How to Be Mindful at Work
If you’re like most people, you like the idea of being mindful. But it seems some environments—like work—make it difficult to be. It doesn’t matter whether you work in an office in a high-rise building or as a two-person team painting homes, you can still practice mindfulness. Here’s what do…
Focus on just one thing. Many people struggle with mindfulness simply because they’re trying to do too much at once. You aren’t a machine. You weren’t designed to do 65+ things at once.
Instead of trying to do everything, choose to focus on the most meaningful task right now. Which task will bring you closer to your goals or your boss’ goals for you right now? That’s the one to focus on first.
I just started to write this blog, when I found a number of draft content pieces, so I just spent 20 minutes going through them, only to find that I was in Pages, not Posts, in my website. I was easily distracted to something else, not relevant to writing my blog. Keep your eyes on the prize, what you want to be focusing on.
Turn off notifications. If you have trouble concentrating once you’ve picked your one task for the present moment, then try to silence notifications. This means logging out of your inbox, silencing your phone, or shutting down social media.
Remember, you can return to your notifications in an hour, when you complete your task, or whichever one comes first. Doing this will improve the quality of your work as well as help you to stay present with the current task.
Do a brain-dump. Sometimes, it’s hard to be mindful simply because your brain is too busy. Instead of trying to ignore the thoughts that are making it hard to focus, grab pen and paper. Write down every single thought in your head. Keep the pen moving for ten minutes.
When you’re done, sort through the ideas and sort them into one of three categories: now, later, and someday. Once you’re done with this, you’ll clearly see where your focus for the day should be.
To help you stay mindful and focused while you work, download our FREE Mindfulness Infographic here.