The Art of Living states that, “The average person spends at least 46.9 percent of their waking hours thinking about something other than what they’re doing.”
In this fast-paced world, it is very important for a person to be in sync with themselves and meditation as a means to achieve the same is becoming very popular.
When you hear the word “meditation,” you may think of Buddhist monks or Hindu swamis sitting with legs crossed and eyes closed, a New Age pony-tail guy communing with nature in the woods, or wealthy folks sitting in a meditation centre in San Francisco.
But I’d suggest you beat these prejudices away. You can beat the stress and distraction to increase your productivity with quick meditation at work.
Concentrate on your breathing
This is the simplest form of meditation at work and takes just about 5-7 minutes. Find a comfortable position, keep your spine straight and now focus on your breathing. Count your breaths as you inhale and exhale. This helps you clear your mind and focus on the task at hand.
Stillness
Feeling restless and fidgety? Just find a comfortable position, close your eyes, breathe. You will find it difficult at first as you’re not used to sitting still for a long time but as you wait for a couple of minutes you’ll begin to feel relaxed, calm and your body will start loosening with this simple meditation exercise.
Olfactory/Smell focus
A lot of different oils have different calming and stress relieving properties, for this simple meditation exercise you can use either essential oils or concentrate on daily smells which are strong (food, incense, rain, perfumes etc). Concentrate on these smells, feel them go in and pay attention to what feelings they invoke in you.
Blood flow
This simple meditation exercise will help you focus on the tiniest sensation and build your focus. Tightly grip your hand in a fist for about 10-15 seconds and then release it, now focus on how the flow of blood feels on your hands and focus on it till the feeling goes away or till as long as you can do it.
Active/Physical Meditation
Using exercise as a form of meditation is also a very effective tool, after working for a stretch get up from your chair and take a 5-minute walk to clear your head and breathe. This allows your mind and body to get in sync, for example – feeling “in the zone” while playing a sport, “losing yourself in the beat” while dancing or even a “runner’s high”.
Point focus
Place an object or select a point in front of you and focus on it, acknowledge the stray thoughts and slowly bring your focus back to the object. The longer you can focus on the point/object, the more your mindfulness at work will increase.
Music
Play a calming sound or your favourite music and listen to it mindfully. Let your mind be focused on the beats and rhythm and slowly this will help clear out the external chaos and will help you focus on your work. A lot of times you may have seen people working with their headphones on listening to their “Work Playlist“, it’s meditation without realizing that one is meditating.
Apart from these simple exercises that come handy no matter where you are, you can always try incorporating certain habits that will help you stay focused :
- Use essential oil diffuser in your workspace or living space.
- If you’re an early riser, walk barefoot on the grass early in the morning for a calming effect and an improved eyesight.
- Don’t use electronic gadgets at least half an hour prior bed – let that be your “ME” time.
- Try to incorporate more “green” in your workspace and living space.
These simple meditation at work may not take much of your time in a day but can do wonders for you. 5-10 minutes of meditation will give you great returns. Look out for these successful entrepreneurs who agree that meditation is one of their strongest tools:
Jeff Weiner – CEO of LinkedIn “Part of his philosophy for success, he’s said, involves his appreciation for health, love and time. In the realm of “health,” he frequently recommends meditation at work to young entrepreneurs, his employees, and partners.”
Bill Ford – Executive Chairman of Ford Motor Company “Ford takes time to meditate at work each day, no matter what. Meditation helped him improve his productivity but also to make decisions with compassion and kindness.”
Marc Benioff – Founder of SalesForce “He meditates every morning himself before work. His practice started after he received a piece of advice from Steve Jobs to “be mindful and project the future,”
Meditation has been known to have great results when practised regularly and sincerely. Meditation can help you feel better, think better and work better. If you haven’t yet given meditation at work a chance, try carving out a spot for it in your daily routine.
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