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How To Stay Mindful in The Workplace

4 Minutes

Edited & medically reviewed by THE BALANCE Team

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We were not built to sit in front of screens and live sedentary lifestyles. This evolution is relatively recent. Only in the last twenty years have we seen our daily lives become this way. These changes have brought both positive and negative effects. In today’s world, it is very easy to get overwhelmed and distracted by a million different things. e are learning to balance so many different things. If we are unable to be present, we will always be stretched thin, unable to experience life as it was made to be. That’s why mindfulness has become an in-demand tactic for keeping up with the modern world. In honour of National Workaholics Day: we sat down with our Clinical Director, Dr. Sarah Boss, to discuss how she defines mindfulness, how she practices it in her day to day, and top tips for developing the muscle.

Our Clinical Director, Dr. Sarah Boss, defines mindfulness as: “the ability to be fully present in the moment with all of our senses.” It sounds easy and normal, but it’s not. According to Dr. Boss, mindfulness is also “not being reactive. It’s how we respond to a client or call, to pressure at work, and to conversations with our co-workers.” When we develop mindfulness, we develop the ability to not immediately judge a situation, both within ourselves and our surroundings. Our world has become so fast, and so have our places of work. We take a step outside, and there is noise all around us. In order to keep up with society, we have to react. That is our daily business. We have to be flexible. The ability to be mindful has become an increasing challenge.

One of the fathers of thought around mindfulness, Jon Kabat Zinn, asks: “When you take a shower in the morning, are you really in the shower? Or are you already at work?” Our minds have the ability to travel to the past and future. This ability to reflect and plan is imperative to life in many ways, but it’s become the norm. We no longer live in the moment. We are born with mindfulness but too soon grow out of it. Luckily, there are many proven ways to re-learn the ability.

Schedule Mindfulness Sessions into Your Day to Day

Mindfulness is a muscle. It can be exercised, strengthened, and honed. It can be practised in very minor ways and leave lasting effects. A mindfulness practice could be done for five minutes in the car every morning, on your commute to work, or on a mid-day walk. During these moments, don’t engage with technology. Instead of being aware of what’s on your phone or in your inbox, be aware of what’s around you. Remember, it’s not important to have a certain experience. You don’t need to force anything. Mindfulness is inviting your senses back into your radar and not judging the experience. “In eight-week programs where people practise this daily, they’ve taken MRI scans of the brain before and after. There are real changes in the brain, both in structure and functionality.” It only takes eight weeks to transform your mind. If you want to go to the next level with your practice, you can take a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Course.

Find Ways to Regulate Your Nervous System

If we focus only on our mind and our cognitive capabilities, we cut off communication between our brain and body. If your senses are under or over-stimulated, it becomes hard to engage with them. It is extremely important to find the practices that allow you to relax and regulate your nervous system. This looks different for different people – trust your instincts. One thing that everyone can try is breathing exercises. Dr Boss recommends “more exhalation than inhalation.” Another necessity is finding ways to move your body. This could look like a daily yoga practice, a nature-run, or a long walk. Do what feels good for your body. When our nervous system is calm, we welcome it into the present moment instead of trying to escape it.

Have Boundaries in Place

When you love your work and achieve milestones, it’s very easy to think it’s the only thing that matters. We were built to do things and achieve, but our only purpose is not to provide value to the workforce. We have to make room for family, friends, and personal time. There has to be boundaries in place. This allows us to turn up to work better versions of ourselves. Dr Boss uses this metaphor to explain: “Just like on a plane: put your mask on before your neighbour’s. You must ensure you are regulated before working with others.” This might look like leaving your phone in another room for an hour every morning or night. It can be scheduled in time with friends or family. It can be no work on weekends. There needs to be a clear line between your life and your work – otherwise, the two will blend and become one.

Mindfulness is the ability to be present at the moment with all of our senses. It is also the ability to not react. When we are born, we are naturally mindful. We are able to engage our senses with the world around us constantly. As we get older, this becomes harder. But mindfulness is a muscle, which means we can strengthen it. Based on MRI scans of the brain, it takes eight weeks to see changes in the structure and functionality of the brain. The first step is starting a practice with five minutes a day and growing that into full hours, days, and weeks. It is essential to find the things that calm your nervous system down so your senses feel safe to engage with the present moment. When it comes to work, make sure there are clear boundaries between your life and your job. You can’t be in work mode all day, or you will deteriorate your senses. If you want to develop this practice in a profound way, there are Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Courses.

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