We love our jobs. And we don’t shy away from a good challenge, but we feel frazzled and overwhelmed with all that demands our attention—it’s our attention, our focus, which feels like a rapidly depleting resource. This scarcity in mental capacity is resulting in increased participation and curiosity about an ancient technique: meditation.
Professionals from all industries are incorporating meditation into their workdays as a way to balance the demands of their jobs and their mental well-being. And while meditation can seem intimidating, at its core it’s simply the practice of allowing your mind to do less for a designated amount of time. That’s it. Ready to hop in? Here are five ways to get started:
For the new and the hesitant: Download a meditation app.
As you ease into the practice of meditation, it can be helpful to have the guidance and gentle reminders of an app. And while our phones are often a source of stress and overstimulation, meditation apps have become very popular. Headspace, a well-liked and well-designed app, has a free intro course that walks you through meditation basics (essentially, sit down, close your eyes and breathe). If you want more specific courses, you can become a paid member. There are plenty of app options. Calm is a popular choice, as is The Mindfulness App.
For the task-oriented: Try guided meditations.
While a meditator can certainly concern themselves with nothing more than a few quiet minutes, some like to meditate on something specific, say cultivating gratitude or learning to let go of control. The Chopra Center, founded by Deepak Chopra, offers several free guided meditations online. As our days fill up with endless tasks, taking a moment to truly focus on one goal, one thought, can feel like a mental and spiritual renewal.
For the well-intentioned, but forgetful: Pick a place.
When you decide to incorporate meditation into your work life, you may find it’s easy to get caught up in the day to day. Next thing you know, it’s 5 p.m., your shoulders are tense, your mind’s racing, and you never made time for your well-deserved five minutes of quiet. Meditation shouldn’t become one more task to fit in. Instead, weave meditation into your day, so it becomes a thoughtless part of your routine. Perhaps you use bathroom breaks as a chance to sit alone and focus on your breath. Perhaps you allow ten minutes after lunch for quiet before jumping back into your inbox. Pick a daily task and tie your mediation to it.
For the cooped up: Get outside.
One of the most natural ways to meditate is in nature. It’s been proven by study after study, spending time outdoors reduces stress and increases pleasure. Even if you don’t sit and complete a full meditation, a leisurely mid-day stroll can do wonders for your mental health. If you feel your mind returning to the office, gently bring it to the present. Look at your surroundings. Take pleasure in the details. Hunt for beauty.
For the swamped: Harness your focus.
It can help to choose an object and simply devote your entire mind to it. Perhaps you dedicate five minutes to a beloved office plant. Don’t give it a cursory glance. Instead, truly study it. Allow yourself to consider every leaf, every stem. Notice the way the light hits it, the way it shoots from its container. Dive into your appreciation. We spend so much time trying to “do it all,” we don’t leave enough time in our days to appreciate all the small, wondrous things that bring us joy. And there is no antidote to stress quite as potent as joy.
