As modern life continues to speed up, many are turning to mindfulness practices to counteract the stress. People are just starting to understand the widespread nature of meditation’s benefits, which can affect your professional life as well as personal.
Having a meditation practice can help you remain calm under pressure and make decisions from a balanced place, rather than immediately moving into fight-or-flight when things get challenging – especially in the work environment. When your mind is constantly full of thoughts, it never gets a moment to settle, rest, or let go.
Think of it this way, when is your mind ever fully present and relaxed? People move from one thing to the next all day long, and even while you’re sleeping, your mind is still processing your day. Your brain never has a second to relax.
Relaxed Mind, Sharper Focus
This is even more pronounced in the work environment, where your to-do list is long and your ability to focus can shorten with each hour. If you never have a second to regroup, you can’t continue to perform at your best – no matter how hard you try. Studies show that when employees practice mindfulness, their stress levels drop while their productivity and vitality increase.
Reframing your mindset can be the difference-maker in your career. If you have been of the mindset that the key to getting ahead was constantly grinding, you may need to change your outlook. When you give your brain space, you react differently to daily stressors.
Think of meditation as the buffer between you and your triggers. When you haven’t taken care of your brain in a while, even the smallest things can set off a stress response and hamper your productivity as well as morale. By meditating and finding deep relaxation, your brain shuts down the release of stress hormones such as cortisol that keep you frazzled, tired, and unable to focus.
Slowing down your brain waves through meditation, your mind can move from the sympathetic nervous system, fight-or-flight, back into the para-sympathetic where you can zoom out from in-the-moment reactions. From this grounded place, you can make better decisions without fatigue.
Slow Down to Move Faster
Strengthening your nervous system by taking moments for mindfulness actually hydrates your nerve endings rather than running them dry by adding more stress. If your career is hectic and demanding, your nerves likely run thin. By sitting down and focusing on your breathing for ten minutes, even if your mind wanders, you reframe your outlook while creating a buffer between you and your stress response. Within this buffer, you can find peace of mind and go about your daily tasks much more effectively with greater ease. The results of slowing down and refocusing are many: work feels easier, small things don’t elicit a big response and it gets easier to breathe through difficult situations. All it takes is a few minutes of meditation. Spend a few minutes alone in silence in the morning and just focus on your breath or a mantra. This will help bring clarity and peace. A new, relaxed, frame of mind will carry you through your days – and perhaps to a promotion. Start your meditation practice today and watch your career reap the benefits.
