Dealing with the stress of daily life and the worries that may arise in the workplace is crucial to stay healthy and live the rofessional life with clarity and in a productive manner. Mindfulness in the office helps in this process and, through simple exercises, allows people to focus specifically on the present.
What is Mindfulness and Why is it Important
The word mindfulness means “awareness” and is linked to a philosophy that promotes the concept of “here and now”. In fact, thanks to this practice, it is possible to to focus on what you are experiencing in a given moment, without getting lost in anxieties and fears of the future, or dwelling on the past.
These considerations derive from the fact that, by its nature, the human mind tends to project itself into tomorrow or think intensely about what happened some time ago, ending up being strongly influenced by the emotions that derive from this process. The time spent enjoying the present moment is always short and implies a strong disconnect from reality which can exacerbate the symptoms of stress.
Why it is Crucial to be Aware About the Present
Carrying out small exercises to practice mindfulness, proves success in maintaining high levels of attention during the day and allows people to concentrate their energy on important tasks, without wasting precious time. Furthermore, being aware of one’s current dimension can help calm down more quickly in the event of a crisis or conflict and improves communication levels thanks to greater awareness of what is around us. With mindfulness, therefore, workers can also train emotional intelligence and improve their relational skills.
Mindfulness in the Office: How to Reduce Stress
Numerous studies have confirmed that work is in first place among the major causes of stress. Many employees complain of not feeling comfortable in the office for a series of reasons related to the environment, colleagues or the pressure of carrying out tasks at an unsuitable pace to facilitate work-life balance. Among the causes of illnesses and absences there are often burnout syndromes and minor ailments due to this accumulation of tension, which sometimes translate into disorders of the musculoskeletal system. So how can we achieve greater efficiency, concentrate better on daily tasks and manage stress better?
First of all, it is important to have a space in the office that allows workers to disconnect and take small breaks during the day. Breakout areas, kitchenettes with high and low tables, relaxation areas with sofas and armchairs allows people to detach the mind for a few minutes and then return to the desk with newfound energy.
Exercises to Regain Awareness at Work
Mindfulness in the office can be practiced with simple exercises to be done daily in a few minutes.
A minute to Chase Away Stress
The first step is the one-minute meditation, which involves moving away from the desk and sitting in a closed place, for example on an armchair in an empty meeting room, rather than inside a phone booth. This allows to isolate yourself from the rest of the context and, with your feet firmly planted on the ground, close your eyes and focus the attention on the rhythm of breathing, until you slow it down to maintain a regular rhythm. Driving away thoughts, anxieties and fears is the goal of this exercise.
Observing what is around us is another fundamental point of mindfulness in the office. In moments of greater stress, it is sufficient to look away from the PC for a minute and concentrate on an object nearby.
Mindfulness in the Office, Immersing Yourself in Nature
Taking care of a plant in the office can become a relaxing activity and observing it during the day allows you to improve relaxation and instill a sense of well-being. The same goes for nature in general, which within the office improves productivity by 15% simply due to its presence. Finally, during the lunch break, the advice is to leave the office or enjoy any external areas of the headquarters to come into direct contact with the natural elements, nourishing your eyes and mind.
Just a few steps are enough to experience a more peaceful working environment and free yourself from stress before it accumulates. Practicing mindfulness in the office, aided by an environment with a welcoming design and a layout designed to encourage activity based working, is crucial to achieving a state of well-being.