On Monday, back to work, and many of us do not want to think so. If work for you is stressful and an everyday race, a few psychological tricks will help maintain endurance and performance.
We have no control over the behavior of other people or the course of events in our work (well, except to a small extent). But we are able to control our own internal state by increasing our awareness. The practice of mindfulness will help with this. American psychologist, expert in the field of conscious communications Louise Altman tells.
The essence of the practice is that we focus our attention on emotions, feelings, thoughts, being fully present in the present, without making any judgments. American psychologist Daniel Stern, author of “Presence in the Present”1, believes that the duration of the subjective perception of the present moment ranges from 3 to 10 seconds.
Practicing mindfulness helps in a variety of situations: for depression, insomnia, eating disorders and phobias, for recovery in the postoperative period, to improve family relations. However, we can use it to our advantage in all areas of our lives. Including at work, where we spend most of our time. But we will feel the effect of it if we practice persistently and consistently, because it takes time for favorable changes in the neural circuits of the brain.
Here’s what Louise Altman recommends.
1. Make a commitment to yourself to practice mindfulness. The first step on this path is to learn to be more aware of your awareness. In essence, mindfulness is the art of being an observer to oneself, noticing one’s thoughts, feelings, and behavior. But, as mentioned above, without giving anything estimates.
2. Start simple. Say to yourself, “Today I will be mindful of _____,” and direct your attention to this aspect of your work throughout the day.
At work, take advantage of opportunities to show empathy and kindness. Colleagues also experience overload and need support
3.Start your day with a short mindfulness practice. The key to it is your breath. Instead of waking up and immediately jumping into the maelstrom of affairs, take a few minutes to yourself, observing how you feel, and determine your intentions for the current day.
4. If you tend to start your day fast, try to consciously…slow down your pace.. Even if you have to do a lot of things in a short period of time. At least your mind will be able to keep this race under control and you will be able to manage your energy better.
5. When you’re at work, try to really listen to your colleagues. This means that during a conversation you direct all the energy of attention to the interlocutor and stop focusing on yourself and your current tasks at least for a few minutes.
6. At work, do not forget to celebrate other people’s achievements, needs and difficulties; do not miss the opportunity to show empathy and kindness. Colleagues also experience overload, and they need support.
7. Pay attention to your body language. How are you sitting, what is happening with your back, shoulders, feet? There is nothing to say about the importance of being aware of your breathing – this is the key point of awareness.
Think about what kind of result you expect from this or that action – an important call, letter, meeting
8. Watch what and how you say. The words you use are the key to your physical condition. For example, you complain to your colleagues that you are overwhelmed with work – this is a signal to your brain that something unpleasant is happening or will happen.
9. Take a few minutes to think about what kind of result you want. from one or another of his actions – an important call, letter, meeting. Most of us act without having a clear idea in our minds of what exactly we want to achieve, that is, without realizing our true intentions.
10. At the end of the day at the office or in the evening at home, take time to practice introspection.. The most difficult thing here is to do without ratings. Reasoning and judgment are not the same thing. Learn to observe without judging.
Nobody says that practicing mindfulness is easy. But if we do not give up and continue to try these exercises, small changes occur in our lives at first, then they accumulate and gradually develop into habits that change our lives for the better. So why miss out on this great opportunity?
For details, see intentionalworkplace.com
1 D. Stern «Present Moment in Psychotherapy and Everyday Life» (W. W. Norton, 2004).