At the end of the summer, it’s not always easy to get back into the swing of work days filled with meetings and goals to be achieved. Mindfulness is one of the practices that help us regain concentration and think positive.
We’ve all felt the trauma of returning to everyday life after the holidays. The symptoms of “return to work stress” include tiredness, irritation, anxiety and even sadness throughout the work day.
Sound familiar?
Luckily, there are several methods – including mindfulness techniques – to help us face this feeling and recharge.
Let’s relax our bodies, focus on breathing and start again!
Mindfulness exercises are a way to train our attention and awareness, an incredible method to help us feel more focused on ourselves and get rid of any worries and anxiety.
Stop and practice mindfulness whenever you feel like you need a mental break: at home, in the office, at the park or right in the street. The main thing is to connect with your body and to avoid panic.
Make a note of these mindfulness techniques to control stress and boost concentration
1. Keep an eye on your posture
During the day, try to carve out a few minutes to be aware of your posture: a super-simple exercise that will help you correct your movements.
Do you find yourself slumping and crossing your legs? Nothing could be worse! Try to find a comfortable but correct position and don’t sit at the computer non-stop: get up, walk around and do some exercises every 2 hours to stretch and rest your eyes.
2. Concentrate on positive memories
Our minds produce lots of thoughts that we can’t just get rid of by pressing a key. What we can do is try to concentrate on good thoughts, like a positive memory, and to not let sadness get us down.
Every time you’re overcome by a whirlwind of negative thoughts, concentrate on something happy and continue to do so throughout the day. Little by little, you’ll learn to manage stress and use your memories of your recent holidays to recharge.
3. Listen to your body
The body scan practice is one of the most common mindfulness exercises because it’s a pleasant way to relax body and mind. To perform it, lie down on a yoga mat for at least 20 minutes and concentrate only on your body.
Breathe slowly and empty your mind, just leaving space for good thoughts. Put on some relaxing music in the background or find an audio track to guide you during your mindfulness session.
4. New activities
Organising new activities and enjoying time to yourself will energise you as you get back to normal. Devote 15 minutes a day to meditation, simply remaining silent with your eyes closed.
If, on the other hand, meditation isn’t for you, join a Pilates or yoga class to try out new experiences and feel more in tune with your needs.
5. Control your breathing with the grounding stone exercise
Are you among those who can’t feel their body? Lots of people have trouble controlling their breathing and don’t even feel air passing in and out of their noses.
Lie down in the body scan position and place a stone on your navel, then start to breathe slowly, trying to “feel” the movement of your stomach as it you inhale and exhale. And don’t worry if you find yourself thinking of the work waiting for you in the office tomorrow: take your time and focus only on your physical sensations.
So long, stress and exhaustion!
There’s no magic wand guaranteed to make all your stress disappear, but these simple mindfulness tips will teach you awareness skills and how to concentrate on the present.
Have you also thought about improving your workplace? Just a few small tricks to make it more bearable and relaxing, here are ours!
Don’t stifle stress and negative emotions but learn to deal with them every day with small actions meant just for you.
