How does mindfulness influence your work?

[scratchet]

Thanks very helpful

[rara]

I just concentrate on everything I'm doing and enjoy it.

That includes the commutes. I have to travel everywhere...you name it. Lots of interchanges. Very important for me to stay calm and and plan accordingly!

[rara]

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

Who do you write for these days? *shameless attempt at adding more media contacts* hehe

[Genecanuck]

Hello everyone,

I just read this whole blog and want to join in on the discussion. I am relatively new to being deliberate with practicing mindfulness. I work for a Community Health Centre and I do struggle with being present and in the moment. Right now, my current challenge is to turn off work when I am at home. (ie, keep running those to do lists or feeling anxious about work related situations)

I do a lot of mindfulness reading and am beginning to read Jon Kabat Zinn's "Full Catastrophe Living". I would luv to hear from others who are are working on a practice of turning off work thoughts when they are at home.

I know I will be much more effective at work if I can allow my mind to rest when I am not there!!

[FeeHutch]

Hello Gene and welcome to the forum.

I work from home some of the time and it is more of a struggle not to keep thinking over things I need to do. I do my job online so any time I'm online there is the temptation to 'just check' on this or that. So I work on maintaining the bounderies for want of a better word. When I am working I am mindfully paying attention to work and when I'm at home I'm mindfully paying attention to that.
I hope that makes sense, had a killer migraine today and still a bit off kilter

[rara]

Hello Gene and welcome to the forum.

I work from home some of the time and it is more of a struggle not to keep thinking over things I need to do. I do my job online so any time I'm online there is the temptation to 'just check' on this or that. So I work on maintaining the bounderies for want of a better word. When I am working I am mindfully paying attention to work and when I'm at home I'm mindfully paying attention to that.
I hope that makes sense, had a killer migraine today and still a bit off kilter

I get that. Business runs religiously on a laptop of phone...

I need to fight that autopilot to just keep pulling the phone out of the pocket on autopilot...especially when conducting the actual work. Or sitting down for my evening meal!

[Genecanuck]

Thanks for responding to my post FeeHutch!

I hope you are feeling better. I know it is always a challenge to be mindful and present with whatever task is at hand. Maintaining boundaries when you work at home sounds like a challenge.

I am beginning to light a daily mindfulness candle as part of my practice. Please join me in a mindfulness prayer!

http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/message.cfm?l=eng&cid=20805826