By Esmée Hardwick-Slack
The modern workplace is mentally and physically demanding. As business has become more global and complex, we are constantly juggling priorities, multi-tasking and chasing deadlines. Depending on your job, you will experience varying degrees of demands and stress throughout the day. We all know that stress is a productivity killer but it is also detrimental to your physical and mental health.
Taking short breaks to clear your head during the working day can help to manage and reduce stress levels. That’s where meditation breaks can help. A meditation break is quick and easy to do. Focus on taking a couple of one-minute meditation breaks throughout your working day.
A one-minute meditation break can take the following form:
- Set a timer on your phone or watch for 1 minute. Use an alarm that is at a low volume level, so that you don’t distract any of your colleagues.
- Sit in your office chair and close your eyes.
- Place your arms on your lap or on the chair’s arm rests.
- Breathe deeply. Inhale through your nose and exhale out through your mouth slowly.
- Focus on your breathing. Clear your mind and think only about your breath.
- If your mind slips away to focus on a problem or think about work, bring your focus back to your breath.
- Count each breath in order to keep your mind from thinking about work related issues.
- Once the one-minute timer goes off, take a deep breath, slowly open your eyes and go back to your work.
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If you are working in a busy office or have colleagues around, noise cancelling headphones can help to drown out distracting noises. One meditation break in the morning and one in the afternoon can be enough to help you to manage your stress levels more effectively. Best of all, doing so only takes 2 minutes out of your working day but can help to keep you feeling positive and energized.
How do you manage your stress levels? Do you take time to meditate throughout the day? Let us know in the comments or join the conversation on LinkedIn.
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