3 meditation techniques to relieve stress at work

Like any other skill, the more you practice, the better off you’ll become.

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It’s 10:45 on a Tuesday and you’re late for work. You just left the dentist’s office who scolded you for grinding your teeth – according to her, this is what’s causing your jaw and neck pain.

You’ve woken up between 2am and 4am most nights for the past month, and when you wake up, it’s hard to stop thinking about work. Your boss is getting more and more aggressive with you and you just can’t concentrate. To make matters worse, that critical inner voice of yours seems to be more eloquent than usual.

This scenario, or variations of it, sounds familiar to many people. Work stress can be especially persistent if you’re younger and trying to make a good impression.

Without detracting from the value of discussing problems you’re having at work with competent superiors, meditation practices can go a long way in helping you manage stress in situations like these.

There is extensive research supporting the positive effects of meditation techniques including awareness (mindfulness), mindfulness-based meditations, and meditations that cultivate compassion.

1. Awareness

awareness it is the practice of observing your inner realities (thoughts, emotions, memories and sensations) and external realities (social and physical environment) in a non-judgmental way. It has been shown to improve anxiety, stress, insomnia and pain, among other things.

Regularly cultivating awareness of your body (an internal reality) can help detect negative physical symptoms early.

For example, teeth grinding is often associated with tight muscles around the jaw, neck and shoulders. If you pay attention to your body, you can detect the early stages of stress-induced muscle stiffness and consciously relax your muscles.

A technique based on awareness simple but effective is the body scan. Spend some time each week (at least two minutes) turning your attention to the toes of both feet, slowly moving up the body, noting each part as you go, until you reach the top of the head.

You can find thousands of guided body scans online, and you can use this technique anywhere, even at work.

2. Mindfulness-based meditation

This practice usually involves using some type of anchor to help maintain a central focus in the mind. Anchors can include your breath, a mantra or phrase like “I’m here now,” or an image like a candle flame (real or digital). Whenever you get distracted by a thought, memory, emotion, image, or sensation (like an itchy foot), come back to anchor.

You can practice anywhere, with your eyes open or closed. Start with 60 seconds twice a day and build up from there. Don’t wait for the mind to be quiet, it won’t be. Your mission is to return to your chosen anchor.

Research shows that practicing meditation can improve emotion regulation, which can help you better handle stressful situations at work and increase focus.

A study I did with colleagues found that a mindfulness-based meditation program reduced stress, anxiety, and depression. burnt (burnout) in emergency room physicians compared to a control group that did not undergo the program.

Using the breath in particular as an anchor can reduce stress by calming the nerves associated with the fight-or-flight response that kicks in when we’re anxious.

This technique can be especially helpful if you’re having trouble sleeping. Equalizing your breathing (in five seconds in and five seconds out, for example) while practicing mindfulness-based meditation can help you break free from looping thinking in the middle of the night and get back to sleep.

3. Meditation to cultivate compassion

Our inner critical voice can become very eloquent in times of stress. It is helpful to detach yourself from this voice using mindfulness-based meditation. In difficult times, you must also cultivate compassion for yourself, as a person who makes mistakes (like any other human being).

Find a quiet place and sit or lie down. Turn on two minutes on the timer. He close your eyes, even breathing (five seconds in and five seconds out) and try to imagine your face.

Physically smile in his face and imagine him smiling at you. Wish you health and happiness. Realize that you are a human being who deserves love and respect. Your critical inner voice may disagree, but do your best to disengage that voice.

Sometimes this practice can also help us deal with difficult emotions related to other people. Remember, your boss is probably just as vulnerable to stress as you are. We can use this practice to summon your face, smile (physically and internally) and wish you health and happiness.

One caveat: Don’t try to do this with people who are bullying or abusive towards you. In extreme cases like these, we have to be careful not to make internal excuses for the people who hurt us. Discuss it first with a healthcare professional, such as a psychologist or psychotherapist.

To get the maximum effect, you need to use the right tool for each situation. Within weeks, you may need to use all three tools every day. On the quieter weeks, you can practice for two minutes on Mondays and Fridays, checking your body and mind to make sure all is well.

Like any other skill, the more you practice, the more proficient you will become. Above all, be kind to yourself.

*Padraic J. Dunne is a professor at the Center for Positive Health Sciences, University of Medicine and Health Sciences, RCSI, Ireland.

This article was originally published on the academic news site The conversation and here republished under a Creative Commons license. Read the original version here (in English).

Source: Terra

Ben

Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.