10 Tips For Using Meditation And Mindfulness At Work

Work is sometimes the most stressful part of our day, not least because we spend so much time there.

If you are feeling particularly stressed at work, practising meditation may help.

However, it may not be easy to immediately start meditating at work so here are ten tips or strategies to help you get going.

Know that it will be worth it to spend this time taking care of yourself at worth.

Start Small

At first trying to practise meditation at work may make you a bit anxious.

You may be worried what your peers will think or if you have a space that you can do it that will feel good.

If this is the case, start small.

Identify two to three minutes that you are able to practise.

Slowly increase to five to ten minutes every day, but do not expect yourself to start meditating for long periods of time at work.

You simply may never find the time, but the good news is that just a few minutes can help.

Ask Others To Join You Or Start A Meditation Group

Similar to having a workout buddy, it is sometimes easiest to practise meditation if other people are doing it.

You might ask your work friends or even team if they are interested in meditating with you. You may even find enough interest around the office to create a meditation group!

It would be great if your interest in meditating sparked interest in other people. You would be literally helping them with their health just by asking them to practise with you.

And if nobody is interested, at least they know it is an important part of your day and hopefully will respect it and not ask questions.

Incorporate A Few Minutes Into Parts Of Your Day That Are Stressful

I would recommend scheduling meditation, or at least five to ten mindful breaths, into your work day around the time that you are most stressed.

Maybe you have a daily huddle that causes a lot of anxiety, in which case it would be great to meditate briefly before and after it to calm your nerves.

Identify whatever is the most stressful part of your day and ensure that you take that time to care for yourself by practising your meditation.

Talk About Why You Practice At Work

Like I mentioned above, when you talk about your interests and needs, people tend to understand and respect them more.

If you are just walking away from your desk to meditate when it is not your break time, people may be concerned or assume that you do not care about your job.

But if you explain that this is an important thing you do every day to take care of yourself, and thus improve your work performance, people will be much more understanding and supportive.

It may be helpful to let your boss know that you plan to do this. Maybe you could tell him or her at your next performance review when they ask you what you need to be supported best.

Identify Times When You Have To Make Decisions And Practice Then

If you are anything like me, then making decisions can be very difficult. My gut decisions are often right – but my anxiety is constantly prompting me to second guess them.

This never works out for me. If you are the same way, I would suggest adding in a meditation or mindfulness practice right before you have to make a decision.

For example, if you are supervising someone and you need to tell them that you are writing them up for something, you might add in some mindfulness or meditation around this task because it may be anxiety producing or difficult to hold them accountable.

Or if you have to make a decision that affects your team, positively or negatively, you might practise then.

Be Consistent

The only way to have long-term benefits from meditating is to be consistently doing it, so make sure you are practising every day.

If the nature of your work is that your days are never the same, make sure you find time every day to do it. Perhaps on your lunch break would be the obvious choice.

It is okay if it isn’t the same time every day, but it is helpful if you are finding time somewhere every day to practise.

Schedule Practice Around Important Deadlines

If you have an important deadline coming up, it would be best to meditate around this.

As you approach your deadline, you may want to practise more as it becomes closer to the due date. This will help you feel comfortable and confident in your work, and it may reduce any anxiety or stress that you feel about it.

The point is really to be strategic about when you practise meditating because you may not always have the availability to meditate at work as often as you want.

So put some thought into when you are able to do it.

Identify A Space That Makes You Feel Good And Safe

It may not be the most helpful to meditate in your cubicle if there are a lot of people around and you work in an office.

If you are a nurse, it might not be best to meditate in a patient’s room.

Whatever kind of job you, you may want to consider where will feel best and be most appropriate for you to resume your meditation practice.

If there are any vacant offices or quieter spaces than others, that may be ideal.

It may be best to talk to your supervisor about where is best for you to meditate. Perhaps there is an area that he or she could give you special permission to use for this purpose. It never hurts to ask!

Practise Before Meetings

Meetings can be especially anxiety producing times – you never know what someone will say or what kinds of issues will be brought up.

The few minutes prior may be the best time to consider practising.

Additionally most people are using the bathroom, filling their coffee, or even smoking a cigarette before meetings, which may mean there will be fewer people and more space for you to be able to meditate before it starts.

Set Your Calendar

Setting your calendar and reminder alerts will be your best friend when trying to meditate at work.

It will remind you not to double-book yourself and it will prompt you to consistently engage in the practice.

When your alert goes off, don’t ignore it. Follow through with this important time to take care of yourself.

Conclusion

Practising meditating at work may require a bit of thought and planning on your part.

It will make your days easier and healthier, especially if you are consistent and schedule it in for yourself.

If you have a particularly high-stress job, it will be even more important and helpful.

Remember that you do not need to do it at the same time every day but rather just find a few moments to engage in this daily.

Who knows, you may even find yourself being the talk of the office because you arrange a great wellness and meditation group.

I hope these ten tips and strategies will find you being successful in practising at work!

May your meditation practice be full of life and love and wellness!

Additional Resources

These are suggestions for those who wish to delve deeper into any of the above:

1. Meditation For Beginners