How to Meditate at Work: Tips to Improve Focus & Increase Production

Many people don’t associate their workplace with the mindfulness and serenity of meditation. After all, aren’t the benefits of meditation supposed to alleviate the stress of the office? Though it may seem counterintuitive, work is actually one of the best environments to train our awareness! The trick is, finding a reliable way to meditate at work.

Mindful meditation has an incredible impact on one’s personal life and thought process. Taking a moment each day to focus on the present moment boosts productivity and centers the soul. This guide will explain why spending a few minutes meditating at work can change the way we experience our job, manage time, and cope with stress!

Is It Important to Meditate at Work?

Mindfulness helps us manage stress, and the workplace can be a source of anxiety for some employees. Meditating during a quick break can help change these feelings, causing us to focus our attention on positive things like our productivity. When we’re mindful on the job, every experience is a new potential exercise for the mind.

Although, everyone has their preferences, so it is not necessarily better to practice meditation at work than at home. Both areas provide their own benefits, however, it may take more effort to push stressful thoughts away at the office. Luckily, similar to physical exercise, mental stimulation can have a greater payoff if more work is required.

Mental health is much more subjective than physical fitness. It may be the case that some cannot meditate without absolute silence or feel much better without candles or music being part of the session. Not every job allows these luxuries, so meditating at the office might not be for everyone.

Related Article: When is the Best Time to Meditate? Improve Your Meditation Sessions

What are the Benefits of Meditating at Work?

Meditation centers attention and reinforces personal goals. It can also help us find ways to manage workloads, increase focus, reduce stress, and cope with anxiety. When you spend five to ten minutes each day practicing mindfulness, you’ll find that there are certain situations or tasks out of our control.

Meditation lets us instead pay attention to the things we can control. Rather than wasting time thinking about other employees or tedious tasks, we can quickly get the job done to the best of our ability and move on. Research has also looked into the validity of claims that meditation reduces the symptoms of conditions like high blood pressure and irritable bowel syndrome. The findings of this research may surprise you!

How to Meditate at Work

One of the most important aspects of meditation is managing our expectations. People new to practicing mindfulness might close their eyes, believing they will achieve enlightenment after 10 minutes of inactivity. There is no “wrong” way to meditate, but if you start with these expectations, you may be disappointed when the session is over!

Meditation is all about finding the right balance. We can use meditation techniques while also working or even walking. Try to practice controlling your breath, pushing away anxious thoughts, and focusing on life goals as you work.

The first step in any meditation experience is to know that we are actively meditating. Rather than retroactively claiming the company meeting or drive to work was practice, make a plan and head into your place of business ready to be mindful. Using these simple methods, you can turn any room or area into a sanctuary!

Breathe

Meditation is focusing on what we have power over, and one thing we can always control is our breathing. A co-worker may be frustrating, or an assignment might be difficult, but panicked or upset breathing isn’t a great way to solve these annoyances. Instead, feel your breaths coming in and out of your body and try to keep them calm and deep. Some days, even relaxed breathing can be challenging. This is okay, and it is the reason we practice meditation.

Try using this technique, called 4-7-8 breathing, to help you find a good respiratory rhythm:

• Exhale fully through an open mouth.
• Close your mouth and inhale through your nose for four seconds.
• Hold your breath for seven seconds.
• Exhale through your mouth for eight seconds.
• Repeat four times.

Drink Water

It is easier to focus on mental health when the body is taken care of. The most vital form of nutrition for our health is water. Of all the ways we can minimize stress at work, proper hydration (3-4 liters daily) is one of the most essential.

The old adage states that eight glasses of water every day is necessary for our body to avoid dehydration. However, in general, this is much less water than the average person needs and therefore the saying has little to no medical merit. After all, our bodies already have the perfect system for informing us of dehydration: thirst!

When you feel thirsty, opt for water instead of dehydrating drinks like soda. Another test to ensure you’re getting enough water is urine color. Dark urine usually means you’re not well-hydrated.

CBD for Meditation at Work

Cannabidiol (CBD) is another excellent way to center the mind and get revitalized. Simple and portable options such as CBD tincture, isolate, and vape cartridges make cannabidiol use more convenient than ever. Whether you take cannabidiol on the way to your place of business, on your lunch break, or after a full day of working, CBD and meditation can go hand in hand.

CBD promotes the functionality of our endocannabinoid system (ECS). The ECS is responsible for many functions in our bodies, including digestion, mood, and heart rate. Although it comes from hemp, CBD does not induce any intoxicating effects when it interacts with the ECS, but rather promotes feelings of overall wellness and homeostasis. Meditation is all about the mind, and many consumers claim that CBD encourages mental clarity.

CBD complements the ECS by interacting with cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2) spread throughout the body. Many CB2 receptors are located in the immune and gastrointestinal systems, while most of the CB1 receptors are found in the brain.

Focus on the Sights & Sounds Around You

When we lose track of the moment, we can get stuck inside our own heads. When this happens, we should take a minute to remind ourselves of the difference between our thoughts and reality. For example, worrying about an upcoming meeting or presentation is less productive than preparing ourselves for the situation.

To bring ourselves back to reality and start working on the things we can control, we need to focus on the sights and sounds of the environment around us. The simple act of losing yourself in the moment is an excellent technique for practicing mindfulness. Spending time paying attention to the present is what meditation’s all about!

Visualize A Place of Happiness

Even if you’ve never meditated before, you might still have heard people using a popular technique. “Go to your happy place” may sound like escapism, but part of meditation is about the environment. We can’t always lie back on a beach or sit cross-legged on a mountaintop, but visualizing a place of happiness can help us quickly slip back into a peaceful state.

If you’ve ever experienced an aroma that suddenly triggered a memory, this is similar to the practice of visualizing a comforting space. It is almost as if we are tricking our brains into believing we’re really on that beach or mountaintop. In reality, we’re reminding ourselves that we can control our state of mind regardless of external factors. If we provide proper planning and practice, we can perform this accomplishment at work!

Walking Meditation

Sometimes, we just need to get outside. Luckily, we get mandatory breaks from work and we can go outside for a moment of peace. The refreshing scents and clean air does wonders for the mind and soul. This is partially due to mental factors, such as the feeling of freedom and possibility. Additionally, the technique of paying attention to the sights and sounds around you is especially peaceful in the great outdoors!

That soothing feeling we get when we step out of the office is also somewhat biological. The tranquil and relaxed aromatic qualities of terpenes exist in the natural world all around us. Next time the burdens of work are getting to you, take a minute to go for a walk.

Can You Meditate with Music?

Racing thoughts can impede our workflow. Some find that their brain begins to wander or race when there is too much silence. Music can alleviate these worried or daydreaming thoughts, allowing us to remain mindful and pay attention to the task at hand.

Music does this by reducing distractions. When there is utter silence, the brain tries to latch onto any sound and make meaning out of it, similar to how we make shapes out of clouds. If we supply our brains with a steady beat, it is less likely to get distracted at every small noise.

Final Thoughts – How to Meditate at Work

Meditating at work may be tough, but anything worthwhile takes a bit of training. The best part about meditation practice is that there are no consequences from a failed session. Tomorrow is another day, and the most important aspect of mindfulness is making the attempt!

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