GUIDE TO MINDFULNESS

Mindfulness - A Meditation For Success At Work

As professionals, we have our plates full with one task leading to another. Stress gives us little time to take a break and focus on the other side of our lives, the personal space. Our busy schedules make it too costly to spend a peaceful family time and catch up with friends, making the decisions harder. This is where being mindful of your life’s course comes in. Rather than getting consumed in the rat race we often talk about, we should rather pause and check what our life is becoming.

Adapting mindfulness is not rocket science; we can instill it in our life however we want to. The guide to mindfulness is all about adapting the right kinds of attitude to develop your capacity so that you lead a more meaningful life. The following attitudes can enhance your outlook on the world around you, giving you peace of mind. Who would not want that?

1. Acceptance – It does not mean accepting what others want you to; it is about coming to terms with your own feelings instead of running away from them. Once you acknowledge where you are, it will be easier to get to the needed change.
2. Curiosity – It is okay to have the urge of knowing something. Becoming curious about your own thoughts and feelings will lead you to answers. Ask yourself those questions which decode your emotions.
3. Let it go – Holding on seems easier, but it has pain hidden beneath it. You should be mindful of the harm negative memories can bring you, so do not dwell deep in the past which can harm your future.
4. Be rational – Rather than categorizing your experiences into good or bad, just observe them with an open mind. If you begin classifying them, your thoughts will be channeled in that direction.
5. Don’t strive – We often see escape as the easier option if things do not go as planned and jot down the goal for another experience. That is a bad practice; do not ruin your capabilities by being too dependent on goals.
6. Believe – Be confident in yourself, your intuition and mindful living.

Now that we laid out the paths of the ultimate guide to mindfulness, following are the driving forces which will get you to the destination. These factors will help you be aware of mindfulness so keep them in your sight so that you can turn back to them. Pin them up on your cupboard, maybe?

1. Intentions- As we often hear that actions are based on intentions; they are a major driving tool for your mindful journey. Interestingly, they are the starting and the ending points because intentions are what we hope to get out of a mindful change in our lives. Therefore, have faith in them and do not alienate from the motivation itself. Whether you want stress elimination or meet your true self, your intentions will keep you on track. The stronger your intention is, the regular you will be in practicing mindfulness.

1. Attention – In order to be regular in practicing mindfulness, you need to enhance your attention. You can develop attentive attitude through meditation be it tradition or informal.

1. Attitude – At this point, we would like you to go back to the attitudes we introduced to and pay attention to how you can adapt them easily.

Now that general rules of your guide to mindfulness are set, we will give you some daily life hack to enhancing mindful living. The great thing about this art is that you can practice it anytime; you do not need to go out of the way.

1. Communicating – When in conversation with someone else, hear the tone of yours and their voice. Catch your thoughts wandering away and drag yourself back to the conversation or else you will hurt feelings.
2. Exercise – Next time you step on the treadmill or go out for a walk; keep your mind on the track your body is on. Focus on your emotions and the environment around you rather than how the person in front of you is working out. Be curious!
3. Holidays – Take a break and treat yourself with a vacation away from your comfort zone. Sipping lemonade at the beach should not be making you plan your next holiday, rather enjoy the surroundings before you need to pack and leave. We would advise you to keep your camera and phone away, too.   
4. Music – Our moods mostly shift gears with the music we listen to. Plug you earphones and play your favorite songs and catch the sounds bits appearing from nowhere and then disappearing back into silence.
5. Live in the moment – It is either now or never, so slow down and get caught in the moment. Refresh yourself with sniffing the roses on the side of your jogging track instead of hurrying to finish the jog.

While you are done reading and thinking of where to begin the quick fix, bear in mind that being mindful is a journey not a destination. The simplest of actions will kick start a chain reaction and you will find yourself living life in a very simple way. You will begin to see things in the way they are, without any influence just so that you know what you need to be happy and what needs to be left behind because it is not needed for your personal and professional development. We wish you a happy journey!

Love,

Peace Quarters

The Ultimate Guide to Mindfulness at Work, Because It Matters.

By M Taha Alam— July 16, 2014 0 682

This world is a programmed race and that is not something only we claim, struggles through the day and finally the commencement whenever it does. The entire days struggle usually comes with stress and once you know how to fight back, your sunset will be a bright one. However, the skills you would need to manage your emotional being and the workplace relations attached are never taught at school. Neither will someone be your savior unless you master them yourself. Science, today, has crafted a vast area of study under ‘mindfulness’.Mindfulness, originating from Buddhist traditions, encompasses the master art of developing new neural networks control your emotional mind.

