Mindfulness involves focusing on the present moment. Though the practice is most closely associated with meditation, it need not involve a zafu and Zen master. (Likewise, mindfulness is not a religion or ideology; it has instead been described as a “way of being.”) Its principles are beginning to be taught to employees of some of the largest and most successful companies in the world, including Google, Aetna, and Northrop Grumman.
Just as exercise has long been established as a career-booster, helping to stave off burnout and improve productivity, a growing body of science suggests that the techniques of mindfulness contribute to a workforce that is happier and better able to handle stress. Whereas hitting the gym will make it less likely that you will need to call in sick, the mindful focusing on the present might lead you to take fewer “mental health” days.
ACCEPT THE TRAFFIC JAM
Among the principles of mindfulness that can positively affect one’s workday are the concepts of acceptance and non-judgment, and the habit of keeping a “beginner’s mind.” Acceptance means accepting the world as it is. For example: During the morning commute, being caught in traffic can be a maddening, infuriating experience. But whether or not your knuckles turn white from squeezing the steering wheel, the car in front of you and the car in front of her (and so on) aren’t going to go any faster. You can shout, gesture, change from one stagnant lane to the other, and no matter what, traffic is going to remain, and it’s going to take the same amount of time to get to the office.
That is precisely when you need to accept the world as it is. The traffic is not something you can fix. It’s not something at which you can channel the winds of your fury and somehow make the other cars go away. The traffic is there. You are there. When you feel the needless and useless frustration rising, exist in the moment. Feel the steering wheel in your hands. The leather seats beneath your legs. The shoes on your feet. Focus on your breathing. It will make the start of your day a little easier.
Acceptance, it should be emphasized, and surrender are not the same thing. Acceptance is not about laying down and dying. If the office is too cold, put on a sweater. But if it’s winter in Chicago, don’t make yourself miserable wishing it were spring. Your misery will not affect the orbital mechanics of the solar system.
Being non-judgmental can also improve your workday and performance. It’s hard to accept the present moment as it is while wishing it were somehow different, or that you were different, or wishing you weren’t feeling the way you do. If you’re a software developer and you receive a bug report, you can beat yourself up for making a mistake and then fix the code, or you can non-judgmentally accept that you made a mistake and then fix the code, but no matter what, you’re going to have to fix the code. The point is not to somehow make yourself think like a Vulcan; each of us is an enduring hurricane of feelings. The trick is to recognize your emotion at a given moment, acknowledge it, accept it, and move on.
STARTING OVER
The beginner’s mind is another precept of mindfulness with enormous workplace utility. In a sense, the beginner’s mind is a childlike version of “thinking outside the box.” As we grow in our careers and skill-sets, we sometimes let what we “know” get in the way of what actually is. How many times have you called the IT help-desk because a program you use every day is acting strange, and you’ve done everything to fix it, and it’s still broken. And the computer tech shows up at your desk, presses a single button, and the problem is fixed? This is not because people in IT are god-like geniuses (whatever they would have you believe). Rather, when the technician is confronting the problem with your computer, she is not carrying your baggage. She’s approaching the problem from an entirely different direction.
Cultivating a beginner’s mind means applying this approach to all areas of your job. Instead of shackling yourself to the phrase “I know,” try giving “I don’t know” a spin. Approach a problem like it were your first day on the job. Ask how you would solve it if you’d never solved it before. Think about how you would do something if the line “We’ve always done it like this” were banished.
It’s very possible that you’ve been doing these things already. Indeed, from a distance we’ve always associated “thinking outside the box” and being “in the moment” with success and satisfaction. As HR departments begin offering mindfulness benefits, perhaps you should consider getting some of that success and satisfaction for yourself.
