How does mindfulness influence your work?

[Metaphysical Me]

I'm trying to incorporate mindfulness / Zen Buddhism more into my work and my working day.

I'm lucky to have a job, where I'm able to do that.

I was wondering how it influences or affects others in their work?

Are there mindfulness aspects that you would *like* to incorporate more into your work?

(I'm happy to have "work" defined widely - including tasks like housework - anything really, that is "work" and isn't "fun" )

[JonW]

Excellent question.
I'd say that mindfulness has benefitted my work enormously. I'm a journalist/interviewer by trade. My anxiety levels are so much lower now so I find interviewing people and writing so much less stressful.
Probably the biggest difference is in my listening skills.
Being a freelancer, I'm used to a "feast or famine" sort of existence. When work goes quiet I used to send myself insane with worry. "The phone will never ring again" etc. Now I tend to be far more relaxed, knowing that the next job will arrive sooner or later. So I enjoy my down-time so much more.
All best,
Jon, Hove

[piedwagtail91]

it definitely is part of my work, almost all of it!
on my way trying to get back into work,i've got as far as voluntary work and as it's a volunteer job in mindfulness it's quite a lot of my time, 2 - 4 days a week mainly half days. working in sessions, working on session notes.

would be great if i could get part time doing this!

[FeeHutch]

I am a psychotherapist, music writer and a communications manager for a science company so all these roles benefit a lot from a more mindful frame of mind. I feel less anxious and less reactive. The difference it makes just taking a moment to breathe before replying to a question or comment can make challenging situations more positive.

[Gareth]

It's a great question Janey, thank you.

Mindfulness most definitely helps me with my work. I think it's in the more general way that mindfulness helps me with the rest of my life.

For example the boss says something that I feel to be judging me. These days, I am much more capable of letting go of this type of thought, before it develops into a "my boss hates me" story in my head. My levels of concentration are pretty good these days too; I find that I can rattle through jobs at a pretty productive rate, being better able to handle the regular distractions that the mind throws at you.

[Metaphysical Me]

Hey cool - wow, thank you for your great replies - lots of stuff to think about there!



I found a great guided meditation last week, from J.O.B. (Joy of Being - which I think is such a funny/ great acronym - not sure everyone would choose that too be the definition of their "job", haha).

It's a guided meditation about picturing yourself to be a river which "overcomes all obstacles easily" (i.e. rocks and stones) and basically flows around them, over them and eventually "turns them into sand".

You can buy the meditation as an mp3 for only 99 cents via PayPal (and other payment/ ordering options) and I will include the link below.

I *love* this guided meditation at the moment, cos I can use it *during* work and it's giving me *such* a positive attitude to my work at the moment.

I find most other (guided) meditations more suitable for/ designed for "taking a break from work, doing the meditation and then going back to work" - i.e. too spacy, dreamy, other-worldly to do *while* working.

Yet I find that my work - which can be calm at times, but also can get ridiculously, foolishly stressful - often has my mind doing all sorts of "OMG I will never get this done by the deadline" stories (which are REALLY unhelpful (You hear that, brain?!?!) and also not true - I've always made my deadlines *somehow*!!)

So I'm hoping to find some more guided (or unguided!) meditations to do in this vein - to actually make the process of working more peaceful, grounded, mindful. (If you have any tips, let me know!)

Okay, here's the link to the "river" meditation (hope you like it!)

http://www.joyofbeing.net/meditation.html

XXX
Janey

[Metaphysical Me]

Oh - I'm also thinking that I will research the Buddhist idea of "right livelihood" - to see if I find any clues there... cos I just find the "western, capitalist, success" approach to working, that I've been taught, to be boring, stressful, uninspiring, unmotivating...

http://buddhism.about.com/od/theeightfoldpath/a/rightlivelihood.htm

[Grandmasterp]

Cultivating mindfulness at work has really made a positive difference.
Time was that I dreaded going in to work.
These days ( mostly) it's a breeze.
Being in the now at work rather than constantly fretting about past 'fails' or future-fictive 'problems' I get more done and feel a lot better whilst doing it.

[scratchet]

Interesting thread, wondered if anyone had tips on mindfully dealing with difficult people, specifically in an office environment.

[Grandmasterp]

Number 6 here is good....
http://tinybuddha.com/blog/how-to-deal- ... lt-people/

Hope that helps.