How To Express Mindfulness And Gratitude At Work

At work, we have demanding deadlines to meet and limited time to get things done. Stress levels are high, and sometimes it can feel like we're not making enough progress on our projects or not doing enough for ourselves. In this environment, it's easy to forget about gratitude and mindfulness—two key ingredients in a fulfilling life. But cultivating gratitude and mindfulness at work isn't just about taking time for yourself: It has also been found to lower stress levels, improve well-being (including mental health), build stronger relationships between coworkers, create more positive environments—and even boost productivity! So how do you go beyond saying "thank you" at the office? Read on...

Take time to be mindful

Imagine yourself in a quiet room, lying on the floor or sitting comfortably in your desk chair. Inhale through your nose as you count to four, then exhale through your mouth for twice as long. Repeat this process ten times and focus only on your breathing. When thoughts come into your mind—and they will—let them go without judgment and continue counting out loud.

If you feel like stopping after just one or two breaths, that’s fine! Everyone has different goals with mindfulness practice; just make sure to do it every day to increase its effectiveness. You might even want to set an alarm so that you don’t feel pressured into doing it for longer than necessary (which can be counterproductive).

Express gratitude

We've already talked about how to show gratitude at work. But what if you have a specific coworker or boss who has done something nice for you? How can you express your thanks?

A simple verbal "thank you" will do the trick, but it's not usually enough to show someone that their kindness was appreciated. If someone has given up their personal time and energy to help you out, they probably want more than just a "thank you." Try writing them an email or giving them a card acknowledging their efforts (which could be as simple as buying them lunch). This can be especially effective if the person is in charge of hiring new people at your company or has influence with other managers when it comes time for promotions or raises; this way, one good deed may lead to another!

If possible, it's also nice for those around us when we recognize the small things that make life meaningful: whether it's watching our children learn something new or getting through another week at work without losing our patience—these moments add up over time into something bigger than themselves—and they're worth celebrating every day!

Start each day with intention

Start each day with intention.

Before you even open your email, carve out a few minutes for yourself to think about what's important for you to achieve that day and how you want it to go. What do you want? Can't decide? Write down all possible outcomes, then choose the one that feels best in your gut. Get more specific: what do I need from my team? What are my goals? How can we make this place a better place? Set an intention for how things will go—whether they're big or small, long-term or short-term—and pick something that resonates with your personal values.

This will help set up a positive mindset when approaching work tasks so that instead of seeing everything as just another thing on your checklist (even though it is), consider them opportunities to practice mindfulness and gratitude! You'll be amazed at how much more productive this makes us feel in our daily lives because not only are we focusing on what needs doing but also why it needs doing—something most people don't take enough time out from their busy days for themselves let alone others around them at work too!

Put your phone down during meetings

You know those days when you can't take your eyes off your phone, even in the middle of a meeting? If so, it's time to reevaluate your habits.

I'm not saying that using your phone during a meeting is a big deal—lots of people do it. But if you're constantly checking social media or sending emails while someone is talking to you, it says something about how much respect you have for them and their thoughts.

It's important to put down our phones during meetings because connecting with others face-to-face helps us form better relationships with them—and that's what matters most at work! So try putting away yours for one hour every day at work (or longer if possible).

Find ways to calm your mind and refocus

• Meditation. This is a great way to quiet the mind and focus on your breath. It can also teach you how to become more aware of what's going on in the present moment.

• Yoga. This exercise will help you relax and reduce stress, which may improve your mood and make it easier for you to be mindful at work.

• Deep breathing exercises or other types of relaxation techniques such as tai chi or qigong can help calm your mind, lower blood pressure, increase oxygen levels in your body, reduce muscle tension and fatigue, boost energy levels (making it easier for you to stay focused), improve sleeping patterns so that they're less likely to interfere with work performance...the list goes on!

Accept that you can't control everything

Acceptance is the first step to change. When you accept that a situation is beyond your control, it's easier to let go of any desire for perfection or control.

Acceptance doesn't mean resignation—it means allowing yourself to "be okay" with what is. It's about letting go of your need to control and letting things happen as they will, so you can focus on doing what matters most right now.

Pay attention to the things you are thankful for

It's important to acknowledge that you have many things to be grateful for. If you are like me, you have a long list of things and people in your life who have helped make you the person that you are today. You can use these as a starting point:

• Your parents/family

• Your friends and coworkers

• Your mentors

• The teachers who taught you valuable life skills (like how to read and write)

Now it's time for the hard part—actually expressing gratitude! For example, if someone does something nice for me at work, my instinct is often just to tell them "thank you," but this isn't enough. It's important not only what we say but also how we say it. We need to show our appreciation by looking into their eyes when speaking with them directly about whatever they did for us; this will help keep our connection strong and make both parties feel truly appreciated by one another.

Exercise regularly

• Exercise boosts your mood. A study by the American College of Sports Medicine found that even thirty minutes of exercise can significantly improve a person's mood and stress levels—and it only takes twenty-four hours for those benefits to wear off, so you don't have to worry about feeling guilty if you miss a day or two. In addition, while working out regularly has been shown to lower depression rates, it also reduces anxiety and helps with insomnia.

• Exercise lowers stress levels. If you're feeling overwhelmed at work or overwhelmed at home (or both!), exercise can help get things under control by releasing endorphins that reduce stress levels and decrease fatigue—allowing you to focus more clearly on the task at hand without becoming distracted by overwhelming emotions like anxiety or frustration.*

• Exercise helps you sleep better. Getting enough sleep is important for our physical health as well as our emotional wellbeing; however, sometimes getting enough restful slumber can be difficult due to stressful situations at home or work during the day.* Exercising regularly before bedtime has been shown not only to improve sleep quality but also reduce daytime fatigue, making it easier for us all around!

Make time for reflection

• Make time for reflection.

• Take a few minutes after lunch, or at the end of the day, to think about what went well and what didn't. This can help you identify ways to improve yourself and your work.

• Think about how you can help others around you. Consider whether there are any opportunities for collaboration, sharing knowledge or making connections between people who could benefit from each other's expertise and experience. You might also think about how your work might be improved by someone else's involvement in it—and vice versa!

• Finally, take some time out during the day to think about what you're grateful for: perhaps a colleague who made an effort with you today; something good that happened at work; or even just the fact that you have this job at all!

Cultivating gratitude and mindfulness in the workplace has been found to lower stress levels and improve overall well-being; it also helps build stronger relationships between coworkers, which can help create a healthy work environment

The science behind why this is so effective is relatively straightforward. Gratitude is a powerful emotion that leads to happiness, contentment, and well-being—but you need more than just a single moment of feeling grateful each day (or even week) to reap its benefits. Mindfulness training helps you focus on the present moment by paying attention to your emotions, thoughts, physical sensations and surroundings without judgment or analysis—which allows you to notice things that might otherwise pass by unnoticed. By focusing on what's going right in your life instead of what's wrong or how much there is left left undone on your task list today or even this week (or month), mindfulness can help boost productivity by reducing distractions caused by negative thoughts about how busy you are with other projects at work (for instance).

We’re sure that you can see how bringing mindfulness and gratitude into the workplace can be a great way to improve your well-being at work. It’s also important to remember that cultivating these positive emotions doesn’t just benefit you as an individual – it benefits everyone around you! By taking time each day to practice mindfulness and gratitude, as well as being intentional about expressing them outwardly in your work life, you can set yourself up for success both personally and professionally.