3 mindfulness tips to help combat stress in the workplace

As any small business owner knows, being your own boss comes with both rewards and challenges. Maintaining a healthy work life balance is crucial to manage the daily stressors and one of the best ways to do this is by practicing mindfulness. 

Mindfulness is a way of taking notice of the present moment, by stopping and paying attention to the sights, sounds and even smells of what is going on around you. This can serve to place you and your employees in the now and restore your mind to a place of relaxation. 

The antidote to stress can be as simple as stopping to smell the roses. Literally.

Many SME’s are benefit from the practice of mindfulness and are support their staff with a range of wellbeing initiatives. Efunder is one such company providing wellbeing and support in the workplace, implemented to combat the fast paced and stressful nature of the business. 

Judy Corak, one of the founders, says “Working from home has highlighted a lack of interaction and need for self care, so we support our staff by providing a variety of activities ranging from mindfulness, tapping and breathwork. We also have a dedicated “mother hen” who is always available to have a yarn when needed”.

Businesses providing such a nurturing environment find that not only does it show employees they care, it helps break the day and helps everyone refocus. What you end up with is a team that is happy and embraces your culture. 

Corak goes on to say “Supporting our staff in their wellbeing also expands the productivity and wellbeing of our business. Good mental health is good business”.

Not all SME’s are lucky enough to have inhouse mindfulness coaches and that’s where a company such as Ascending Minds comes in. Run by Daniel Johnson and Geoff Russ, they offer programs to organisations and individuals to help integrate mindfulness into their daily life. 

Ascending Minds looks at the 6 core pillars of a holistically healthy and fulfilling life ranging from movement, diet, clarity of vision, sleep, meditation and flow.   

“The more space created in the work environment, the less internal chatter and distractions staff experience, and subsequently the ability to improve attention to detail, resulting in getting more done in less time. Creating a business environment that facilitates mindfulness, starts with ensuring staff are striving to live a balanced life,” says Johnson.

Here are 3 tips from Ascending Minds you can easily incorporate into your business today 

Tip #1   Body Feeling Technique

Begin by closing your eyes. Take a few deep breaths, focus on the inhale and exhale for one minute. Then start to gently scan the body from the head and down.  If you reach a point where you are feeling tension, place your attention in the place and breathe a few deep breaths until it subsides, then continue scanning the rest of the body. Do this for a few minutes.  For the remaining two minutes bring your attention back to the breath, lengthening the inhale and shortening the exhale. Slow breath in, quick breath out.

Tip #2  3-9-6  Breathwork Practice

This simple but effective breathwork practice will ground and centre you.  

Start by sitting comfortably.

Inhale for a count of 3 seconds  -  hold the breath at the top of the inhalation for 9 seconds and then breath out for a count of  6 seconds. 

Do this practice for 1-3 minutes to stabilise restless energy in the body and centre you, calming the nervous system. 

Tip #3 – Quiet introspection – Journaling

Morning:

Take a few minutes to write:

• 3 things you are grateful for in your life
• 3 things that you would like to make today great
• 1 daily affirmation -   I am …………   

Evening

1-2 hours before bed,  use your journal to download things that are on your mind and write a to-do list. This reduces the “tabs open” on your mental desktop with studies showing this helps get to asleep 50% more quickly.

As stated beautifully in a Robin Sharma quote. “The mind is a wonderful servant, but a terrible master”. Mindfulness is one way to help with this so that you can be more effective at work.

Whether you’re a SME located in ACT, NSW, QLD and TAS, add to your peace of mind with the right insurance for your business. Explore our business insurance options.