12 Mindfulness Hacks for Boosting Productivity!
I wish we humans were like the movie characters Superman or Superwoman who did everything correctly and set everything right in this world, but unfortunately, we are not. We are humans capable of making bizarre mistakes in our lives only to cry and regret them later. The biggest mistake that most people make is when they are in their offices or wherever they are working. Whether you are the CEO of a multinational company or a teacher in a Montessori school you have to give your 100% best to the job you are doing not because you are forced to do it because you have given your commitment to it.
There are millions of thoughts that are crossing our minds while we are at our workplace mainly about children, spouses,or in worst-case scenarios a larger-than-life divorce looming ahead of us. All these thoughts drain our energies, and it is at this crucial stage that mindfulness takes the center stage. How to cultivate mindfulness at the workplace and become calm and stable is what we are going to talk about today. Here are 12 hacks when practiced diligently will put you on a path to practicing mindfulness.
What is the meaning of mindfulness?
First, we must understand what mindfulness means which can be defined using a simple definition, ‘Mindfulness is the art of skillfully maintaining an awareness of the present moment through our thoughts, bodily sensations and the surrounding environment by being calm, gentle and nurturing in nature.’
Does mindfulness boost our productivity?
Clinical studies on mindfulness have revealed that multi-tasking is a myth that only leads to brain drain and physical exhaustion. The fact that an individual’s brain is rushing to complete multiple tasks in a short period is unbelievably scary. Here is an important quote on mindfulness. “The myth that multitasking is a success skill has been exploded. Instead, it’s the person who can focus, execute, move on, and do it again (and again, and again…) who sustains success. Practicing some form of meditation that enhances mindfulness is one of the “meta factors” that distinguishes some of our culture’s most successful business leaders and performers across disciplines.” by Gary Simonds, MD and Wayne Sotile, Ph.D.
According to the World Health Organization experts, a practical guide to managing stress and anxiety has been released titled, Doing What Matters in Times of Stress: An Illustrated Guide for coping with stress during adversity not only in our personal lives but also in this difficult phase of the pandemic.
Tips for a Great Start!
The human brain is a constant mental chatterbox, to calm the mind it is important to practice meditation first before starting to be mindful.
Once the brain’s chaos is put to rest, the individual can start 10 minutes of mindfulness daily.
This will help him develop basic focus in the beginning and then later increase the number of minutes daily.
The change is gradual and takes time but once it is achieved it is forever.
Now here a pertinent question arises about practicing the art of mindfulness at the workplace consciously to not only boost productivity but also for the multiple benefits that it offers especially peace of mind which is free!
How can mindfulness be practiced in a corporate environment with so much activity going around us?
The answer is that it is possible if we master a few tips and tricks.
In the beginning, it is a tough challenge, as you will be on the brink of giving up, but hang on and continue practicing till you have achieved a certain level of confidence to carry on. Keep pushing through.
Let’s analyze the following strategies to practice mindfulness at the workplace, which are not only useful for us but will also help the organization where we can be a part of a catalyst of a larger social change.
How to practice being mindful at the workplace?
A typically busy day at a corporate office where there are several meetings lined up, ongoing projects that need a follow-up and emails to be answered. While finishing all the work for the day might be your top priority; but don’t forget that these tasks have to be handled efficiently and without compromising on productivity, so just step back and take it easy, breathe deeply or go and stand in the garden for some fresh air. Here are some valuable tips that you can put into practice while on the path to being mindful.
1. Notice Your Surroundings.
The ground on which you are standing is the very ground that you created which you built with your hard work, willpower, and determination. Look around the beautiful corporate office that you created classy, elegant, stylish, beautiful and professionally mesmerizing. Above all look at the people who work for you. Notice their actions and reactions. Be happy that you have come this far. Enquire about their parents, spouse, or their children. They will be happy to talk about it.
2. Focus on One Thing at a Time (Don’t Multitask)
While in, the office focus on one thing at a time. It’s not important to multi-task as you might get tired and drained by the end of the day. Focusing on one task at a time helps us get to know the nature of the work that has progressed so far and how your contribution and that of your colleagues can take it further. Above all enjoy your work and that’s what that matters.
