Hello,
My name is Jason Luke and as a member of the Mindful Workplace Alliance,
I'm honored to be part of your Mindful Workplace Month.
Today I'm going to share with you a couple of ways that I bring mindfulness into my work day that might perhaps spark curiosity and a willingness for you to try some of these things.
One of my favorite times to meditate is when I'm commuting on the bus to the office.
Once I'm settled into a seat,
I bring my attention to my breath or sometimes use the richness of the sounds around me as part of my practice.
If I'm not able to get a seat,
I simply practice a standing meditation and notice the sensations in my body as the bus accelerates and turns throughout the city.
I'll use the timer with Insight Timer so that when I finish,
I can see if any of my friends or colleagues were meditating with me to send some gratitude their way.
Every morning,
I write out what my top three priorities are.
By declaring what I want to have turn out,
I'm able to keep those priorities top of mine as I continue through the day.
One of the ways I'm able to complete my most important tasks is by single tasking.
Research shows that multitasking is actually less efficient even though it might feel more efficient.
When I work on an important project,
I keep my attention on that and disconnect from email and instant messaging for periods to be able to complete the task at hand.
My team and clients know that if it's critically important,
That they may call me or walk over to my desk if they need me.
I will put up an out of office message to signal that I'm working on an important project so that people know while also sharing how I may be reached if there's something urgent.
At a mindfulness conference,
I learned about a visual hack to help minimize distractions when using technology,
Setting my devices to gray scale so that the screens are black and white.
I have this applied to all my devices.
The lack of vibrant colors makes the screens less distracting,
Allowing me to focus on what I need to be doing or using.
Of course,
I go back to color when I'm enjoying content or need to see color.
Part of the practice is being able to choose when I'm allowing the icons to potentially hijack my attention.
When I'm taking a lunch break and connecting with a colleague,
I give myself permission to be fully present with them.
This means that my phone is away,
Usually at my desk,
And I'm giving them my undivided attention.
We can actually be more productive when we take a break and getting to share a meal with a colleague gives me the opportunity to practice mindfulness in the context of a relationship.
When I listen,
I am seeking to understand rather than to respond.
Sometimes when I'm eating with myself,
I take the opportunity to bring my full attention to what I'm eating and how my body feels as I'm eating it.
Noticing the beauty of the colors of each of the foods,
Savoring each bite as I chew,
And becoming aware of sensations in my body.
A mindful meeting practice my teams use is taking a moment to arrive.
We all have those days when we're going back to back,
Transitioning from one meeting to the next.
Before my team meetings start,
We take our time to allow ourselves to settle in and arrive.
We pause in silence for about two to three minutes,
Taking a moment to check in to see how we're feeling,
Set an intention for the meeting,
And then allow ourselves to notice and be with our breath.
Another way I bring mindfulness to my work is by staying open to new possibilities.
I am always open to learning new things to continue to grow as a person and never believe that I'm finished doing that.
I'm evaluating conferences,
Workshops,
And training programs where I feel there is something for me to further develop my capacities in.
When I receive constructive feedback,
Whether from a teammate or a client,
I see it as an opportunity to operate in a different way to become even better.
In the afternoon,
I do take a formal meditation break with some colleagues in my office.
We have a reoccurring calendar invite with an understanding that any of us may change the time if we need to juggle our schedules for other meetings.
Holding space on my calendar allows me to remember to take a mid-afternoon break to recharge and stay my best.
This has also created a little community,
Allowing me to connect with my colleagues in another way.
At the end of the day,
I write down the three things that I am most grateful for.
These can be big or small,
Whatever has left an impression on me as I reflect on what happened over the course of the day.
Whether it's a safe flight to my destination or help from a teammate on a project,
There are no limits.
As humans,
We tend to dwell on the negative,
And this journaling exercise helps us and me to shift and stay in the positive.
Enjoy the formal practices this week on Insight Timer,
And remember that mindfulness can be practiced informally,
Like in some of the examples I shared earlier.
Make each moment count.
I'll guide you through a meditation to give you a momentary break to yourself in your workday.
Start by finding a comfortable posture in your seat or in a standing position.
Close your eyes if you'd like,
Or just keep a soft gaze about 45 degrees below.
Let's start by taking a couple of deep breaths in through the nose,
Exhaling out through the mouth.
Taking one more deep breath if you'd like,
And then gradually allowing your breathing to return to its natural rhythm in and out through the nose.
Come into the present moment by noticing our body,
Noticing our body against the chair that's supporting us,
The surface beneath our feet.
Being curious to any sensation you might experience,
There could be temperature-related sensations,
Texture sensations,
You might notice an absence of sensation.
Whatever you might be noticing,
The invitation is to simply be curious,
Like a scientist.
Take a moment now to scan your body,
Seeing if you can locate any areas of stress or tension.
Oftentimes we hold stress and tension in our shoulders,
In our jaw.
See if perhaps by simply noticing,
We can invite our bodies to soften and relax.
Now take a moment to check in with yourself emotionally.
Ask,
How do I feel in this moment?
Whatever emotion or emotions you might be feeling,
See if you can simply observe without trying to judge or change whatever is present or arising for you,
Just noticing.
As we bring this short practice to a close,
Rest your attention on your breathing.
Wherever your breath feels the clearest to you,
Whether it's the sensation of airflow through your nostrils,
Or the rising and falling of your chest,
Or the expanding and contracting of your belly,
Simply allowing these last precious moments to unfold one breath at a time.
Please continue to observe this morning and this afternoon.
Dim vem would be blowing later.
Very good.
Begin to make your way back,
Wiggling the toes,
Wiggling the fingers,
Opening the eyes as if they were closed.
