Mindfulness at Work: Master Your Mind, Master Your Work

Introduction

We experience stressors daily which take up a huge portion of our time wherein we keep worrying and thinking about these situations. This makes it difficult to focus on the tasks at hand, thus affecting our overall productivity. In other words, we keep ruminating about our past experiences or our future concerns continuously, forgetting to focus on the present.

Mindfulness is an evidence-based approach where individuals are conscious and attuned to their present surroundings and experiences without any criticism and avoidance (Choi et al., 2022; Glomb et al., 2011). It helps us break from the cycle of rumination, helping us redirect our attention back to the here and now. Mindfulness-based techniques in a therapy setting have shown great promise in dealing with a wide range of mental and emotional issues, including stress and performance anxiety (Harrington & Dunne., 2015).

Mindfulness at Work

Workplace productivity has been shown to be directly linked to factors such as anxiety and stress, psychological strain, job satisfaction, and depression (Wongtongkam et al., 2017). Additional stressors could include difficulty in getting a work-life balance, conflict with colleagues, excessive workload leading to burnout, and job insecurity. 

Being mindful at work, i.e., becoming fully attuned to the present, helps improve and enhance focus, attention span, overall productivity, and job satisfaction. Techniques such as mindful breathing exercises, frequent breaks and meetings aid in stress reduction and improve emotional experiences and interpersonal communication skills. This, in turn, helps build better and stronger mental and emotional health, resilience, creativity, and a healthier working environment that is a lot more supportive.  

Benefits of Mindfulness at Work

1. Increased job satisfaction: Appraisals can cause a lot of anxiety, decreasing productivity. Mindfulness exercises help increase tolerance to anxiety and increase job satisfaction (Hülsheger et al., 2013).
2. Decreased emotional exhaustion: Workplace demands can lead to burnout. Mindfulness helps in self-regulation and reigns control over emotions, which helps in maintaining energy and well-being (Hülsheger et al., 2013).
3. Increased attention span and confidence: Being mindful has been shown to improve concentration and focus, which increases self-confidence and motivation, which leads to higher job satisfaction and productivity (Mesmer- Magnus et al., 2017). 
4. Improved interpersonal relationships: Mindfulness helps employees become less critical of their colleagues, improving relationships in the workplace and making them likely to be considered for leadership and managerial positions (Mesmer- Magnus et al., 2017). 
5. Increased creativity: Mindfulness can help in creative and innovative thinking and improve problem-solving capabilities.

Practicing Mindfulness at Work

The following aspects of Mindfulness work together to improve attention span and focus: 

1. Trait: people’s disposition towards being mindful; 
2. State: being mindful as and when required; 
3. Process of engaging in mindful techniques and Interventions: specific mindfulness-based exercises
4. Enhanced cognitive and emotional resilience: In turn, improved and sustained attention increases cognitive capacity and flexibility, improves emotional regulation and stability, reduces impulsivity, and finally enhances overall physiological reactions to stress, leading to better workplace outcomes such as better job performance, reduced turnover, and deviance. 
5. Interpersonal communication: Interpersonal communication improves with efficient conflict resolution and instils empathy and teamwork. All of this eventually leads to an overall improved physical, physiological, and behavioral health and well-being.

Mindfulness Exercises at Work

1. Deep breathing: Inhale deeply through your nose, hold, and exhale slowly through your mouth. Make sure to focus on each. Repeat several times.
2. Body scan: With eyes closed, mentally scan your body from your head to your toes, paying attention to areas that feel tensed or tight. Being acutely aware of this discomfort, consciously relax the body part, taking note of how it makes you feel.
3. Mindful eating: While having food, make sure to eat slowly, savoring each bite. Pay attention to the taste, flavor, and texture of what you are eating without any distractions.
4. One-minute pause: Setting a 1-minute timer, sit simply without engaging in any work. Observe your surroundings, thoughts, and emotions without as they are. This helps in resetting your brain and thus, helps in sustaining focus.
5. Being grateful: Try expressing gratitude towards things you’re thankful for at work.

10 Ways to be More Mindful at Work

1. Start your day by clearly stating your goals and prioritizing what is urgent.
2. Take sufficient breaks to engage in deep breathing exercises to improve focus.
3. Focus on one thing at a time, reduce distractions, and pay attention to only the task at hand.
4. Practice active listening and empathy while communicating.
5. Take regular breaks to stretch, walk, or just rest to become refreshed.
6. Be mindful while switching between assignments and meetings, and make sure to reset properly in between.
7. Engage in mindful eating habits throughout the working hours.
8. Maintain, establish, and communicate clear boundaries around work hours and responsibilities.
9. Practice gratitude and reflect on the positive aspects of your work.
10. End the day with a quick reflection on things that went well and how you improve further, being kind towards yourself. 

Conclusion

It is very important to not let the workload overpower us. Being mindful becomes very imperative to stay attuned to whatever is happening to us and around us, and to stay in control. Mindfulness exercises are something employees can do wherever they are. Making sure to do at least one mindfulness exercise daily can go a long way in improving our overall mental health.

References

Hülsheger, U. R., Alberts, H. J. E. M., Feinholdt, A. and Lang, J. W. B. (2013). Benefits of mindfulness at work: the role of mindfulness in emotion regulation, emotional exhaustion, and job satisfaction. Journal of Applied Psychology, 98(2), 310-325. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0031313

Choi, E., Gruman. J. A. and Leonard, C. M. (2022). A balanced view of mindfulness at work. Organizational Psychology Review, 12(1), 35- 72. 

Glomb, T. M., Duffy, K. M., Bono, E. J. and Yang, T. (2011). Mindfulness at Work. Research in Personnel and Human Resources Management, 30, 115- 157.  

Harrington, A. and Dunne, J. (2015). When mindfulness is therapy: Ethical qualms,

Historical perspectives. American Psychologist, 70(7), 621- 631. 

Wongtongkam, N., Krivokapic- Skoko, B., Duncan, R. and Bellio, M. (2017). The influence of a mindfulness-based intervention on job satisfaction and work-related stress and anxiety. International journal of mental health promotion, 19(3),  134- 143.

Mesmer-Magnus, J., Manapragada, A., Viswesvaran, C. and Allen, J. W. (2017). Trait mindfulness at work: A meta-analysis of the personal and professional correlates of trait mindfulness. Human Performance, 30(2-3), 79-98.