During these stressful and uncertain times, it's more important than ever to stay grounded, focused and centered in ourselves and in our communities. Not only are we experiencing a completely unprecedented global pandemic, social unrest in our nation, and an upcoming presidential election, we are also all trying to keep our sanity in check! It is more than normal (expected, even!) to be feeling out of sorts. With all of that in mind, tuning in to your latest Zoom call or tackling an afternoon of spreadsheets might seem impossible. However, almost anything is possible with the right mindset.
Read on to learn how you can stay zen and in control of your day at work or anywhere else.
Beginning your morning with meditation can make such a huge difference to your day. New to meditating, or even a bit skeptical? Reading a passage from one of your favorite books is a great way to get started. If you can stand it, sitting quietly and still for a few minutes can help to calm and focus your energy. You can also listen to a favorite song that embodies your intentions for the day. A mindful stretching routine also counts as meditation. The best part of your morning meditation ritual is that you get to customize it and make it your own.
There are also a lot of great apps and resources to take advantage of to assist in your meditation practice. Some of our favorites include the Breathwrk app which helps guide the user in a breath focused meditation, the Headspace app has timed meditations with relaxing sounds, and the Calm app provides meditations, relaxing music and stories for sleep.
Even though it feels like the world is burning to the ground (literally, in some places) there is always space for gratitude. Look around your workspace and say out loud five things you are grateful for. One could even be your own body - that fact that you can read this blog post and are breathing. Starting small is the key to practicing gratitude. If you can't find things to be grateful for or are struggling in this practice, you can set up your workspace to be more gratitude and zen-minded.
Outfit your workspace with a plant (one that is hard to kill) or post sticky notes with inspirational messages or gratitude reminders around your space. Sit on a yoga ball to stay more connected to your core or place pictures of loved ones around your desk. Adding your own happy and personal touches can help to make your workspace set-up feel more happy and zen.