Practicing Mindfulness at Work

Mindfulness is an inherent human ability that can be strengthened through practice. Based on ancient methods for “calming the mind” it has gained credibility and popularity in the West in the last 40 years. Utilizing simple practices that help to focus and expand mental and emotional capacity, mindfulness can strengthen resilience, reduce stress and improve decision making in the workplace and in life.

“Restore your attention or bring it to a new level by dramatically slowing down whatever you’re doing.” — Sharon Salzberg

"Embodiment" simply means to be mindful of physical sensations and sense perceptions. Embodiment practice is a vital tool for gathering information and insight and learning to become more fully present and engaged. Bringing curiosity and awareness to our posture at our desk, how we react when we are stressed, or how we might stand when having a difficult conversation, helps us make skillful choices about how we respond at work.

“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.” — Mahatma Gandhi

Improved concentration and clarity is not all that mindfulness has to offer. By focusing on the present moment, we can discover choices we would otherwise not have. Instead of being distracted by fleeting thoughts and emotional ups and downs, we can develop the capacity to sustain focus and connection and therefore engage in more effective interactions with co-workers.

As we become more familiar with our own inner landscape, we develop empathy and compassion for others and become more skilled at recognizing conflicts and responding to the emotional needs of the people around us.

Take a moment to reflect on the following questions.

Integrate mindfulness as an individual and in your interactions with others, including your team and the entire organization. This sample lesson with Susan Skjei is from the online course, Present in the Moment; Practicing Mindfulness at Work.

Working together in teams is an important skill in most work environments. However, many teams focus on "doing" rather than "being". Mindfulness can be utilized in team settings with simple practices such as "a moment of silence" or a "check in" to bring more awareness and empathy into the team dynamics.

“In today’s rush, we all think too much — seek too much — want too much — and forget about the joy of just being.” — Eckhart Tolle