3. Be Grateful
A lot of people crib and cry over things that they don’t have, despite being highly successful in their lives, but being grateful is the key to mental satisfaction and contentment. Being grateful for what we have can make us not only humble but develop a true sense of self-worth. We must not forget about all the people who helped us reach this far parent, teachers, professors, close friends, colleagues and all our well-wishers who have made our professional journey a grand success. This helps us stay grounded and connected to reality.
4. Mindfulness Meditation.
After every task that you complete practice mindful meditation sitting in your office chair by leaning backward and closing your eyes and relaxing this will calm down your frayed nerves, make you look at things from a different perspective, and above all, you will feel better. All the noise and chaos in your head will calm down making you feel better and relaxed.
5. Quality Time with People Who Make You Feel Happy and Fulfilled.
Well-meaning friends and colleagues will always make you feel happy and fulfilled. These are such people whose goals and ambitions resonate with yours and they will help you on your path to success and will stay with you in the long run. Throughout the day striking up a conversation with them will make you feel happy and energized.
6. Be Mindful of Everything You Do.
Whatever small things that you do at the office be mindful of what you are doing whether it is checking the stock of office stationery or buying an extra desktop for a new joiner. Do it with a certain presence of mind and being mindful of the task at hand. Visiting your elderly parents when they need you or even going to an old age home will bring out the humane qualities in you. After all, we all have only one life to live why not add meaning and value to what we do?
7. Deep Breathing Exercises.
No matter how tense the atmosphere or stressful a situation can get in an office, always set aside time to close your eyes and practice deep breathing exercises that will help clear the fog in a muddled brain. A few minutes away from the glaring bright screen of your laptop, just look at the greenery outside or close your eyes and you will feel much better.
8. A Strict No! No!
Keeping the social media at an arm’s length, especially in the workplace is very necessary. Constantly checking our phones for Whatsapp messages, and Facebook notifications from friends and family, keep us away from focusing on our work and the concentration required, but if you are a Social Media Manager in your organization you cannot stay away from it, it is your duty you have to do it, but personal messages from near and dear ones should be strictly avoided unless there is an immediate emergency.
9. Coping with Tensions
In a corporate office environment, tensions are palpable between colleagues, business partners, and employer-employees regarding the business. While it is not possible, to stay away from heated arguments and squabbles at the office; when it is over you should go out or into your cabin and release it as soon as possible. Bearing grudges will not serve any good purpose in the long run, especially in the workplace as it can lead to animosity and ill-feeling towards one another.
10. Meditation While Walking
A busy schedule leaves us with no time to meditate in our office space but this can be consciously practiced while going for a walk, during or after office hours. Find time to go for a walk in the fresh breeze to release all the tension, anger and frustration that the day has brought. It will make you feel good about yourself.
11. Be patient
Patience is man’s greatest virtue and this can be accomplished by a daily practice of meditation, both at the workplace and at home. If a project that has been completed successfully by you and your team, is not yielding immediate results, then practicing patience is required, because nothing happens at a lightning speed. Everything in life takes time to grow and mature. So having patience is a valuable quality.
12. Practice Diligence
The Oxford English Dictionary defines the meaning of diligence as ‘the quality of doing work carefully and thoroughly’, this only goes to explain further that all the work in the organization, needs to be attended to with a lot of hard work and thoroughness. This change can be brought about by practicing mindfulness at our workplace.
We all live in a technologically advanced world where everything is available on the tips of our fingers with a touch of a button, yet we are not happy, content and grateful for what we have. Why? The answer is quite simple because, there is cut-throat competition all over the world, which borders on envy and ego which gets the better of us in terms of health, happiness and the desire to live a simple life. The only way forward is to maintain our mental equilibrium, by following our daily routine of diet and exercise, meditation and prayer and above all being charitable and kind. Letting go of past mistakes, grudges, resentments, hate, anger and frustration towards others by practicing mindfulness in our daily lives, will help us achieve stability and happiness above all peace of mind.
