Why you should incorporate mindfulness into your work life

7th December 2018

Many of us may know what mindfulness is but fail to ever put it into practice. Put simply, mindfulness is the ability to be aware of your thoughts and feelings as they happen and knowing how to deal with them. Ultimately, making mindfulness an active part of your day-to-day life can lead to you being more productive at work due to more focused thinking.

Professor Mark Williams (former Director of the Oxford Mindfulness Centre), states that mindfulness is “…about allowing ourselves to see the present moment clearly. When we do that, it can positively change the way we see ourselves and our lives.”

It’s very easy to get caught up in our working life which can lead to work-related anxiety and stress, something which is becoming increasingly popular amongst individuals. The Health and Safety Executive found that 526,000 workers are currently suffering from work-related stress, depression or anxiety, showing just how important it is to make mindfulness part of our day-to-day lives.

SET TIME ASIDE TO BE MINDFUL

Mindfulness allows you to increase your awareness of your thoughts and feelings, leaving your head clearer and more able to deal with your work load. Mind, the mental health charity, suggests some easy ways to practice mindfulness throughout your day: take notice of the sounds and smells of having a shower, the sensations of your body as you sit down and pay attention to the taste of your favourite food. These things may seem silly at first if you’ve never practiced mindfulness before, but rest assured you’ll begin to see the benefits of a clearer mind, allowing you to stay focused and more in control of your emotions.

MIX THINGS UP

Another way to incorporate mindfulness into your everyday life is to change up your day-to-day routine. Like most, it’s so easy to take the same route to work and back each day, have the same lunch and spend your lunch break doing the same thing, but change can have some positive effects.

Taking a new route to work, changing up how you spend your lunch or going for a 20 minute walk each day can help increase your awareness and appreciation of your surroundings. We’re all creatures of habit, but change can positively impact your wellbeing.

BE KIND TO YOURSELF

It’s intuitive for us to be kind to our loved ones, notice when they’re acting differently and therefore show them kindness in order to help. Yet often, we struggle to look after ourselves in the same way. Mindfulness enables you to track your emotions, so when you realise you’re not feeling yourself, be kind to yourself and treat yourself how you would treat a friend.