With back to back meetings and luring deadlines, it’s become increasingly hard to focus, but few mindful changes can actually boost productivity and ease stress.
Mindfulness is all about being in the present moment and worrying less about what happened yesterday or what you have in the diary tomorrow. It’s about awareness and no judgement and spending less time on autopilot (like skim reading this article) and more time on developing your emotional intelligence.
Mindfulness expert Mirabai Bush, famous for introducing it to Google, told the Guardian:
“Becoming more aware of your own emotions as they arise gives you more choice in how to deal with them. Mindfulness helps you become more aware of an arising emotion by noticing the sensation in the body. Then you can follow these guidelines: stop what you are doing. Breathe deeply. Notice how you are experiencing the emotion in your body. Reflect on where the emotion is coming from in your mind (personal history, insecurity, etc). Respond in the most compassionate way.”
Unlike activities that are designed for unwinding – think Yoga and meditation – mindful moments can be taken anywhere. The key is to let your mind rest that helps you take a step back and make better decisions.
Breath
Next time you feel a moment frustration, gently breath in through the nose for three, hold for three and then breath out for three. Focus on the belly expanding and over time you can increase to five or even 10 seconds.
You’re Worth It
Okay, this isn’t our mantra but having a phrase or even a word that helps you refocus and give you those ‘good feelings’ can do wonders for your outlook on the rest of the day. Can’t think of the phrase? Ask yourself, how do you want to feel today?
Step Out
It might be hard to believe, but nothing horrendous (fingers crossed) is going to happen if you actually take your lunch break out of the office. Walking for just 15 minutes can ease anxiety and make you feel refreshed for the afternoon ahead.
Pat Yourself On The Back
Do you find that at the end of the day you’re focusing on a massive list of things you haven’t done and what you need to attack tomorrow? Why not write another list on the things that you actually have done, or better yet have a general list and cross things off as you go. Now doesn’t that feel satisfying?
Switch Off
When you really need to focus, there can be numerous things that can distract and one of the biggest culprits is our phone. Give yourself an hour, put the phone away and be amazed at how productive you can be.
