Mindfulness at Work

I often come across articles prophesying the miracles of “mindfulness at work” — how a few deep breaths and a dash of awareness can supposedly transform your work experience and improve cooperation among colleagues. And while I wholeheartedly applaud any effort to create a more peaceful workplace, I have to point out that, in my view, mindfulness at work is no different from mindfulness anywhere else… in any other situation or environment.

Mindfulness is open for business 24/7/365 — an equal-opportunity employer (and quite possibly a very woke one) — and fully DEI-approved. In fact, there’s never a moment when mindfulness isn’t hiring. It’s always available, always accepting applications (pun absolutely intended).

Mindfulness principles are the same no matter where you are — it’s just the environment that changes. But I know, I know… marketing, marketing… and worse yet, niche marketing.

Following this trend, I could just as easily write about mindfulness on vacation, mindfulness with your in-laws, mindfulness as a Cirque du Soleil performer, or even mindfulness in Vegas (and yes, “it stays there”… except, of course, when it doesn’t — because mindfulness tends to follow you if you let it). After some consideration, though, these might actually make great topics for future posts — so stay tuned.  

There are a few core tenets of mindfulness that apply anywhere, anytime. These include paying attention to the constant stream of thoughts flowing through your mind, noticing patterns and recurring themes, and becoming aware of the surprising or unexpected ideas that occasionally pop up. Over time, you begin learning how to quiet those thoughts — or sometimes, let them drift away entirely. And of course, there’s the timeless favorite: being fully present in and of the moment.

As you’ve probably guessed, in this series — Mindfulness at Work — I’ll be focusing on everyday situations from the workplace that many of you can likely relate to. Next to family life, the office is a gold mine of opportunities to test our patience, perspective, and practice. Having spent many (many) years in office environments, I’ve become quite adept at using the interactions, politics, and hierarchies within them as tools for my mindfulness practice.

The workplace is an excellent training ground for mindfulness because, where two or more people gather, there’s bound to be a round of Olympic-level office politics — those intricate interplays between egos, each expertly pressing the other’s buttons in a quest for mild (or total) world domination. It’s a perfect opportunity to observe well-intentioned egos in the wild… our own included. After all, we’re often thrown together by the mysterious office gods, not by choice. What could possibly go wrong?

The beauty of interacting with coworkers — or really, anyone at all (because mindfulness doesn’t take days off) — is that if we pay close attention to our thoughts, emotions, actions, and reactions in those moments, we start to notice patterns and trends we might never have been aware of before.

For example, if we consistently feel inadequate after talking with a particular coworker, it’s worth asking why. What is it in us that devalues ourselves in comparison — and why do we make that comparison in the first place? What underlying beliefs about ourselves might be quietly fueling those comparisons and the judgments that follow?

The workplace can generate interactions we might not encounter anywhere else. Through these moments, we have the chance to explore our inner landscape — to discover what stirs us, what unsettles us, and what quietly stands between us and peace.

As a caveat, it’s important to remember that these self-investigations aren’t about blaming others for what we’re experiencing. The people who cross our paths are actually offering us the chance to notice what within us isn’t at peace. And while it may not always feel like it, we do have the power to heal that irritation ourselves. It may not always be easy (or appealing), but you can even offer those irritants a quiet inner “thank you.” Thank you for helping me along my journey.

Another perk of Mindfulness at Work (did you catch that rhyme?) is that our work environments give us a chance to reflect on how physical spaces influence our state of mind. How do you feel, physically and emotionally, when you’re in your office? Do different meeting rooms shift your mood? Do certain spaces still hold memories of past events? We’ll dig into this more in future posts.

Now, I want you to feel like you got your money’s worth with this article, so here’s something you can try today: take two mindfulness breaks at work. Step outside — or anywhere you feel relatively calm — and focus on your breathing for three minutes. Check in with yourself. How are you feeling in this moment? Where has your attention been since the last break? What emotions have surfaced? And how did you arrive at this particular state of mind you’re in at this moment?

In my teaching, I always emphasize the importance of becoming aware of what you’re feeling and thinking as much as possible throughout the day — not just at work. All day! Otherwise, you’re basically on Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, gripping the steering wheel for dear life because the mind (or ego) insists it’s the one in charge.

Lastly, while I like to weave humor into my teaching, I want to acknowledge that I understand deeply how challenging it can be to face the thoughts and states of mind that trouble us — and the effort it takes to work through them, to heal them, if you will. I never want to gloss over that inner struggle. But I truly believe it’s possible — 100% possible — to lessen their impact or even release them completely. I have absolute faith in that… and I’m always happy to lend some of that faith out.