How to introduce mindfulness into your workplace
Here are some simple things you can do to start sharing the beneficial practices of mindfulness with your colleagues.
1. MONO-TASKING
Mindfulness improves your focused attention and increases your concentration. While multi-tasking seems like a productive thing to do, what’s actually happening is that each task isn't getting completed to the best of your ability as your brain is constantly flitting from one thing to another (multi-tasking doesn’t actually exist, it’s a myth).
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Invite people to try the Pomodoro Technique as a way of focusing on one thing at a time.
Work in timed 25 minute chunks, with a 5 minute break between each one. You must stop after this time, even if you’re in the flow.
This makes things far more manageable. When you go back to the 25 minute timer time you’ll be able to go straight into the good stuff.
After you’ve done 4 x chunks of 25 minutes, take a longer break of 30 minutes, before starting the process again.
Our brains respond to constraint with creativity. When you use a timer, you are putting a constraint in place.
2. BREATHE
We breathe around 24,000 times a day, but the average person only utilities around 35% of their capacity. It’s really common to hold your breath or breathe very shallow when working and concentrating on something. Being aware of your breath helps to keep all of your vital systems at equilibrium and your mind calm.
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When we become aware of our breath we give ourselves the opportunity to notice if we need to take a few deeper in-breaths. It’s very common to hold our breath when we’re concentrating hard on something or in a conflict with someone.
3. NOTICE
The more you notice about how your body feels, what you’re thinking and feeling and what’s going on in your environment the more freedom and choice we have. If we don’t have a healthy awareness of who we are and how we’re behaving how can we alter or grow?
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Take just 60 seconds every couple of hours to totally stop what you are doing and check in with how you’re feeling. Ask yourself, “Is there anything that needs a little more attention right now?”
4. GRATITUDE
Gratitude practices have been proven to improve our wellbeing and increase how compassionate we are towards ourselves and others. A simple daily gratitude practice can really shift your perception of life and increase your sense of joy.
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Write down 3 things you are grateful for from the day. Perhaps just before bedtime. Notice how you feel as you do this. Creating this state before you go to sleep also enhances the quality of your sleep.
5. DEEP LISTENING
The greatest gift we can give someone else is to be fully present with them. Deep listening requires regular practice like learning any other skill but the benefits are huge, to both parties.
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Choose a conversation or meeting that you know you will be having today, and have the simple intention of being 100% present with them. Listen as if it was the first time you have met them and you are truly curious about everything they are saying. Notice what this is like.
