Manage Workplace Stress with Mindfulness

A More Mindful You

The art of mindfulness is all about staying centered on yourself. Knowing who you are and staying true to that will naturally keep your mind and body in balance and harmony, both at home and at work. If ever you find yourself slipping off track, you simply need to stop for a few seconds, relax, and gently reset your focus. Clarity about what you want in life will help you to find patience, and allow you to be kind to yourself – and then to be kind to others. Putting your own needs first will enable you to have so much more to give to your work, your colleagues, and everything else in life.

 

“Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.” – Mother Teresa

 

Noticing the Now

Self-awareness can go a long way towards maintaining equanimity. So much of working life is spent on being a human ‘doing’, rather than a human ‘being’, but while it may be tempting to give up on mindfulness and become frantic and stressed, we often put far more pressures on ourselves than others are putting on us. Habitual questioning of where exactly life’s stresses and pressures are coming from might just prevent you from becoming your own worst critic and allow you to become more mindful. Instead of the demands of everyday life, being present in the moment, as fully as you can be, will allow you to recognised life’s real priorities – to live to the fullest and to extract the most enjoyment from each and every day.

 

“He who hurries through life hurries to his grave”  – George R. R. Martin

 

Mini Workplace Meditations

Giving yourself permission to slow down, and to ‘let go, and breathe’ on a regular basis throughout the day will prevent tiredness and irritability from accumulating. We all know how easily stress can build up and take over the driving seat. Remembering to re-energise yourself from within will help you to maintain perspective and more effectively manage stress in the workplace and at home. Taking little breaks, resting your brain and your body by bringing the focus back to your life-giving breath every so often will keep you feeling good – it’s that simple. Practicing mindfulness isn’t just for the workplace, it can easily be done anywhere at any time – on the bus, on the train, during a long walk, or even in the bathroom. What a gift!

 

“Only in the heart can one see clearly, what is essential is invisible to the eye..” Antoine Saint-Exupery

 

Sustaining Serenity

To effectively support and promote mental health at work, being at peace with yourself, others and the world has to be real. It is not enough to maintain a façade of calmness and tranquility, so that others might think that you are managing stress more effectively than you actually are. Mindfulness is the latest buzz word, and as such, those who appear to be ‘mindful’ might even command a certain respect, but it is only you that can truly know at whether you are ‘in peace’ or succumbing to stress. If you are feeling the pressure at work, ask yourself how you can maintain mindfulness and control workplace stress – for your own sake, and the sake of your colleagues!

 

CiC are experts in employee wellbeing. Our Employee Assistance Programmes can help you support employees dealing with high levels of stress. Find out more about our specialist services today.