How to Bring Meditation Into the Workplace
Most of us are busy at work, busy in our social lives and – sometimes – too busy to even get a good night’s sleep. According to the National Sleep Foundation’s (NSF’s) 2013 International Bedroom Poll, the amount of sleep the average person logs each night has been steadily decreasing over the past century, with the average American now getting just six-and-a-half hours sleep a night during a typical five-day work week. Chances are that you fall into this average, and find yourself feeling stressed at least some of the time as a direct result of the pressures of time and the amount you have to do.
According to research by the American Psychological Association, 48% of Americans say stress has a negative impact on both their personal and professional lives. Additionally, 42% admit to not doing enough to manage their stress, while a worrying 20% of Americans say they never engage in activity to help relieve the stress they experience. However, studies show that taking just 15 minutes each day to mindfully meditate can help subdue rising stress and anxiety, and the good news is that it’s easy enough to practice it at work.
Maybe you think that you absolutely don’t have time to meditate at work, or maybe you’re sceptical of the benefits of mindfully meditating for such a short space of time in the midst of your busy office environment. But, no matter how busy you are, making time for meditation will have a positive impact on both your productivity levels and your happiness. You can begin by practicing the art of mindful drinking with your water, before learning how to complete a ten minute body scan at your desk, which is designed to enable you to effectively get in touch with your body, let go of demands, and release pent-up emotions.
For other ideas on how to bring meditation into your workplace, read our full infographic below.
Sources
Allan, G. D. (2014). The Google engineer teaching happiness in three steps. bbc.com
American Psychological Association. (2015). Stress in America: Paying With Our Health. apa.org
Bates, J. (2015). Mindfulness: a wonderful anxiety cure you ought to know. refinethemind.com
Eisler, M. (2015). How to squeeze meditation into your busy schedule. chopra.com
Fredrickson, B. L., Cohn, M. A., Coffey, K. A., Pek, J., Finkel, S. M. (2008). Open hearts build lives: positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. psycnet.apa.org
Gladding, R. (2013). This is your brain on meditation. psychologytoday.com
Mindful. (2012). The body scan practice. mindful.org
Wing, J.F., Schutte, N.S., Byrne. B. (2006). The effect of positive writing on emotional intelligence and life satisfaction. onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Young, K. (2015). Ask the experts – does meditation work for everyone? telegraph.co.uk
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