When many folks hear the word "mindfulness," meditation might be the first thing the comes to mind. While it's true that meditation can have a profoundly positive impact on your performance, the reality is that if you're not inclined to give it a try, you can still integrate mindfulness into your workday in a number of other ways and get some great benefits.
It all comes back to knowing that you always have a choice, and empowering yourself to make the conscious decision to focus on things in a way that will enhance your experience, instead of in a way that will detract from it. If you're interested in giving mindfulness a try but aren't quite ready to start a meditation practice, here are five things you can try out.
Visualize a day full of productivity first thing in the morning.
Your work day starts before you ever leave the house because you start anticipating how the day is going to go as soon as you wake up, as you're getting ready, and on the drive into the office. For example, you might anticipate a day full of meetings that are going to suck all your energy away or dread a difficult conversation you need to have with a person on your team. That's making the choice to look at things in a way that will detract from your experience because if we anticipate things are going to go badly, we tend to focus our attention on the things we don't like as confirmation, rather than seeing the opportunities in front of us.
Try this instead: When you're getting ready in the morning, set the intention that you're going to have a productive day at work, no matter what. Consider what you want to get out of the meetings on your schedule, knowing your goal for each one of them. Think about the positive interactions you want to have with your co-workers and your boss, and set the expectation that everything will work out to your maximum benefit. That sets you up to notice the things going well, and appreciate them.
Hit pause.
Things seem to be moving faster than ever. There's too many deadlines, too many meetings, and not enough time in the day. And most people think that means they need to constantly be on the go, moving from one thing to the next without taking the time to breathe.
It might seem like you have no choice but to keep moving, but science tells us that taking a brief break could be exactly what you need. It prevents decision fatigue, increases productivity and creativity, and restores motivation to keep pushing towards your goals. And it doesn't take long – taking a break could be as simple as going for a stroll around the block, eating a snack, and just setting aside a few precious moments to close your eyes and breathe deeply to clear your head. So, it might seem like it's "taking too much time," but making the choice to care for yourself in this way could be exactly the thing that propels you to success.
Turn off your email.
Studies show that multi-tasking is one of the biggest energy killers there is, decreasing your productivity by as much as 40%, and the constantly open inbox is one of the most vicious culprits of all. You could be deeply engrossed in a project when suddenly a notification pops up telling you that a new message has hit your inbox and suddenly you feel required to drop what you're doing to answer it as quickly as possible. Every time an email distracts you from something you're working on, you're inhibiting your ability to truly focus on a single task.
Instead, make the choice to take control of your productivity time with this experiment. For the first 45 minutes of an hour, turn your email completely off and allow yourself to focus all your attention on the task at hand. Then for the last 15 minutes, turn it back on and respond to any messages that need to be handled. That way, you're still replying in a very timely manner while also allowing yourself a bit of room to focus deeply. And if you feel nervous about that, just remember that no one should be sending an email if it's a true emergency that can't wait 45 minutes. They will call you on the phone or walk over to your office and knock on your door.
Forgive your difficult co-workers.
If we didn't have to interact with people who are in bad moods or generally have a curmudgeon disposition, work would be so much easier! But the reality is that there will always be people who make the choice to come into work and do things in the most difficult and frustrating way. If you meet that approach with annoyance, what are the chances of you having a positive interaction with that person? Likely, pretty slim.
Instead, make the choice to look past the things you don't like, or just let it go entirely. Forgiving other people of our grievances with them isn't about letting them off the hook. In fact, it has nothing to do with them at all. It's about making the choice not to allow their behaviors to impact you negatively through stress, frustration, and anger.
Many people struggle with this choice in particular because it disrupts their sense of fairness and justice – this person is "behaving badly" and it seems as those you're just letting them get away with it. But you have to ask yourself which is more important – creating a positive experience for yourself that supports your productivity, or staying angry at this person? The two can't exist at the same time – you have to choose which one you value most. Your actions will follow your values.
Be grateful.
Finally, anytime you need a dose of positive vibes, you can simply make the choice focus your attention on the things that are going well and find a way to be grateful. The act of gratitude helps you to see that, no matter how much dark you have around you, there is also always light. Research has shown that those with a daily gratitude practice are able to change their brain over time, creating a much happier experience and freeing themselves from toxic emotions that just held them back. This isn't a time-consuming process – just take a beat, look around and find things that enhance your experience
Ferris Bueller once famously said "Life moves pretty fast sometimes. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you'll miss it." That's what gratitude is – when you stop, look around, and see the big picture to make sure you're not missing out on everything you have going for you.
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