Workplace — one of the most stressful places, at least for most people. It’s a place that’s always been busy — answering phone calls, sending emails, endless meetings, etc.

Considering all these, is it still possible to be mindful at work? Can you make yourself stay in the moment, enjoy whatever it is you’re doing, and feel more alive?

The answer is yes and if you’re wondering how below are some mindfulness at work tips.

Tips To Practice Mindfulness At Workplace

Tip #1: Set Your Intentions

Start the day by setting your intentions. It can be done by setting clear specific wishes or goals for the day, like acing a presentation or getting a promotion. It can also be by saying a phrase that resonates with yourself, such as peace, strength, or kindness.

Tip #2: Be Intentionally Present

Mindfulness is about being aware and just being in the moment.You can apply mindfulness at work by being consciously present in whatever it is you’re doing, may it be writing a report, having a presentation, or interviewing an applicant.

While multitasking sounds like an amazing skill, doing one thing at a time and being intentional with it helps you avoid feeling overwhelmed. Now, when you feel like your mind is wandering elsewhere, the first thing you can do is acknowledge it and just slowly bring your thoughts back to your current task.

Tip #3: Do Quick Mindful Exercises

Doing mindful exercises is beneficial, especially in a stressful place like the workplace. It can soften the fight-or-flight response, balance the nervous system, and help you make more reasoned decisions rather than acting impulsively.

Mindfulness exercises don’t have to be long; it won’t even require you to close your eyes. Sometimes, a good 1-minute exercise can help. 

Some of these include:

• 2-minute guided breathing exercise
• Walking or taking a break in nature
• The observation game
• Active listening
• 3-minute body scan

Tip #4: Time Block Using A Journal

As much as possible, remember to single-task rather than multi-task. Keep a time journal where you can jot down how much time you’ll allot on a certain task or what you’ve achieved in a certain time block.You can also take note of how mindful you were during that time.

Tip #5: Set Up An Alarm

Before anything else, being mindful means “remembering.” Unfortunately, many of us fail to remember how to be mindful, especially when we have a lot of things on our plate.

One of the best things to do is to set an alarm and to avoid disturbing other people, you can put it on vibrate mode.

Every time the alarm rings, take a deep mindful breath and pause to be mindful of your surroundings and your thoughts.

The same thing when your phone rings because of a call or a message; instead of reacting to check it immediately, take a mindful breath and be in the moment.

Tip #6: Slow Down

Now, this might not sound like a good idea but slowing down can actually help you become more productive.

I mean, remember that time when you’re about to take exams and you just can’t sleep because you have to study or you have a deadline so you work all night for that. While you may pass the test or accomplish whatever it is that you need to accomplish, not taking a break can lead to inefficiency or worse, even hallucination.

The truth is, you need to rest. You are a human and no matter how strong you think you are, you need to take a break. This applies even when you’re at work.

Clearly, you can’t sleep but squeezing in mini-mindfulness exercises and slowing down, and being in the moment can help you become more productive, more focused, and more efficient.

Plus, it also helps you achieve a better mood so there’s no need to be grumpy all day.

Tip #7: See Stress In A Positive Way

How do you see stress? Do you think it’s a factor that affects health negatively or is it the other way around?

Let me tell you something surprising: how you see stress affects your health.

According to a study done in the University of Wisconsin-Madison, those who see stress as a positive factor in their health have lower mortality rates while those who believe it’s a bad thing have a higher chance of death.

The point is, how you see stress is how your body responds to it.So, make it a friend. If you’re in a busy workplace and stress is inevitable, then change your perspective about it. It’s not easy but mindfulness can somehow alleviate the pressure.

For instance, when you’re stressed because of an upcoming project and your heart is racing, pause and notice your responses.

Change the way you see the situation, be grateful, and see it as a positive challenge that will lead you to something bigger and better.

Tip#8: Accept Things That Are Beyond Your Control

When things are beyond control, there’s the tendency to get frustrated, and that’s normal. However, you must know that there are things we can’t change.

Acknowledge what you feel but accept what you can’t change. That’s how being mindful comes in.

Accept the present moment as it is. It doesn’t mean that you’ve been defeated and that you have given up. It’s acknowledging that it’s already happened and the best thing we can do is move forward.

Tip #9: Keep Your Feet On The Ground

Being humble is not about being timid; it’s about having this quiet confidence.

It’s not about seeing yourself inferior or seeing others inferior to you; it’s about seeing equity. It’s about accepting what and who you are, which is greatly connected with mindfulness.

It’s about listening to others and having a grateful heart.

Tip #10: Develop A Growth Mindset

There are two types of mindset — fixed and growth.

As the name suggests, those who have a fixed mindset believe that their talents and intelligence are fixed. There’s no reason to develop anything because whatever they have has already been established and that this will lead them to success.

Meanwhile, those who have a growth mindset believe that they can improve their talents and intelligence, and science can back this up. They acknowledge what they have and at the same time, work hard to develop it.

The truth is success lies in having a growth mindset. Now, how does mindfulness relate to it?

While being mindful requires being in the moment and accepting who and what you are; it’s also about opening yourself to new possibilities. For instance, you receive constructive criticism at work, and rather than taking it as an attack or negative feedback, you see it as a way to develop yourself and to enhance your work.

You see, being mindful is about being in the moment, acknowledging what you can’t change, and at the same time, moving towards challenges and being open to new possibilities for yourself and others.

I hope that this guide to mindfulness at work helps you!If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to share them below.