Mindfulness Techniques for a Stress-Free Work Day

Mindfulness has been proven to help people be more relaxed, focused, and more productive.

Here are a few mindful techniques to help you have a stress-free work day:

1) Take a moment while you are sitting at your desk or on your lunch break to take a few deep breaths. Pay attention to where you feel the breath in your body - Is it high in your chest? Low in your belly? Notice the air as it flows in through the nostrils filling you up with positive energy. As the air flows out, notice the shoulders dropping and the tension being released from your body.

2) If you are feeling a particular heavy emotion (anger, sadness, frustration, etc), take a deep breath and acknowledge that emotion and where you feel it within your body. Allow yourself to be curious about this emotion, without trying to force it away or change it.

3) During a meeting or conversation with a co-worker, particularly if you disagree or feel passionate about the topic, notice if you are actively listening or formulating your next sentence in your head already. Feel into your body and allow yourself to be truly open to the speaker's thoughts. Nothing is black or white; can you find the grey area?

If you are looking to further develop your mindfulness skills, we highly recommend checking out the book Wherever You Go, There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn.