Mindfulness at Work

Emel Yayla Yavuz // Allianz Türkiye - Agile Coach

“The most important thing is remembering the most important thing.” - Suzuki Roshi

The two words we use the most when describing our business life: Very intense. Days pass with meetings, to-do lists, deadlines to follow, and stress.

Sometimes, you may not be able to deal with the work you put in the queue at the beginning of the day at the end of the very same day. At the end of a working day like this, you may say, "What did I do today?"

One day, while preparing for a meeting, you find yourself diving into e-mails or distracting yourself on social media. It is not even surprising that the tea you just poured with enthusiasm to drink cools down without you taking a single sip.

The sine qua non of such times is the moment when you enter a room and say, “Why did I come here?”

In short, our minds are always so busy that we do not even realize that we are doing so much work on autopilot.

There is actually a way out in this regard: Mindfulness.

Just noticing the moment, not paying attention to the moment

Let's describe what is Mindfulness, which we can call Conscious Awareness.

This concept has been very popular in recent years. Creator of the MBSR (Mindfulness-based stress-reduction) program, Jon Kabat-Zinn, on which most mindfulness-based programs use as a basis, defines the concept as " awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgementally ".

This definition covers not only living in the moment and noticing the moment, paying attention to the moment, but also how we respond to what we notice; without judgment, with kindness...

Mindfulness, of course, is not a practice box with magic solutions or a magic wand that can solve all our problems. However, research supports that mindfulness is an effective method that increases attention and awareness in the workplace, providing effective use of time, focusing, flexibility, and coping with stress and burnout.

For this reason, many companies, including companies such as Google and Apple, apply mindfulness programs to their employees.

So, the critical question is: How can we bring 'mindfulness' into our daily lives to reduce stress?

Let me warn you, mindfulness is more experiential than conceptual. Applications are simple but not easy. It requires a certain discipline, just like building muscle, regular training is important.

Mindfulness has many formal applications such as body scanning, breath awareness, walking practice. You can add this concept to your life with applications that you can easily adapt to.

You can strengthen your awareness muscle with simple practices. In this way, you can focus more on the work you do, the people you are in contact with, give your attention longer, and increase your awareness with your body sensations, emotions and thoughts.

Purpose: Living our life moment by moment

“The real meditation practice is how we live our lives from moment to moment” says Jon Kabat-Zinn. Let's see what you can do to live your life moment by moment:

• Do you check your phone as soon as you get up in the morning? Instead, when you wake up, give yourself a few minutes to focus on your breathing and pay attention to your body.
• By noticing the thoughts on what to wear while brushing, what to eat for breakfast while getting dressed, what to have for dinner during breakfast, or what to do during the day, try to pay attention to whatever you are doing. Start your day by noticing the taste of your toothpaste, the color of the box, the texture and taste of the food you eat, and the delicious smell of tea.
• When leaving the house, act by recognizing that you are leaving the house and going to work and say goodbye by making one-to-one eye contact with the people at home.
• If you are driving, breathe a few times without starting the car, notice the environment you are in, your breath, without getting out of the car, without getting into the daily hustle and bustle. Try driving alone for a few days without turning on the radio.
• If you have the opportunity for a short walk while going to the office, take advantage of it and walk slowly, noticing what is happening around you.
• If you are not driving, try not to use your mobile phone immediately during the journey and try to stay by yourself.
• While working, work by focusing on one task and giving your attention to what you are doing. Don't let notifications and messages distract you. We have discussed this subject before while describing the Pomodoro technique.
• While working, be aware of your bodily condition and posture frequently at the desk. Are you nervous, or do you need movement, stretch? Take care of your need.
• Take frequent breathing and movement breaks; do not spend breaks looking at the phone or e-mails.
• Spend your lunch breaks with people you feel comfortable with. Eat several meals a week alone, mindfully, without concern for anything else.
• Before you leave your job, take a few minutes and think about what you did and achieved today.
• Smile.
• Do not rush to leave work, be aware that you are leaving.
• When you come home, greet everyone at home one by one and step into your different roles outside of work with awareness.
• Of course, you can improve and change all these suggestions. Your creativity will guide you on this path.

P.S. You can contact us by clicking here to share your experiences and ask questions about the agile working method.
 

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Sources;

Mindfulness’ın İyileştirici Gücü, Jon Kabat - Zinn

Mindfulness, Zümra Atalay