Meditation at Work

A friend of mine wrote this and I just loved it. When the Coronavirus pandemic crept into our worlds I immediately thought of Veronica Barber’s thoughtful piece on meditation at work. Times are so off-the-wall unreal and we could all use a little grounding. Take a read and most importantly, try to have an open mind. This “stuff” may not be what you are used to. But this “stuff” has been around for thousands and thousands of years, because it truly works. There are many ways to meditate and now may be the perfect time to add it to your life and your workplace.

Mandated to Meditate at Work, by Veronica Barber 

I attempted meditation years ago. I just couldn’t do it. I tried all different ways to meditate, like counting to 50 and only focus on the counting. I couldn’t seem to get past 7 before other thoughts entered my mind! I remember thinking my brain is simply too overactive for me to meditate.  

The reality is for most of us, the excessive talking in our heads is exhausting. We’re thinking of the past and projecting our fears based on prior events, or we’re daydreaming about that better future state. Perhaps we’re simply replaying something that just happened, trying to understand why it happened that way, and why we reacted the way we did. Better yet, when we’re proud of something we just did, we relive it in our minds repeatedly. Our conscious self never shuts-up!

During the last couple of years I’ve recommitted to figuring out this meditation thing, and although I’m probably not doing it correctly (if in fact there even is a “correct” way), what I find is that if I slow down and allow my thoughts to flow, and really listen and feel what I’m experiencing, it’s actually quite helpful. When I get to a state that I’m observing my conscious self, then I really start to gain some insights.

My go-to “sort-of” meditation practice has been journaling. It’s really amazing what I write about, especially in the morning when I’ve just woken up. There’s so much research around our brains processing information all night and working through issues.  In the morning those thoughts seem to linger subconsciously and are captured in my journal without any effort on my part. I just write what comes to mind, and as I write more comes. Sometimes it’s a dance of fear-based thoughts and emotions, and other times it’s my true-self being present and confident, and filled with love. The best part is that gratitude always flows through me in such a wonderful way that I feel so joyful at the end of journaling. 

If I could keep these feelings alive throughout the day, I know I’d be more present, more compassionate. I wouldn’t allow my fears to impact how I hear and respond to others. I know that I wouldn’t have to be right all the time, or have things go my way for me to feel good. I know that I would give more freely to others and feel more relaxed and confident.

Why Not Meditate at Work?

What if we took moments throughout our workday, to truly be present with our thoughts and how we’re feeling, to give ourselves a moment to recharge and appreciate what’s happening around us, or to simply be one with nature for a few minutes.

Do you do that? I don’t. I usually go from meeting to meeting, and when I get a moment, I’m trying to quickly read/respond to emails or get work done in preparation for the next meeting! I don’t even feel comfortable taking the time to enjoy a relaxing lunch with coworkers.

Could you imagine if relaxation and/or meditation was mandatory at work?!  What if, instead of people feeling uncomfortable taking a break, we made it an expected activity? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if your boss checked in on you each day to ensure that you did something Zen-like for yourself during the day? What if there were repercussions for NOT doing these things? How about relaxation being a part of your performance evaluation? Imagine having a review with your boss and needing to identify the one or two things you did on a daily/weekly basis, that allowed you to be more relaxed, more present, and more joyful.

Sure, some organizations have incredible cultures where this type of activity is fully supported. But for many organizations it’s not, and if it’s even talked about, it’s more of an aspirational value that only gets lip service.

Perhaps your company is not ready for this big leap into a better, more humanistic way of functioning, but let’s consider some small ways in which we could start to model this type of organizational culture. 

Here are a few ideas:

? After a meeting ask each person to share one thing they really appreciated about the meeting or something someone did or said in the meeting.

? Encourage others to take 10-15 seconds between meetings to close their eyes and have a moment of stillness, to simply appreciate the moment to slowdown and be at peace.

? Encourage others to get outdoors during the day to take a quick walk or simply take a few minutes to feel the warmth of the sun (or chill of the wind and rain!) and enjoy the solitude and relaxation of being in nature.

? Before a meeting, ask each person to close their eyes, and do a simple guided meditation – with one person asking the group to open their hearts and minds so that they will fully hear and honor each other and seek understanding in a loving way.

? Incorporate into your morning huddle with your team questions like: “what would make this a great day?”, “Who has something personal or professional they would like to share”, or “let’s close our eyes and visualize how we can make a difference in someone’s life today”

? Send out a daily inspirational message via email each day or post a message in a visible place in the building, whereby recipients need to consider something that will make them smile or feel gratitude.

? At the end of each day, ask your coworkers to identify one thing that gave them joy.

By taking moments to slowdown, appreciating the beauty of life and the people around us, and cutting ourselves some slack for not being perfect (because perfect is like expecting we’ll win the lottery each day!), this is what brings us joy, and calms us down.  And allows us to be more open and giving to others.  

If we all functioned this way, could you imagine how it would impact our business results?  We would achieve every goal and exceed every target we set.  It would be amazing!  

Please share what you have tried at work! I’d love to hear some of the creative ways your organization is promoting relaxation and meditation.