How to be mindful at your desk

“The workplace is constantly demanding and distracting, making it a challenge to remain mindful. Staying centred and focused without being frazzled by the mental noisiness that crowds into a typical workday can be hard, but is important.” Says Dr. Deepak Chopra, co-author of “You Are the Universe: Discovering Your Cosmic Self and Why It Matters” and founder of the Jiyo app.

Here are six small ideas to help you keep mindful during the working day:

• Mindfulness is one-pointed, so focus on one thing at a time. Avoid multitasking if you can.
• To stay in the present moment, don’t let small demands pile up. Take care immediately of anything that takes five minutes or less.
• Be mindful of your body and its needs. At a minimum get up out of your chair, stretch and move at least once an hour. Walking to make tea counts, and the hydration will do you good too.
• Be mindful of your core or centre. When you feel frazzled, find a quiet place where you can close your eyes, take some deep breaths and become centred again. Some people find that centring works better if they put their attention in the region of the heart.
• Remember to breathe. At least once an hour, do a few 10-count breaths. Breathe in while counting to four at a fairly leisurely pace. Hold for a second as you relax into the feeling of the “in’” breath. Now breathe out to a count of six. Make sure your pace feels comfortable and not so slow that you gasp after a few breaths.
• Be mindful of your ultimate purpose, which isn’t to meet a deadline but to create a day with happiness in it.

I hope you find these small ideas useful, do let me know if you have any others that work well for you.