3 Mindfulness Practices for Your Work Day

Workplace perks are continually increasing to attract talent in a competitive job market, including healthier snack options, on-site yoga classes, the option to work from home, and even gourmet catered lunches. Sadly, however, many of us still have days where we just can’t seem to relax and enjoy our work.

Why? Maybe you didn’t have time to enjoy your cup of coffee in the morning or you snoozed one too many times and had to rush to get out the door which swept you into a frenzy for the remainder of the day. When you have days where you wake up on the wrong side of the bed or nothing seems to go your way, you’re more susceptible to getting triggered at work. Frustration can bubble up in a conversation causing your body temperature to rise. The interruptions from new emails, meetings, phone calls, and deadlines leave you so overwhelmed that your upper back or jaw tighten up! Then, by the time you get home you’re so exhausted the only possible way to unwind is to sit in front of a mindless task and you can’t seem to shake off the dreary draining feelings. It’s a cycle.

4 Tricks to Thrive While Working from Home

Over the past decade, technological advances have shattered the ball and chain restricting where and how we work. The traditional workstation that included a computer, monitor, plug in mouse, and filing cabinets is close to extinction. Laptops are extremely common if not the only way people work and the majority of our information is stored in the cloud making paper records obsolete. We now have the ability to work from home, on vacation, or at the beach if you can maneuver your screen against the sun’s glare. Social tools keep us connected to our teams and working outside the office is the new perk many companies jump to provide employees.

Working remotely has it perks including skipping the dreadful commute, home cooked meals, and decreased distractions from coworkers. But it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. Waking up without anyone to physically report to can lead to four or five snoozes - sometimes more than our body needs. When you finally pull yourself out of bed, guilt envelops you. To placate, you flip open your computer to get started only to find the rush of morning emails has overtaken your inbox. Before you know it, the clock reads 11:30 am and you’re still in your pj’s, haven’t eaten breakfast or even brushed your teeth for the day.

Of course, a day here and there that starts like this isn’t necessarily a problem. However, to be successful working from home, whether it’s every day or once a week, there are certainly best practices that make it easier. Check out these four quick tips to thrive while working from home.

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