3 Mindfulness Practices To Help Your Focus This Week
Are the demands of your work environment making maintaining focus a significant challenge? As notifications, message alerts, unread emails, and work pile up, staying present during the day can be challenging. Research indicates that employees are interrupted approximately every 11 minutes, and it can take up to 25 minutes to regain full concentration after an interruption. (UC Irvine)
So, how do high performers maintain focus and productivity in the age of distraction? The answer lies in mindfulness.
What is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is the practice of being fully present and engaged in the moment, aware of your thoughts and feelings without distraction or judgment. This practice will enhance focus, reduce stress, and improve overall cognitive performance.
The Link Between Mindfulness & Work Performance
Studies have demonstrated that mindfulness training can lead to:
Improved Mental Fatigue and Executive Function: Regular mindfulness practice has enhanced working memory and executive clarity, leading to better decision-making and problem-solving abilities.
Enhanced Emotional Regulation: Mindfulness helps manage emotions effectively, reduce stress levels, and promote a balanced emotional state.
Increased Focus and Concentration: Mindfulness practices improved attention and the ability to maintain focus on tasks.
Try These 3 Mindfulness Practices for Enhancing Work Focus
1. Conscious Breathing: Try Box Breathing (Four-Square Breathing): The Breath is an easy go-to mindfulness tool to which we always have access. Box Breathing is a simple breathing technique used by many, including the Navy SEALs, to enhance focus under stress.
How to do it: Inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, exhale for 4 seconds, and hold for 4 seconds. Repeat for a few rounds to return to your center during the workday.
Why it works? It helps calm the nervous system, reduces anxiety, and improves attention.
2. Body Scan: Five Senses Exercise: If you find your mind racing all over the place during a busy workday, a body scan can help you focus your attention.
How to do it: Tune into the senses one at a time. What do you feel, see, hear, taste, and smell? Gradually direct your attention to different parts of your body, noticing any sensations without judgment.
Why it works? This practice can increase bodily awareness, promote relaxation, and manage stress.
3. Mindful Transitions Between Tasks: Do you love the feeling of scratching off something on your to-do list? That moment of accomplishment, and relief to check off another task as complete. Imagine a work day where you take 1-3 mindful minutes to yourself before moving on from one task to another to acknowledge your progress.
How to do it: Before switching tasks or joining a meeting, take at least 30 seconds to 3 minutes, depending on the task ahead, to do box breathing or another mindfulness practice.
Why it works? Helps prevent task overload and cognitive fatigue.Mindfulness Practices for Better Work Results
Mindfulness Practices for Better Work Results
Incorporating mindfulness into your daily routine can increase focus, reduce stress, and improve decision-making in high-pressure environments. Small, consistent practices lead to sustainable workplace performance without burnout.
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About our author
Le’ Jai’ La Troi is a wellness expert of 12+ years, speaker, certified mindfulness and meditation teacher, dedicated to bridging ancient wisdom with modern wellness solutions to help individuals and companies thrive. She provides science backed practices to support high productivity without burnout for corporate teams and leaders through wellness programs, executive coaching, and consulting. As a writer and content creator she brings captivating storytelling to brands to foster community loyalty. She empowers people to find personal and professional balance, longevity, and success.