Work, Life, and Mindfulness

We all too often hear people speak about the importance of a good work-life balance, but with the advancement of technology and seemingly endless to-do lists, this is often much easier said than done. One big step in improving the balance between professional and personal life is striving to stay away from mental overload. Professionals today tend to over-extend ourselves; feeling that this will help us get ahead in the work place. However, it is often the case that the more we try to offer of ourselves, the less we are able offer. In the long run we forget that the work-life balance is not a pipe dream, but rather a methodology for ensuring that we care for ourselves enough to be able to offer our best in both arenas. Balance between work and life can best be achieved when one is fully present in both work and personal life, at their respective times. Through personal experience, I can attest to the fact that one highly effective way in which this can be attained is through the practice of mindfulness.

Mindfulness is described as bringing one’s full attention to the present moment to experience a full immersion. Since the 1970’s, studies have suggested that the employment of mindfulness can be used to reduce symptoms of depression, anxiety, and even chronic pain. In 1979, Jon Kabat-Zin founded what would become the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. This program focuses on the idea of being present in every moment, utilizing techniques including meditation in various forms; seated, laying, walking, and movement through yoga. In all these mindful meditations, the idea is the same; be present in the moment and let thoughts pass by your mind like a train on a track. The MBSR program has since been duplicated in medical facilities nationwide due to its positive impact on countless lives.

Incorporating mindful meditation into daily life can help to serve as a tool to let your body know when it is time to be present for certain activities. For example, seated meditation or yoga practice can be completed in the morning to notify one’s body and mind that the day is beginning. A few deep, focused breathes upon arriving at the office can be used as a signal that it is time to focus on work; letting your mind know the current activity at hand is to be focused on. Similarly, another brief meditation or even just deep breathing could be used after work to create a clear marker in the day that work is over and it is time to focus on life, such as family, friends, and self-care.  

The importance of this practice is to remind oneself to be fully, mentally present from moment to moment. By increasing mental presence at work, we can most efficiently complete tasks at hand. To the same effect, this shift in awareness can be used to receive the most benefit from time off by prompting the mind to leave the office with the body. The beauty of mindful meditation is that it requires only the mind allowing for ease of implementation into daily life nearly anytime and anywhere. I encourage you to try and find a few minutes for daily practice for one week to see how it improves your work-life balance and more.