How Mindfulness Can Help You Work

December 13th, 2016

With a constant buzz of notifications and emails streaming through our phones, it is clear that we live in an age where distractions are everywhere. To be successful, a sharp focus is key and when this focus is disturbed, we often can become overwhelmed and stressed with pressures of making our businesses succeed, or managing to secure investments. With the typical 9 to 5 usually not existing as an entrepreneur, it can often become increasingly difficult to step back and regain a clear mindset. Incorporating mindfulness techniques throughout our day can relieve the pent up stress, smooth away distractions, and allow us to regain our focus.

With the rise in mindfulness and meditation apps, embracing this is becoming an ever popular way for the modern entrepreneur to cultivate productivity as it allows for more creative thoughts and gives ways to effectively manage the stress of building a business in a competitor based climate. Mindfulness can help us to achieve these things as it focuses our thoughts on the present rather than worrying about the future ‘what if’s’ where discontent and stress can breed.

Apps such as Headspace guide us through the meditation process which does not have to be done in a quiet, seated environment with which it is generally associated. Apps such as these allow us to weave meditation into our day in as much time as we have as with even a single deep breath, our focus is immediately guided to the present. Often coming out of meditation, the relaxed feeling allows us to think positively and realistically and guides us to the next step which we must take. The release of a single breath can automatically release the stressful thoughts or tension so that we can utilise our brain’s incredible abilities of judgement and decision making which all become much more honed when our mind feels less pressured.

Throughout this meditation our minds can often wander, but mindfulness ensures that this is not wrong, but natural and is part of the process of training ourselves to focus more quickly and efficiently which will benefit our business. Particularly in a workspace which is fast paced, full of screens wanting to be stared at, charts needing to be analysed, mindfulness allows us to steer away from being lured into an attraction, but to redirect our breathing and bring us back to our work.

Mindfulness is simple to learn and can be adapted to suit you.

Take this 3 minute mindfulness exercise to help you find a new method of being aware of your breath and help to clear away distractions.

• Focus on your posture, whether this is sitting or standing.
• Begin taking note of your breathing and the whether it is deep or shallow. If you are breathing through your mouth or nose.
• Notice how your body is moving, how your ribcage elevates and your shoulders relax.
• Imagine how your diaphragm is lifting as you exhale, and lowering as you inhale.
• Again, begin to focus on your posture and the air flowing into your body, and as it leaves, taking any distraction with it.

Mindfulness exercises are at their most effective when practiced frequently. The more you practice them, the more you will find yourself feeling peaceful and more focused by not allowing yourself to become distracted.