Buddhism refers to “monkey mind” as being unsettled, restless, or confused. At work, our mind swings from one stressful topic to another, avoiding what really needs to be done. While some stressful tasks can’t be solved at work, such as a conflict at home, our mind focuses on them, causing the job at hand to take longer, and be less enjoyable.

Mindfulness helps solve the monkey mind, allowing us to be present. With mindfulness we take control during stressful situations and make clear decisions. It reduces stress and anxiety, and increases being focused. Mindfulness also improves creativity, communication, and emotional intelligence!

How can you implement mindfulness?
Before work, set an intention to be focused and present. When your monkey mind brings you to that conflict at home, intentionally acknowledge the distracting thoughts and then refocus on your task.

If you find that monkey mind is taking over too often, take a VERY short break. A minute or two is enough! Connect to just one of your senses. For example, focus on the sounds around you or take a deep mindful breath. In other words, do something short and measured and then immediately choose to do your task.

There will always be pressure at work. The good news is that if you mindfully deal with stress, you can use it to your advantage! Next time you feel that flight-or-fight response, don’t try to ignore it. Instead, focus on your heart rate and breathing. See it as a burst of energy and harness it to solve a problem.

Although these mindful changes seem small, they can make a huge impact on your productivity while simultaneously giving you more joy at work!