What is mindfulness? Mindfulness is a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique. See our top tips below for practicing mindfulness at work.

1. Start the day right

Though getting up a little earlier isn’t ideal for those of us who love a lie in, getting a few minutes of quiet and calm before the day launches ahead is one of the best ways to start your morning. Handy apps such as Headspace, Calm or Aura provide timed tutorials which allow you to be quiet and still.

2. Unclutter your workstation

If you have a messy workspace it promotes distraction, stress and has the potential to create a negative state of mind. Simply making your workstation a tidier, more organised space will help you be more mindful, focused and efficient. A clean desk also facilitates creativity as you can focus on your tasks at hand rather than being bombarded by side projects.

3. Quit the multitasking

The truth is that no one is really a multitasker. Our minds are not made to do several things at once, even though we may pride ourselves on this! By quitting the juggling and focusing on one task at a time we can avoid losing track, we can gain cognitive performance and improve productivity.

4. Use alerts

The word mindful means to remember. When we are running on autopilot we are not 100% present in the moment and are unaware of what is in front of us. Simple things like using calendars to set appointments with yourself and setting alarms on your phone to stop you working too long on one task help remind us what our tasks are.

5. Active listening

When we listen passively are minds are often racing to produce the best solutions and wisdom instead of listening. If we empty our minds to intently listen to others we are being mindful in our task at hand.