Beat stress at work with these three mindfulness tricks

THE to-do tasks are piling up, the e-mails keep flooding in, and while you’re doing one thing you’re already thinking about the next.

A lot of people are under permanent stress on the job, which can lead to overload and even burnout, warns a mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) trainer, who suggests three simple exercises to help.

“The amount of stimuli has never been as overwhelming and unlimited as it is today,” remarked Guenter Hudasch, chairman of the Berlin-based MBSR-MBCT Association. MBCT stands for “mindfulness-based cognitive therapy”.

Some stress is of our own mak- ing when we let our brain operate as if on autopilot, Hudasch said, but added: “You can learn to consciously direct your attention to very specific things.”

This, he said, clears your mind and helps you to differentiate between problems. It can make it easier to unwind after work, because the technique has a calming effect and enables you to clearly recognise the physical stress you’re currently under, he explained.

Regularly taking a few minutes of time for yourself can substantially reduce stress, said Hudasch, who recommends three exercises that can be easily integrated into your daily routine.

● Eat consciously: How does your lunch taste, smell and look? Many working people don’t really know, since they keep grabbing the smartphone beside their plate or talk shop with co-workers while eating. This, Hudasch said, is quite natural.

“The mind is constantly looking for stimuli,” he remarked. “You’ve got to practise consciously channelling it” by fully concentrating on your food – perceiving its warmth, texture and taste – and relaxing while doing so.

“You thereby return to your body, and take a real break.”

● Do a body scan: Though this sounds like high-tech medicine, all it means is to consciously perceive your own body. For example, you can close your eyes and deliberately inhale and exhale 10 times. This exercise blocks out your surroundings.

“You then notice how you feel at that moment – whether you’re tired or have a headache,” Hudasch said.

Armed with this knowledge, you can act appropriately. Do you have strength enough to work some more, or is it time to take a break?

● Concentrate on the act of going home: Absurd though this may sound after many hours of hard work, it’s effective.

The trick is to be aware of every step – the pressure on the soles of your feet, rolling from heel to toes, lifting your feet.

“The point is to leave work mindfully,” Hudasch said. “This lets you gently push aside thoughts of your job.”

You return to yourself and the present moment, he added, and consciously start your evening after work.