How to be Mindful at Work
Mindfulness
has become a popular subject, and for a good reason. It involves being aware of the present and keeping any distractions or self–defeating thoughts out of your head. Many who have tried mindfulness swear by its health benefits,
from sleeping better to even reducing your risk of disease.If you have a 9–5 grind, being mindful at work is a challenge. Luckily, it's one that you can do by practicing some mindfulness at work.
The best way you can be more mindful is to eliminate any distractions. When it comes to work, you know well what those distractions are. Social media, funny videos, and other distracting websites. While they may be okay to look at every once in a while on downtime, too many people waste time there.
Use filters and other extensions to help prevent you from going on them as much. Whenever you're hit with the “blocked” screen, you may realize just how much you're visiting them.
Distractions aren't just social media, however, but other things around you. The people talking, your cluttered desk, everything else can distract you. Perhaps you can play some white noise or clear the clutter.
Perhaps the best way to achieve mindfulness is to, well, practice it. Many people keep their mindfulness up by practicing exercises. Of course, you may wonder how you can exercise when everything is busy.
The beauty of mindfulness is that you can practice it anywhere. In fact, it can be a refresher when there is downtime. Heightening your senses and looking at your surroundings can help quite a bit. You can perform a body scan while sitting down and loosen up your muscles. If you have some downtime, looking up a few exercises you can do is a good option as well. It's a good way to help your brain.
One way you can regularly exercise is to set a reminder on your phone or another device. We can get so lost in ourselves that we forget not to practice mindfulness.
Our current society has a thing for multitasking, doesn't it? The idea that you can do multiple things at once sounds tempting in today's age. However, our brains can't do that well. You may think you're being productive, but switching to different tasks can cause you to take longer to finish them. Plus, while working on one task, your mind is always distracted by the other. That's not mindfulness, is it? Instead, write down everything and make sure you're doing it.
You may think that by doing the work as fast as possible, and not resting, you're achieving more. However, that is not the mindful way to do things. Often, you may end up overloading yourself and having too much on your plate. If you're not getting enough sleep, this can make you much less mindful. Burnout can happen.
Pace yourself. Sleep if you need to. Take your time. Don't procrastinate, but don't rush, either. There is a balance, people.
Stress is our mortal enemy. When we think about all we need to get done, it can make us feel even more stressed. It keeps us up at night. It makes our heart beat faster. However, it's okay to be a little stressed. Some stress is good for your mind, because it's a reminder that you need to accomplish your tasks.
How a mindful person views stress is a little different. A mindful person looks at stress as a way to push them up, not bring them down. This can help them accomplish their tasks and possibly live longer as well. It sounds a bit silly, but it's true. Instead of trying to eliminate your stress, perhaps you can instead accept it.
Our work sometimes continues into the night. If you must use devices at night, make sure there are night modes activated and see if there are any blue light filters. Or you can use glasses. Blue light eliminates melatonin, making it harder to fall asleep. Less sleep tends to mean less mindfulness.
At your job, you're going to make mistakes. Even if you think you're some master of work, you're going to slip up. A mindful person realizes that the past is the past, and we should learn from our mistakes and focus on the present.
Someone less mindful may dwell on the mistake and feel regret, frustration, or embarrassment for it. This is not what you should do. Instead, keep going, and remember that it's okay for you to make some mistakes.
Okay, if you have an office job where you must be in an area, then that's a no–go. However, many people nowadays work remotely. They have a laptop and can work anywhere they want to as long as they have a connection. Perhaps you can work outside. The sounds and smells of nature can boost your mindful nature rather than being cramped in a room all day. Try it, and see what we are talking about. Just make sure you have a connection.
If you're still struggling to be mindful at work, perhaps it's time to talk to a therapist. Many therapists have adopted the act of mindfulness and can teach you some personalized techniques that can make you more mindful.
On the other hand, there could be a reason why you are unable to accomplish mindfulness. Perhaps you are unhappy with your job and want another one. A therapist may be able to help you with that. If you can't get another one, a therapist may help you cope, too.
Mindfulness can help you in many situations, and this especially applies to work. With mindfulness, you can be able to improve your job and how you enjoy it, which is always important in life and work. Try it out and see what we mean.
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