5 Tips for Mindfulness at Work

Life gets busy, especially when we are spending much of our day working. It’s easy to forget to be present when our minds are always rushing to get to the next task. Here are some ideas to help you get through your work day and feel a little more centered and mindful. Do what feels right for you.

1. Start your day with a mindfulness exercise.
   • Before you open your email, look at your to-do list, or start on that task, take a few minutes first to meditate on your intentions for the day.
   • Sit quietly before you start your work and take five deep breaths. Slowly count to four as you breath in, and counting to six as you breath out.
   • Before you get up, smile. As Thich Nhat Hanh says, “Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy”. A simple smile can help reset your mood for the day. It may feel difficult or even fake at first. But, the more you smile, the more you find it is becoming genuine and starts to make you feel happier.
2. Set a timer to remind yourself to take a breathing break.
   • Stepping away from your work, even if just for a minute or two, can help reset your brain and refocus your thoughts.
   • There are some great apps to help you achieve this goal:
     • Plum Village app – comes with a mindfulness bell that you can set the time and frequency on
     • MindBell – a meditation timer with custom settings
     • Bell of Mindfulness – browser extension for Chrome
     • Explore other mindfulness apps recommended by Plum Village
3. Pause and take a moment to sit with your work.
   • So often, we are rushing through our work to get it done. We have deadlines and demands that are hard to keep up with, especially during these trying times. But, taking time to pause and sit with our work can help us refocus and gain clarity in what we are trying to achieve.
   • Whether you are writing something on the computer, just finishing a meeting with clients or coworkers, working on specific tasks, or talking with a coworker, take a moment to stop. Look at your work. Breath for a moment. Look again. Imagine your work is part of your entire being. It is you. Now, treat it with love and care, as you would your loved ones, or your favorite heirloom. 
     • Are all the pieces in place and lined up? Like a tea ceremony, are the cups, saucers, tea pot, and cushions all in the proper place?
     • Are all of the pieces created clearly, like an undisturbed crystal lake?
     • Did you stop to look at each piece and give it the love and attention it deserves? It doesn’t matter how small the piece is.
     • Did you create your pieces with full loving intention the way you might care for your child or loved ones?
4. Find simplicity in your work.
   • Oftentimes, we over-complicate our work because our thoughts aren’t clear. When our thoughts aren’t clear, our work becomes like muddy water. There may be fish down there, but we don’t know. With the mud, we make a lot of assumptions about things that cannot be seen.
     
     Remove anything unnecessary from your work:
     • Do all those people need to be included on that message or in that meeting? 
     • Does every piece you’re adding to your work have a purpose?
     • Is there a simpler way to write that email or say something to your coworker so it’s more clear?
5. Eat your lunch somewhere other than your desk or workspace.
   • A change of scenery can do wonders for your mental state. If you are able to, take our lunch outside. Breath in the fresh air and feel the sun on your face. If not, move to another room or desk. Look around you and notice what exists in this new space. Are there trees? Other people? Art on the wall or an interestingly shaped building nearby? There are so many things we don’t notice through our day until we really look.
   • Meditate on your food. As you chew your food, notice each flavor. Is it salty, sweet, sour? What does the texture feel like in your mouth? Is it crunch, soft, smooth? Give thanks to the plants, animals, and people who made this food possible for you. Think about your gratitude for the nourishment this food provides to you.