If a harassed office worker keeps on piling on work without taking the time for a break, he will find himself burnt out. Five to ten minutes of meditation a day can actually help an office worker create a space of peace and quiet even if he doesn’t leave his desk.
An Ancient Practice In A Modern World
Meditation has been around for centuries. Most major religions around the world, including Christianity, include meditation as part of their practice. Meditation has often been equated with praying. However, even non-believers can actually practice meditation.
The staying power of meditation through the ages just shows how much it has stayed relevant to human beings even in this digital era. In fact, now more than ever, meditation is a balm to our information laden and time starved lifestyles.
Seven Easy Steps To Meditate In The Workplace
It doesn’t matter if the office worker has a room or is situated in a cubicle. It’s possible for anyone to enjoy the state of meditation even with their eyes open.
- The office worker just needs to set his alarm for at least ten minutes during the day. This should be scheduled in his calendar to make it a daily habit.
- He should clear his mind of any concerns or thoughts. Thoughts must be treated as external barriers that need to be acknowledged and then set aside.
- He should be aware that he is producing deep breaths that come from the diaphragm.
- He can choose an object to focus on. It might be the corner of a room or a picture frame. He can also choose a peaceful looking screensaver or web page on his computer. It doesn’t matter what he is looking at as long as he is just focused on one point.
- He needs to keep his gaze steady without thinking of anything in particular.
- Once he has established that his mind is clear, he should then focus on one thought. For some, this can be called a mantra. It doesn’t have to be said out loud. It is a powerful thought that the office worker would like to bring into being such as: “I am a fully empowered individual” or “I will be peaceful and focused today.”
- After focusing on the thought, the office worker can visualize the thought becoming part of his actions for the day. This can lead to the end of his meditation exercise.
How To Make Meditation A Habit
It’s definitely not easy to make meditation a habit. Many people actually fall back into old habits and don't follow through on resolutions. One way for an office worker to ensure that this is part of his daily routine is to actually schedule it in his calendar as if he is going to a ten-minute meeting. This exercise needs to be treated as if it is an ongoing part of an office worker’s operations. Instead of taking a cigarette break or a snack break, he can, instead, focus on his inner well-being and take time to calm his busy mind.
The Benefits of Meditation
According to a study done by the University of Massachusetts Medical School, out of those stressed out office workers who participated in the experiment, those who practiced meditation over eight weeks became significantly calmer and happier compared to their counterparts in the control group.
This is reason enough for anyone who is stressed out at work to bring meditation into his work space.
Years of history and the practice of religion has proven that meditation works. New studies in psychology also confirm this. This gives the stressed-out office worker a good reason to engage in this ancient practice. It's not difficult and it just needs to be part of an office worker's daily habit to be effective.
Other Resources for Stressed Office Workers:
Source:
“The Benefits of Meditation” by Colin Allen on PsychologyToday.com accessed on Nov. 4, 2009
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