Meditation and Mindfulness at Work

There are a lot of blog posts and articles on meditation and mindfulness (particularly mindfulness as that's such an 'in' word the last 2-3 years). I've noticed that so many of them carry the allure of a quick fix; the instant gratification that we are all so hooked on in this century!

So, let's start with the really bad news - anyone selling mindfulness or meditation as a quick fix is peddling snake oil (albeit with the best intentions). I'll follow that up with the (hopefully not unexpected) newsflash that this post won't promise you anything of the kind!

However, take heart, all is not lost, seek and you will be rewarded, sayeth the wise Buddha-esque geek. What I can give you is a clear picture of why you should bother even trying, an understanding of the path ahead, and a glimpse into where to start (should you still wish to travel the road less-travelled). Because I’m very interested in harnessing the benefits of meditation to improve daily work, I will discuss at least briefly how your practice can be woven into your work day, and why you might want to go there. 

MINDFULNESS AND MEDITATION - WHAT ARE THEY?

Let's start with some definitions - meditation, mindfulness, what? It’s not that complicated and I offer 2 really straightforward meanings:

Mindfulness simply means to be mindful; aware of where your mental focus is right now

Meditation is a sustained period of mindfulness (or at least that's the goal)

See, how easy was that - at this rate I won't get anywhere near the ideal word count for a blog post (yes I'm sad enough to have googled that).

WHY YOU SHOULD PRACTICE MINDFULNESS

Mindfulness is a journey encompassed in each step, and the reasons you should consider setting out are equally simple.

• Improved concentration with complex tasks as well as the ability to tune out unwanted distractions more easily.

• Multiple studies have shown lessened symptoms for sufferers of chronic pain, depression, and anxiety.

• A study using fMRI scans to measure activation of the “fight or flight” response in the amygdala (our “cave-man” brain), showed a marked decrease after 2 months, translating as lower cortisol production and faster recovery from stress-inducing situations.

• A similar Harvard study determined that 8 weeks of 20-minute-per-day mindfulness sessions could increase the cortical thickness of strands in the hippocampus – the part of our brain associated with long-term memory and learning.

• Long term meditation (observed in subjects practicing 20 years or more) has shown marked decreases in the natural loss of brain mass as we age. This is beginning to be linked to delays in the onset of some geriatric conditions.

Putting aside any potential medical benefits, I want to highlight the importance of improved concentration, increased brain volume, and decreased stress response to your work life. Stop losing your temper at co-workers and management; start having more time each day to enjoy the tasks before you; solve problems faster, easier, better – because you just got smarter!

The benefits of regular meditation are only available if you stay regular (I know I sound like Mother now). Regular means perhaps 20 minutes per day, and you get no ‘days off’. In wellness and ill-health, the benefits accrue. In fact, it is the days when shining brightly is a struggle, that a regular cadence pays the greatest dividends. When you take days (or weeks) out, the effect is something like that of the aerobic impact on a long-distance runner, where just 2 weeks without training can leave them gasping on the smallest of hills. The good news is that, just like a marathoner, getting back into daily training soon puts you back on track. 

“Begin at the beginning”

I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “begin at the beginning”. For meditation that means making a small space in your busy life to become mindful. Guided meditation is often the most comfortable platform to start from. There are many great apps and audio series available for this, and I’d recommend Headspace as a great starting point. You can start with just ten minute sessions and build your stamina along with your skill in avoiding distraction over a period of weeks and months. 

If your workplace is sympathetic, they may be willing to provision a meditation room, or perhaps you could pitch a corporate training session for the whole team (e.g. renowned practitioner Gelong Thubten offers such a service). For many that won’t be the case – but despair not Cinderella, you shall attend the ball. Make your guided meditation the starting point for each day. If you live in a busy house, rise a little earlier to make that possible. You don’t need a special room; you don’t even need peace and quiet (although meditating in the middle of a house party might not be the best place to start out). 

To get the most from your practice in relation to your work, begin to turn small daily tasks into mindful moments. I find that brushing my teeth, climbing stairs, or making espresso are all ideal opportunities to focus on the here and now; seeing nothing but the activity itself; aware of each step. Focal points can be anything: your breath, the pressure of your feet against the floor, a constant sound/smell/sight.  

PRACTICAL BENEFITS OF DAILY MEDITATION

Even before you start looking for opportunities for mindfulness in your working day, you can expect to see practical benefit from the once a day regular session. This will tend to be individual, governed by your personality, your previous natural stress levels, your workload, and role. For me, this manifests in several practical ways, and I began to notice these impacts after just a few weeks:

• I am less inclined to lose my temper when people are less efficient or thoughtful than I would like. Instead I can be more patient, helpful and collaborative in achieving goals.

• I don’t have the same tendency to judge another’s actions and reactions. I find myself wanting to assume the best, and working from that place often gets better results (I don’t know why it took meditation to help me see that).

• My workload is often huge, and sudden change (increase) can be unavoidable. Before, this was a huge source of stress, but now it seems somehow to have become more manageable.

• I get more done. This is because I focus more intently on the task at hand, tuning out distractions. From that, I actually get a greater diversity of tasks completed and off my list in a given day.  

IT’S NOT A RACE!

Just remember – this is not a race, and as much as you will want to see the benefit as soon as possible, the prize will undoubtedly elude you the more intently you pursue it. In meditation, you focus in order to train your awareness, so that you can notice when you are distracted and be conscious of how you choose to react. If you choose to focus on desirable outcomes, you are much less likely to gain that crucially important awareness!

The ultimate goal, dear padawan, is for your day to become a series of mindful moments, with no space for chaos in between. I’m not there yet, but I see glimpses and it excites me. In your future (and mine) are days where everything is clear and bright and beautiful. It costs you nothing more than an investment in yourself, but as the saying goes, “It’s easy but it’s not simple”. It will take dedication, compassion, and awareness to allow yourself to get there. May the force be with you!

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About the Author:

KYLE RICHARDSON

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