A Healthy You

Mindfulness

Simple Tips To Create A Mindfulness Habit

We all know the many benefits of mindfulness – from greater focus to increased relaxation to a happier, more present way of being.
Practicing mindfulness in the office is becoming increasingly important as employees are reporting feeling overwhelmed and frazzled and stories of burnout are not uncommon. As employers become more aware of the benefits of mindfulness, organizations are beginning to focus more on mindfulness and mindful leadership. As we navigate this fast-paced world, it can be difficult for employees to focus, leading to our brains being on autopilot, which often leads to disconnection and stress.
Quite a few research studies have looked at the impact of mindfulness on brain studies and have found that both mindfulness and meditation actually alter the brain in a positive way by increasing the density of our grey matter. This physical change in our brain is correlated with an increase in self-regulation and emotion control, heightened learning from past experiences, more complex thinking, better body awareness, greater perception and improved decision making – all important skills to have in the workplace. So how do we incorporate mindfulness habits into a busy workday?
Here are a few ways to practice mindfulness in the office:

Take a Break

Getting up from your desk and moving a bit or changing your environment forces the mind to get back to the present. Take a few moments just to regroup after a hectic meeting.

Breathe

Simply observing your breathing and trying to take some slow deep breaths sends a message to your brain to calm down and relax. In addition to calming your nerves, deep breathing increases your energy level and improves blood flow.

Just Notice

Try to spend a few minutes a day just observing. Notice the way your back feels against your chair, or the way your feet feel against the floor as you sit. Being more aware of your five senses will help you to be more mindful in every area of life.

Meditate

In addition to a whole host of other benefits such as lengthening your attention span and controlling anxiety, you’ll find that even just five minutes of meditation will make you more self-aware and as a result, more mindful. Meditation can be done at any time but try to set a meditation time during the day to make it a habit that sticks.

If you’d like to learn more about implementing mindfulness in your workplace, contact us at info@wwcma.org.

Scroll to Top