The average workplace is designed for fast-paced results. There’s no room for slowdowns. You have to keep up or get left behind. It’s mentally exhausting and every day at work feels like giving up a piece of your soul. If that’s you right now, then you’re not alone. In fact, 40% of workers report that their job is super stressful. The keyword being super. Tight deadlines, high demand, lack of rest – you name it. It’s a death trap.
How can you escape it? By practicing mindfulness. This is not just another hollow buzzword that means a whole lot of nothing. Mindfulness is when you gain situational awareness of your body and mind. It brings you back into the present and breaks the chain of stress. It can guide you through the storm and come out in one piece.
We’ve narrowed down 3 simple tips that will help you practice mindfulness.
Try to Single Task
Multi-tasking isn’t good for your brain and could actually re-organize your brain chemistry for the worst. It is correlated with significant attention lapses – even if you’re young. Attention gaps are associated with forgetful memories and poor memory skills. So first thing’s first – you have to have to take things one step at a time.
Our favorite is the Pomodoro technique. It’s a time management method that divides your workday into 25 minute periods of intense focus on one task. This is followed by short breaks.
Taking Breaks
Workaholism is bad. When you obsess over work to the point that it interferes with your life, you’re doing something wrong. So take a moment to free your mind from the distractions and just take a break. You don’t have to do anything creative while on your break - it could be as simple as intently listening to your surroundings. Point is – you should relax more often.
Breathing and Meditation
Breathing is essential to meditation – not because there’s anything special about it, but because the sensation of breathing anchors you to the present moment. It pulls you away from the vortex of your thoughts and brings you back to earth in time for the next breath.
Here’s a helpful video by Meghan Livingstone to help practice basic breathing exercises. You don’t need to put on your yoga pants or hire a fitness expert – all you need is a quiet place… and you’re done.
Do let us know if the above tips worked for you and how you practice mindfulness.
Stay Breezy
--Morgan
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