After I started my own business, I found myself in a real funk. Everyone at my old place kept wishing me well, and customer orders kept pouring in; but I was struggling to cope and enjoy my new business. In many ways, I felt cheated. Here I was, doing this amazing thing — yet I was hating every minute of it.
It took me a good few years to find my feet after those initial wobbles — and mindfulness was a big part of that. For me, it was a long and hard journey with plenty of “I give up” and moments. But ultimately, it’s made me into who I am today, and given me a brighter perspective on things. I’m glad I can share my mindfulness journey and inspire others in a similar position to take control of their lives. There are loads of simple and easy to implement mindfulness tips and techniques that I use to bring structure and peace to my daily work and weekly schedule. And most of it can be done at a desk, in between client calls!
Mindfulness has made me work smarter — here’s how.
From skeptic to curious
I must admit it, I was a bit hesitant about mindfulness at first. I come from a traditional family, and it all seemed a little too ‘out there’ for me.
But what got me first thinking about the ‘M word’, was how many successful entrepreneurs and business leaders admitted to practicing mindfulness. In fact, everywhere I looked someone was praising mindfulness or meditation. What was I missing out on? Could this be the ticket to a more successful business?
Like many others, I started my search into mindfulness through blogs — a format I am very familiar with thanks to my online business. It felt easier to confront some of my ‘demons’ at a laptop screen at first, and I often walked away when things got too heavy. A lot of what I read intrigued me, but it took me awhile to take the plunge and start implementing it myself.
What needed to change
My journey into mindfulness came from an awareness that things needed to change. My business was doing well, everything around me seemed to be going crazy, and I really struggled to stay calm.
The main thing that I wanted to change through mindfulness was a constant and all-pervasive feeling of stress, which led to a lack of focus. That in turn meant that I was actually making poor commercial decisions and losing money — jeopardizing everything I had worked so hard for! I was really frustrated at myself, and blamed my internal weakness for not being able to cope better. I was also sleeping and eating badly, and I kept feeling more and more overwhelmed.
Where mindfulness came in
I knew something needed to change, so I started picking up some meditation and mindfulness books from my local library. I downloaded an app or two (who here loves Headspace?), and started engaging with the idea of meditation and being more present in my everyday life.
Mindfulness helped me see a light at the end of the tunnel, and even just something simple like bringing awareness to my breathing was immediately starting to have a positive impact. Giving myself permission to have an unconditional positive regard towards myself and my erratic thoughts was one of the first times I realized just how healing mindfulness could be.
Mindfulness gave me a purpose and a daily ‘blueprint’ to follow. As a methodical person, I responded to the way that mindfulness allows me to develop slowly but surely. It felt great to have some sort of path or goal to work towards, building up my confidence in my body scans, or getting my breathing under control during a stressful situation.
Mindfulness really saved me when I started my first at-home business and I was put to the test as I worked long hours at my desk. Things blew up quickly, and I had a big backlog of orders and anxious customers.
Through it all, I kept my head screwed on tight and felt a lot calmer than I had ever felt before during a busy season. Finally, I felt like I could enjoy my career change and breathe a little freer thanks to my new mindful ways of thinking and working.
How to practice mindfulness at work: what I have learned
The key to combining your work with mindfulness is to be realistic, but also consistent. It’s better to start off with small things like a weekly body scan or desk meditation and stick to them, than it is to go all-out and then quickly get disheartened when you struggle to keep up with your schedule.
I tried a few different things out, and some of the techniques I found easier than others to do. Mindfulness success is personal, so it’s worth exploring what works (and what doesn’t) for you.
Here are some mindfulness techniques that I practice on a regular basis at work:
- Mindful meetings. Meetings and calls can be stressful, so I like to approach all of mine with a mindful attitude to help take the edge off. Breathing exercises before, after, and even during, are my go-to strategy; but mindful listening is also a great way to actually get more out of the meeting overall.
- The 3 minute breathing space has saved my life so many times! I use it all the time when I am busy, and as it’s such a short period of time, it’s something I never struggle to implement, even during peak season.
- At-desk meditation is super easy to do and it makes a difference from walking about (which is also important though). Pop your headphones in and do a guided meditation to get yourself in the right mood. Here is a good chair body scan one — a great way to unwind at your desk. (Don’t forget to take regular breaks and walks away from your desk too).
How I keep to my mindfulness intentions
It’s not always easy to remember to practice mindfulness when work is piling up.
My work is very 24/7, always switched on, and I spend a lot of the day on my own in front of a screen.
For me, setting reminders and blocking out parts of my calendar help me stay focused on making mindfulness an everyday habit. It’s the best way for me to stay honest, and I hate letting myself down and missing an ‘appointment’!
I have even told other people about my important ‘me meetings’, and they tend to chuckle…then ask me whether I’ve got any books I’d recommend they read!
Intentionality, as well as slowed down eating and working (more info here) help give me a bit of peace when plates are spinning. It felt weird slowing myself down at first, but in today’s world, I think we could all do with taking stock a bit more often.
Where mindfulness is taking me next
Mindfulness is something that I hope to bring more and more into the conversation surrounding entrepreneurship. My approach to it is quite eclectic and free, and that’s something I’d like to stress to others — it’s super flexible and easy to find your own groove with mindfulness.
It’s an amazing thing to have in your toolkit, and I think a lot of young entrepreneurs could really benefit from the dedication and discipline it entails. It’s just a great way to make the most out of life and it has 100% improved my resilience.
Patrick Foster, ecommerce entrepreneur & coach.
I run a few businesses now, as well as take on the odd consultancy client. I love exploring all aspects of entrepreneurship and I am a passionate advocate of lifestyle design.
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