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You know the feeling all too well: you have big productive plans for your work day, and suddenly 9 hours have passed and you find yourself wondering if you actually got anything done. Before you know it, you are pulling into your driveway and don’t remember the drive home. If this sounds like you, you aren’t alone. Research shows that 47% of people spend almost all of their time thinking about something other than what they are doing. This is called living on autopilot, which is the opposite of mindfulness.
Living on autopilot feels like picking up your phone with an intention to complete something, but 30 minutes later finding yourself scrolling and wondering what you were doing in the first place. Here are 6 signs you’re living your life on autopilot:
If you are living your life on autopilot and desire a course correction, mindfulness is the answer. At the most basic level, the word mindful means “to remember.” We have constant streams of information coming at us throughout our days from emails, to text messages, to social media check-ins and (not to mention) countless meetings. Everything and everyone wants our attention, and if we aren’t mindful then they will get it. Becoming a mindful person is a skill that requires you to train your brain to be aware of the present and what you are doing.
Have you ever wondered why some people can get more done in a day when it takes others a week to complete the same amount? More time isn’t usually what we need to get something done, it’s more mindfulness. A mindful mindset is defined by two main skills: focus and awareness. Mindfulness at work means applying focus and awareness to everything you do during your work day, from moment to moment. When you are solely focused on a single task, you are likely able to get more done in less time throughout your day. Awareness is knowing when you are being distracted by outside noise and having the ability to release and let it go. The best part about becoming more mindful is that it doesn't require you to sit in meditation for an hour a day, instead it’s about taking simple steps to clear your mind and sharpen your focus.
A great workday actually begins the night before, by knowing exactly what you are planning to achieve the next day. It is recommended that you have no more than three main action items for the day in order to stay focused on your key priorities. This requires you to focus on choosing the things that are the most important and releasing the things that are not. It may seem counterintuitive, but doing less is actually doing more in the long run.
When you awake in the morning, notice the first thoughts that come to mind. If you immediately think about your stressful day ahead and how you are already running late, then you are activating your “fight or flight” stress response and releasing cortisol throughout your body. All of this before you’ve even enjoyed breakfast! Instead, as soon as you wake up, take a minute or two to simply bring awareness to your breath. Before grabbing your phone, take a moment to breathe slowly and intentionally to center yourself. Once you have brought awareness back to the present, be intentional with your thoughts. Thoughts like “I am really grateful that my bed kept me warm last night,” or “Today is going to be a great day and I am looking forward to it,” can set the stage for a more mindful day ahead.
When you arrive at your desk, resist the urge to immediately check your emails and dive right in. The majority of your day will be giving your attention to others and their needs, so take 5 - 10 minutes at the onset to give attention to your own. Sitting at your desk chair, close your eyes and focus on conscious breathing, resting your awareness on the exhales and slowing down your heart rate. Then check in with your body, noticing any areas you’re feeling tension or stress and let it go. Once you’ve centered yourself, review your list of the three main objectives you have for the day and think about how you will feel at the end of the day after you’ve completed those actions.
As you go about your work day, dedicate yourself to being a “single-tasker” instead of the common “multi-tasker.” Not only does multitasking not work (research shows that multitasking limits our cognitive abilities to the equivalent of an 8 year old doing the task), but when you focus on one single task at a time, you are able to get more done. This sounds counterintuitive, but when you slow down you are able to achieve more. Mindfulness at work isn’t about going in slow motion. It’s about stripping away distractions and staying on track with what you said you were going to do with focus and awareness.
When the inevitable stressful emails and meetings come your way throughout the day, practicing mindfulness can help you respond in a more healthy way. One way to do this is to feel gratitude. When we express gratitude, our brain releases dopamine and serotonin, two chemicals responsible for making us feel happy and improving our moods. The key is to feel grateful rather than simply saying or listing what you are grateful for. For this mindful exercise, make a list of 3 - 5 things you are grateful for, and elaborate on why you’re grateful for it!
Taking a break outside in nature is a wonderful moment of mindfulness to take in the middle of your work day. Studies show that simply being in nature is related to lower levels of perceived job stress and higher job satisfaction. Nature has a restorative effect on our tired minds, allowing our senses to relax, elevating our energy and improving our focus. Head outside for your coffee break and take in the surroundings (yes, even in the winter!). Try to stay off of your phone and instead look around you. Breathe in the fresh air, look at the beauty of the natural world, listen to the sounds, and simply be.
Did you know that meditation provides the nervous system a rest that is five times deeper than sleep? Meditating is so effective that 60 percent of employees who experience anxiety at work show improvement after practicing it. When you are relaxed you are more productive, and studies can confirm that meditation increases employee productivity by 120 percent. Consider starting and/or ending your work day with a short meditation. Here’s how to begin: sit in your desk chair, turn a timer on your phone for 5 - 10 minutes and simply focus on your breath and rest in the awareness you are creating by being still. If you want to focus on something, consider repeating the mantra in your mind, “I am peace, I am joy, I am love” for meditation.
Mindfulness can help you stay sharp and make better decisions as the day goes on. To help keep you on track, set a reminder every couple of hours to take a mindful break. These breaks will help you to be more effective when you go back to work and break the habit of living on autopilot. Each time you practice, you are strengthening the skill of becoming more mindful, and that is no small feat in today’s world.
Once the day ends and you are driving home to your family, turn off your phone or radio for at least 10 minutes and simply be. Let go of any thoughts about the day and focus on your breath. As you do this you will let go of the stresses of the day and help you shift out of work mode and into family mode for the night. I promise that this mindfulness practice will help you to feel more present, calm, and relaxed as you enjoy the rest of your night.
Take control of being more mindful by practicing these tips for the next few weeks and see how you feel. To learn more about developing mindful leaders in your organization please visit www.alishaleytem.com.
