How To Incorporate Mindfulness At Work
According to the American Institute for stress, the workplace is responsible for nearly 75% of reported stress. It is really important to manage your work-related stress in a way that is healthy and productive, and mindfulness may be the key. Being mindful at work results in higher productivity and wellbeing, so is beneficial to the business as well as yourself. Read on to find out the best 4 ways to use mindfulness when stressed at work.
1. Know When to Say “No”
Mindfulness is largely about knowing yourself and becoming aware of stress triggers, this includes being observant to your limits. If you don’t know your limits, you can easily become overworked and overwhelmed before you even realize that there’s a problem. The workplace is one area that is especially prone to pushing and exceeding healthy limits. 
Being mindful at work by saying “no” to tasks that exceed your limit, is a scary thing to do, but absolutely essential to your mental wellbeing. If you explain to your boss or co-workers that you simply do not have the time or energy to successfully complete the assignment to the best of your abilities, chances are this will not affect your job performance outlook.
2. Get to Work 15 Minutes Early
I know, this sounds counter productive to being mindful, but it can be a great way to tackle work stress head-on.
When you get to work 15 minutes early, use that time to be mindful and get a good feel of the day. It gives you a chance to catch your breath and maybe make yourself a cup of coffee, in a relaxed manner and generally have space to just be, before you start your working day. By being mindful in your office or at work, as opposed to at home, the practice creates an atmosphere that is more mindful and relaxed. This atmosphere will help you throughout the rest of the day. How you start your day, is usually, how the rest of your day pans out. So to start off in a quiet relaxed way is an excellent routine to have.
Do not allow your boss or colleagues to get you to commence work, before your normal working start time, although you are in work, it is on your terms. Set strong boundary’s to your own free time.
3. Be Mindful During Breaks
Find a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted, you could also practice some mediation or yoga. You could also incorporate some stretches, or neck rolls, to release tension, this also helps to keep you relaxed. Just listening to your favourite music with headphones on is a good way of destressing. You can even do this if you are in a place with interruptions. By being mindful during your work breaks, you’ll be better able to manage your workplace stress and come back to work more energized and a lot more productive.
4. Leave Work at Work
This may seem like an obvious no-brainer, but be mindful by leaving work at work. A lot of stress is caused when you refuse to separate your personal and work life. Whenever it is time to go home, program your mind to leave the work behind you. It will still be there in the morning. An excellent mindset to start is to visualize yourself leaving your workload at the door on your way out. Start thinking of something nice as soon as you leave work, so to break the normal work thought process. A very easy way of doing this is to once again, put on headphones and listen to some music. The sort of music that instantly grabs you and makes you feel better. 
All of the above ideas are simple to input but will have a major effect on your life. Being aware of areas that require improvement is the first step in improving them. Once you aware of these areas, you are a step closer to resolving them and living a more relaxed life.
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