Being mindful of the present moment is key to staying connected to your inner self and maintaining a positive outlook. Improve your performance at work and boost your mental health with mindfulness. Here are seven tips to help you to be more mindful at work.
Positive thoughts
Start every morning with helpful, positive thoughts. Remember, you have a choice what thoughts you pay attention to. Remind yourself of all that you have to be grateful for and what you plan on achieving in your day, year and life.
Meditate before you leave the house
Make time to meditate. Meditation heals the human body, mind and spirit. A simple 5-10 minutes of meditation can help set the tone for a relaxing, mindful day.
Do one thing at a time – don’t multitask
Focus your attention only on the task at hand. Multitasking will only make you less productive, you may produce more work but the quality will suffer. Focus your attention only on the task at hand. Keep your attention on every detail of everything you do. If you notice your thoughts drifting, just be aware of that and re-direct them back to the present moment.
Don’t get frustrated by interruptions
Phone, email, co-workers – interruptions are inevitable in the workplace. If you are interrupted with another request, simply focus your attention on this new request, complete it, and then focus your attention back on the task you were working on before.
Avoid office gossip or negative talk
Interact with your coworkers but avoid talking about other coworkers or complaining about management or your work. This type of negativity only works to bring you down and creates an unhelpful story in your mind. If you work in an environment where negative talk is commonplace, always attempt to remove yourself from the conversation without placing judgment on either the people talking or the people they are talking about.
Take breaks
Be kind, caring and compassionate to yourself. Taking breaks can help you be more productive. Rest for a few minutes, refresh yourself, have a cup of coffee or snack. Much of the stress people feel towards their jobs come from mentally being at work 24/7.
Leave your work – at work
When you leave your job for the day, make sure you don’t bring it home with you. Take your work “hat” off and put on your parent/partner/friend “hat” on as you walk into your home. It may be hard sometimes, but you need to present at home physically and mentally.
CONTACT US If you want additional support, ACT Curious can connect you to a behavioral therapist that meets your needs. You can get started today if ACT Curious is offered by your employer.
DISCLAIMER: The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Michelle Trudgen Clinical Director, ACT Curious.
copyright: 19 September 2017
