Workplace stress. Everyone has experienced it at least once, and many people experience it every day. Whether you suffer from anxiety and/or chronic stress or not, the workplace tends to create an environment that stress thrives in.
How do we, as employees or employers, combat this tension? By practicing mindfulness. This is an increasingly popular concept that involves the individual focusing their awareness and making sure to acknowledge the emotions, thoughts, and physical sensations of the present moment. This acknowledgment does not mean categorizing your feelings as good or bad, rather just accepting that they are there.
With the digital age fully upon us, a brain that is caught in a stream of chaotic thoughts that are based anywhere but the present is the new normal. People rarely take the time to just be. Taking the time to think about what you think about is a foreign concept to many. However, when people do take the time to, they are rewarded with peace, joy, acceptance, and a sense of freedom.
Mindfulness increases the “happy chemicals” in your brain that lead to a sense of tranquility, or peace. These neurotransmitters, namely GABA, dopamine, and serotonin, are responsible for a multitude of feelings and reactions. We’ll focus on the positive functions they serve in regards to peace.
According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), GABA (Gamma-aminobutyric acid) is a molecule that hyperpolarizes “the cell and [inhibits] the transmission of an action potential.” In simple terms, GABA slows down the firing of neurons, which aids in creating a sense of calm. This inhibitory molecule can be increased naturally by meditation. Meditation can include yoga or mindfulness, and since it may be frowned upon to do yoga in the middle of your office, we’ll stick to mindfulness!
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that functions as the pleasurable reward hormone and also contributes to our learning, memory, and mood.
The NCBI stated that mindfulness meditation “increased signals in brain regions related to affect regulation and attentional control, with increased release of dopamine.” When dopamine is released we feel a rush of pleasure and reward, which causes us to want to repeat the action that released it. Since mindfulness has been shown to increase dopamine, practicing it in the workplace can be linked to higher levels of productivity as well.
Serotonin, which is also a neurotransmitter, helps to regulate people’s moods, anxiety, and happiness. This hormone allows cells to communicate with each other, which decreases an individual’s anxiety or stress levels.
According to the Exploration of Consciousness Research Institute, studies have shown that mindfulness has a direct impact on the production of serotonin levels. The EOC Institute stated that it is thought that “meditation "bathes" neurons with an array of feel-good chemicals, effectively melting away the stress that leads to low serotonin levels and depression.” Since mindfulness meditation “works to create a utopian chemical environment for the production of new brain cells,” it aids in making people happier and healthier.
Mindfulness meditation also has positive effects on people’s actual brain makeup. In a study done at Harvard University, scientists found that Insight Meditation, or mindfulness, thickened people’s prefrontal cortex. The prefrontal cortex regulates emotion and decision-making, among other things. This study also found that the gray matter, which contains most of the brain’s neuronal cell bodies, increased. Both of these results lead to the conclusion that mindfulness can be associated with positive “structural changes in areas of the brain that are important for sensory, cognitive and emotional processing.”
These findings also support the idea that practicing mindfulness would encourage higher proficiency in the office, and decrease the levels of stress many workers experience.
So, how do we practice mindfulness, especially during a busy workday? Here are five ways to do exactly that, and that are supported by Mayo Clinic and other health professionals.
Live in the moment: Take the time to acknowledge the world around you throughout your day. Beginning to plan your tasks for the next day while you are working on today’s tasks can increase stress levels. Pay attention to what is going on right now.
Focus on your breathing: The 4-7-8 method of breathing is a great way to focus on just your breathing: inhale for four seconds, hold your breath and count to seven, and exhale for eight seconds. This breathing technique helps to slow your heart rate and relaxes you almost immediately.
Sitting meditation: Straighten your back, plant your feet on the ground, and gently place your hands in your lap. Breathe deeply and focus on the air coming in and going out. When physical stimuli or thoughts interrupt you, acknowledge them, accept them, and bring your focus back to breathing.
Express Gratitude: Many studies have found that gratitude decreases stress and increases positive thinking. You can do this in your head or make a list on a piece of paper. Try to stay away from the “Notes” section of your phone- you don’t want incoming messages to distract you!
Single-Tasking: Instead of working on five things at once, give yourself one task. Do it until completion. Start another. This will increase productivity and drastically reduce stress/anxiety. Single-tasking allows you to be mindful of the work you are doing and often leads to an increase in the quality of work.
Mindfulness is an excellent way to bring yourself back to the here and now. It allows us to experience life to the fullest without feeling overwhelmed. Making sure that our mental health is taken care of can result in positive changes throughout our life. Practicing mindfulness in the workplace can make a bad day a really beautiful one. Who knows, maybe the extra spring in your step will lead to a promotion!
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