerted effort to concentrate on one thing at a time will help you achieve more throughout the day. In short, be conscious of the moment.

Breathe

Take the time to focus on your breathing, on your unique rhythm and make an effort to quiet your mind. Doing this will increase mindfulness which can help increase effectiveness, decrease mistakes and even enhance creativity.

Relax

This takes as little as 10-15 minutes. Prioritise ‘me time’ during the day. Try to step outside and sit in the sun, look at the view and just focus on you. Every time your mind wanders back to work and stress overcomes you, remind yourself to focus on the present and enjoy a moment of calm in the middle of a busy day.

Notice the Small Things

This only takes a few seconds. When you’re outside take the time to notice the warmth of the sun on your skin, or when you are washing your hands, feel the temperature of the water. You can even practice mindfulness while you eat – be conscious of how you feel inside and out and focus your mind on that exercise only.

To integrate these 4 simple tips into your daily life ensure you are focusing on the present: don’t worry about yesterday and don’t think about tomorrow. Similar tips and resources to promote emotional wellbeing, as well as all other aspects of employee wellbeing are still available on our Asia Employee Wellbeing Week virtual platform until 12 November. Log on now to learn more about how to build a successful #LifeInTune!

 

About the Author: Written on behalf of Community Business by Samantha Mei Topp.