The workplace may pay the bills and provide self-fulfillment, but it often becomes the source of deep stress, anxiety, and burnout. Work pressure, strict deadlines, and the poor environment—these are just some of the factors that obstruct productivity among working professionals. However, these can easily be combated with proper workplace meditation techniques you can squeeze in at work.
What is meditation?
Meditation is a proven way to train one’s attention and awareness, achieving a mentally stable and emotionally calm self, and getting a healthy sense of perspective. It is a self-care method that brings about health benefits to one’s mind and emotional state.
One of the easiest forms of meditation is mindfulness, which may be used to inject more productivity in your work as you go through the day. Mindfulness refers to paying attention to the present moment in a very open and non-judgmental way. Many studies have shown that it is an effective way to reduce stress which may be caused by the workplace. Having a clear mind to take on the day makes one more productive.
The benefits of workplace meditation
Before we go down to the strategies you can do to get productive at work, here are the proven benefits of starting to meditate in the workplace:
Improves your focus
The practice of meditation has been repeatedly proven to enhance the ability to focus and expel both internal and external distractions. Research at Harvard Medical School concluded that meditation has an impact on changing the brain regions that deal with learning and the working memory capacity.
Alleviates stress and combats burnout
Stress and burnout are the two primary reasons for decreased work productivity. Fortunately, meditation can beat these two, as proven by a 2013 research at the center of Mind and Brain at UC Davis, which verified the benefit of mindfulness to the cortisol, a hormone associated with physical or emotional stress.
Serves as a mood booster
There is a noticeable impact on the overall mood of a person when meditation is regularly practiced. A Boston University study even found evidence showing that it reduces significant levels of anxiety and depression while increasing positivity and patience.
Makes you feel empathy and compassion
Meditation is known to increase one’s ability to feel empathy and compassion toward others. It strips you of prejudice, which causes conflict with others. With that said, you are more receptive and understanding of the environment you are in.
Strengthens relationships
Being positive and having enough patience and compassion, you are steps closer to having more substantial and lasting relationships. Whether personal and professional, you are bound to form more meaningful relationships as you are centered in the right places.
The workplace meditation you can do
Here are the easy forms of workplace meditation you can do right at your workstation to increase productivity.
1. Before hitting your work mode “on,” spend your first five minutes counting your breath.
How you start your work is a crucial step in knowing how your day will go. If you start with a meditation, you are more likely to go about the day on a positive note. With that in mind, you can take five minutes off the clock solely counting your breaths.
To do this, here’s what you’ll do:
- Sit upright and comfortably.
- Close your eyes.
- Breathe in evenly, naturally, and rhythmically.
- Count one as you breathe in, and count two as you breathe out.
- Reach until ten counts and start all over.
This meditation technique is simple enough to perform, especially for beginners. It helps you find your focus before you even begin working at your duties, making you have a productive day ahead.
2. Focus on the sensations and sounds in your environment.
This is another simple meditation technique that you can perform by merely sitting on your desk. You can do this in a few minutes, making it easier for you to squeeze in between your tasks, most especially at times that you feel like you are at your most unproductive.
To do this, here’s what you’ll need to do:
- Keep your eyes closed and sit comfortably on your chair.
- Breathe slowly and turn your focus on the sensation of your body against the chair and the pressure of your feet on the floor.
- Also, bring attention to your hands as they rest on your legs.
- Make yourself aware of your body sensations from head to toe. As you go along, spot the areas where the tension and relaxation are.
- Once done, turn your focus on the sounds you hear while sitting.
- Acknowledge all kinds of sounds that hit your eardrums.
- Let the whole experience seep in.
This workplace meditation technique will induce relaxation and the sensation of feeling grounded when you feel the anxiety kicking in.
3. On lunch, savor your food to deepen the experience.
Savoring your food is one way to promote mindfulness. Instead of rushing to finish your food, you can work on each bite to savor its taste and texture. You can smell your food, see how it looks, examine its taste, and even feel its texture. You can also concentrate on the way you chew the food up to how you swallow it. The essence is making yourself present as you eat.
This uncomplicated workplace meditation is an effective way to re-focus and recharge from the first half of your day. As you bring more focus on yourself, you are paving the way for better productivity.
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4. Take time to go for a refreshing walk during break time or after work.
Another quick way to meditate is by doing a reenergizing walk. You can do this in between work—during break time or lunch, or after work. This form of workplace meditation will instantly instill relaxation in you and put you in a grounded state.
To do this, here’s what you’ll need to do:
- Go outside of your office.
- Stand still, bring attention to your feet, calves, legs, knees, hamstrings, and hips.
- Start walking slowly and pay attention to the sensations you feel as you walk. Notice the movement of your body parts as you take each step.
- Synchronize your breath for every step you take.
Expect to alleviate the stress you have in the workplace as you practice this meditation technique regularly. It frees you from the unnecessary tension you have as you work.
5. Practice saying a personal mantra.
Mantras are effective in keeping yourself calm and reminding yourself that you can take things under your control. When you keep a personal mantra that you can say to yourself when you feel like the anxiety is kicking in, you can quickly drive yourself out of that pressure.
To practice this, here are some reminders to perform effectively:
- Create your own mantra or phrase to use during meditation. Choose a simple word that’s easy to remember and will pull you into a comforting state. You can try, “relax,” “you got this,” or “I am here.”
- Start repeating the word or phrases on your mind.
- Synchronize the words with your breathing to make them rhythmic and consistent.
Having a mantra you can count on will help you face moments that induce too much pressure on you. It can help you compose before a big event or performance to ensure you are at your utmost best.
These five simple workplace meditation techniques are simple enough to squeeze into your schedule. When you regularly perform these, you can achieve the best version of yourself and function to your fullest.
There are more workplace meditation techniques to know which you can get from meditation apps or from these foolproof Skill Success courses you can take:
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