Author: Elena Menchetti
Publication date: 22.11.2023
It is important to know how to regulate our emotions both in our professional and personal lives. This is because especially negative emotions can make us feel more stressed and can divert our energy away from positive emotions.
By practicing mindfulness at work just like at home, we can become better at recognizing our emotions and handle them in a healthier way. This is why we will look at stress management techniques and the benefits of mindfulness at work.
Stress management
What is stress management?
Stress management consists of a set of techniques and programs intended to help people deal with stress. Stress management can also help people identify their triggers so that they learn how to minimize their negative effects.
How can you manage your stress?
There exist different ways people can use to manage their stress levels:
● Tracking stressors
Writing in a journal which situations make you feel the most stressed can help. Along with identifying triggers in your environment, it might be helpful to record your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
● Developing healthy responses
Don’t try to fight stress with unhealthy coping mechanisms such as drinking or smoking. Instead, make sure you are adopting healthy responses like moving your body when you feel your tension rising.
● Having boundaries
Because nowadays technology is prevailing, it might be harder for people to detach mentally from work even when at home. However, try your best to establish some boundaries around your professional life. That way it will not interfere with your personal life.
● Taking time to recharge
Make sure you recover mentally after a stressful period or situation. This might mean asking for support or engaging in activities that allow you not to think about work. Taking some time to disconnect and relax is important to avoid chronic stress and burnout.
Mindfulness
What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness is a mental state whereby an individual is able to observe thoughts and emotions in the present moment without judgment.
How can you be more mindful?
● Do one task at a time
● See stress as a friend
Stress can be helpful in some cases and mindfulness can change the way you perceive stress and physical reactions. Remember, no judgment is they key here
● Meditation and breathing
Breathing can have a powerful effect on your nervous system and release your body from built-up tension
● Start seeing challenges as opportunities for growth
● Accept all feelings and emotions
● Accept what you cannot change
Often, the more we try to control what we cannot change, the more stress controls us.
What are the benefits of mindfulness?
1. Stress reduction and stress resilience
Mindfulness helps people adopt a more balanced and compassionate approach to their thoughts and feelings. This mindful approach has been shown to reduce stress and make people more resilient.
2. Improved concentration and productivity
Especially at work, mindfulness can increase task performance and productivity. Mindfulness can also help people in detaching from work when not at work. This is because, through mindfulness, one is able to enjoy the present moment.
3. Improved emotion regulation and emotional intelligence
Mindfulness can encourage people to accept their emotions as they come. This can lead to better emotion regulation skills and reduced emotional reactivity.
4. Increased self-awareness
An increased self-awareness can lead to new insights into our thinking and behavior patterns. This may allow for more conscious choices and responses.
5. Improved communication skills and social relationships
Mindfulness can increase one’s ability to listen actively and speak compassionately. Such mindful communication at work can aid team members in developing healthier relationships in which cooperation prevails rather than conflict.
6. Better mental and physical health
Studies have shown that mindfulness can boost the immune system and serve as a buffer against stress. This in turn can lower the risk of mental and physical health problems like depression and heart disease.
Takeaways
While mindfulness research in the workplace is relatively new, there is evidence suggesting that mindfulness can make employees less stressed and more satisfied. Hence, even though stress cannot be entirely eliminated from our lives, there is something we can do.
Other than reducing stress, mindfulness can also improve focus, resilience, and increase overall well-being in the workplace. Therefore, offering mindfulness training programmes at work could help employees but also the company as a whole.