Discoveries have pushed mindfulness into today’s world and to our good luck it may work as magic helping us to be ahead in the workplace struggle. Most of the struggle comprises of how you manage your relations with the people working with you. You will not have to win over anyone; practicing mindfulness will help you be victorious over your weaknesses. Once you increase your focused attention on the current situation, you will draw a conclusion without judgment.

It is in your domain, all you have to do is sit back and read through, and you may thank us later.

Let Go of That Negativity Within

Imagine your colleague got the salary bonus instead while you think you worked harder for it, now you dwell into depression telling yourself how you must not be friends with him anymore. No, that will not be the solution and neither will it promise you next month’s reward. Enhance your thoughts in the present and string them with positivity. If he got it this month, he did not steal your share. Rather he worked for it as much as any other employee did. Share that positive vibe of victory, do not alienate from it.

You Are Not The Same, Let It Go

Often we base our future interactions on our past rather than leaving it behind.  Past, present and future are all in different time frames and they must not impact one another. Practice mindfulness to segment them differently so that your interactions with your colleagues are in no way based on the unpleasant incidents of the past. Every day, start afresh.

Today Is A Fresh Start

Like we mentioned earlier, leaving the past behind will let you embrace the future eagerly. Enhanced thought process will regenerate neural patterns which make you be that someone who loves their job. Enter the office with that winner smile because you earned it, inspire every co – worker you greet on the way. Yes, greet them even if they do not.

Learn Till You Earn, Then Learn More

Your learning will not come only from your boss and neither will it be a new thing every time. Open your mind to be mindful of the best practices around you. Trace them in that janitor’s behavior which makes him punctual. Acknowledge and embrace it, it will make you admire those who work below you.

Thank You, Merci, Danggsche – They All Mean The Same

We do acknowledge that thank you is a word present in every language; it will be understood and appreciated no matter how you say it. Pay attention to minute details of your co-workers because in their course of everyday struggle, you will find them doing things for you. If your colleague in the next booth is keeping his voice low over the phone, he is doing it so that you do not get disturbed. Hear that effort and thank him, in any way possible.

Listen To Understand

We always want to be heard and the best way to expand our attention is to listen to others for the sake of understanding, not just replying.  It will not only be doing something for others, rather you will be helping yourself as well. Focusing on others will take your mind away from your to-do worries and boost co-operation simultaneously.

Take A Breather

It is impossible to persist with work in a linear pattern, it is in all honesty, of no use. Begin to time your breaks and go for a walk, roam around the office, sit outside and have a breath. Feel the attachment with nature that a human has and begin to feel the freedom within your office space. This breather is your space, leave everything on your desk before you walk away only to come back refreshed.

Your Body Speaks As Much

One’s body language talks louder than their words. Often speech uttered with the right kind of body language will be understood more, therefore display the right kind of gestures when someone else is conversing with you. If you are in a meeting; nod, sit up straight and avoid unnecessary hand moments to reflect your attention rather than losing it. It will make your colleagues trust you and you will be present more.

Choose Your Words Wisely

Analyze every word before uttering as if you are in the listener’s shoes. Our words have an effect on the audience as well as us. Therefore, focus on what you say to others by using appropriate words. If you tell your co-worker that it is ‘impossible’ to meet the deadline, then you will end up making less effort. Watch your words before they are marked.

Do You See Your Own Reflection? You Must

At the end of the day, reflect upon your reactions to incidents at work and how they developed your relations with your co-workers or weakened them. Analyze every detail thoroughly to know how firm you were on your emotional grounds. Notice actions without judgment so that you can eliminate personal bias, for positive interactions.

Be Aware of Your Own Mindfulness with Your Bosses

After browsing though mindful dynamics of working with our colleagues, we must acknowledge the authority which is governing us. Chalk out the parameters of your independence and the position of your boss to avoid transgression. Practicing mindfulness will enable you to be alert so that you do not go overboard.

Practicing mindfulness during your everyday interactions with your colleagues helps you stay attuned to being positive. It will not be a day’s work, therefore practice it over and over so that you master it gradually.

Be mindful everyday to let it become your default way of working as you must not seek happiness elsewhere, it lies within.

 Tagged with: Inner Peace, Mindfulness