The Importance of Doing Nothing

Living in such a fast-paced world where we’re preoccupied with work and online activities, it seems that doing nothing has become a thing of the past. If we’re not trying to keep up with ongoing deadlines at work, it’s likely we’re scrolling through social media or binge-watching the latest series. When was the last time that you were totally free of distractions and actually did nothing at all?

Why is doing nothing important?

We have become so attached to our modern-world habits that we forget to recharge our own batteries as well as our phone’s. Being constantly on the go and not allowing time to clear our minds can negatively impact both our mental and physical wellbeing. A build up of stress, anxiety and overactivity in our brains can lead to exhaustion and burnout.

With so many devices at our fingertips 24/7, we don’t allow ourselves to become bored as we’re constantly searching for something to do or to occupy our minds. Boredom can make us feel agitated and stressed and rather than confront our thoughts or simply unwind, instead we look for distractions. When we’re unable to fully relax and wind down, our sleep can also be affected, and we find ourselves struggling to fall asleep or waking in the middle of the night with thoughts racing around our heads.

When we’re constantly busying ourselves, either mentally or physically, we often miss those subtle internal signs or ignore our emotions that are desperately trying to feed us important information. But by doing nothing we can become more open and aware of our inner voice and gut feelings, which provide us with vital tools for making responsible choices.

Ways to unwind and clear your mind

If you’re not used to relaxing and doing nothing you might struggle at first to let your mind and body switch off, but with a bit of practice and some simple relaxation exercises, you’ll soon get into the swing of it.

1. Meditation and breathing

Meditation and breathing exercises are a great way to ease you into relaxation. Set aside just five or ten minutes during the day or evening to find a quiet space and unwind. By focusing on your breathing, it allows you to identify your thoughts and feelings and become more aware of what your body and mind need. Breathing exercises can also improve blood pressure, reduce the risk of stroke and improve concentration and focus.

In a study published by Harvard Business Review it was found that the “breath meditation technique will train your nervous system for resilience over the long run. These simple techniques can help you sustain greater wellbeing and lower your stress levels – at work and beyond.”

2. Spend time in nature

Being among nature is an instant stress reliever and it has a great way of turning your thoughts to the more peaceful environment around you. By being mindful of your thoughts, feelings and emotions, it frees up space in your mind for creativity to flow. As you inhale the sights and sounds of nature, you’ll automatically start to relax.

3. Take a long bath

Light some candles, keep your phone in another room, be generous with the bubbles and just sink into a nice warm bath. Try not to feel guilty for spending time alone with your thoughts. This is the perfect opportunity to just lie back and let your thoughts wander in and out. Don’t force anything and simply respond to what your inner voice is telling you.

4. Create a gazing seat

Whether you have the perfect little spot for a window seat, a quiet corner in your garden or a cosy room in your house where you won’t get disturbed, find yourself a space where you can just sit and gaze into the distance. Try sitting still without any distractions, even if it’s just for a few minutes, and let yourself drift into a daydream.

You shouldn’t feel guilty about doing nothing as it’s an important investment into your wellbeing. While you might not feel it’s as productive as getting the household chores done or finishing a work assignment, it’s equally as important.

The benefits of introducing nature into the worklpace

The benefits of being surrounded by nature has been lauded by scientists and medical professionals for many years. According to the charity Mind, immersing yourself in nature can help to combat stress, anxiety, and low confidence. Any workplace setting can cause employees to experience different levels of stress, and some more so than others. Discover how introducing elements of nature into the workplace can benefit individuals, groups, and the entire workforce.

Hello green fingers, goodbye blues

A study led by Dr Masahiro Toyoda, specialist in horticultural therapy at the University of Hyogo in Japan revealed that three minute 'nature breaks' could improve the mental health of employees. These breaks would consist of simply looking at a plant and tending to the plant in an office environment. This type of break was particularly beneficial to employees that felt tired during the working day. The study used the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Index (STAI) which measures levels of anxiety. It was found that employees that chose their own plant and cared for it at intervals during the day would see decreased levels of anxiety.

Natural elements in office design shown to improve quality of work

It isn’t just the introduction of real plants that can help employees to relax and perform better, and research featured in the Journal of Environmental Psychology suggests that images of nature also have an impact. In a study entitled '40-Second Green Roof Views Austain Attention: The Role of Micro-Breaks in Attention Restoration', the results of viewing two different types of image showed significant findings. Participants of the study were shown either city rooftop scenes of over-flowing plants and greenery, or images of bare city rooftops and were then asked to complete a task. The participants that viewed the green scenes made less mistakes and responded better to the demands of the task than those that were only exposed to the concrete roofs. It’s thought that by including nature scenes, either on television screens in offices, or in permanent décor such as 'living walls', employees experience an increased positive response to tasks.

The sounds of success

The sounds of nature, such as rainforests and rippling streams, have long been used to help people fall asleep, but what if these types of sounds not only help you feel relaxed, but can improve the quality of your work? Apparently, it isn’t only the sight of nature that can improve productivity and mood, but according to researchers, the sounds of nature have also been shown to result in a better work environment. According to Science Daily, researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York believe that the sound of a mountain stream in offices can elevate mood and productivity. Installing water features in offices or playing the soothing sounds of lapping waves or flowing streams could be a wise move for employers wanting a calmer work environment.

What is your working environment like? Could you introduce any images or sounds of nature?

Ways to stop being angry and start feeling calmer at work

It’s not uncommon for work to be the root cause of anxiety and stress. Whether it’s an excessive workload, demanding deadlines or difficult colleagues that are putting on the pressure, we can often find ourselves in turmoil. But how do you cope when our reaction to stress leads us to feel angry and act aggressively?

Anger is the immediate response we experience when we feel violated in some way. Perhaps somebody overstepped their remit and did something that should be your role, perhaps your opinion keeps being overlooked, or perhaps a colleague talks loudly beside your desk which prevents you from working properly. There are many scenarios that could lead us to feel angry at work.

The effects of anger

As well as resulting in aggressive behaviours such as arguments and conflict at work, anger can have a damaging effect on both our mental and physical wellbeing. When stress and anger becomes a problem, we might experience the following:

• Insomnia
• Anxiety
• Stress
• Depression
• Skin problems
• High blood pressure
• Headaches
• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Other health issues

These effects can be extremely serious if the physical symptoms are ongoing and not treated accordingly. Innovare Journal of Health Sciences undertook research about the impact of anger on the human body, and the findings are fascinating.

So, how can we learn to allay anger in the workplace and start feeling calmer?

Focus on your breathing
When you feel like you’re losing your cool and the red mist starts to set in, it’s human instinct to take quick, shallow breaths. Make a conscious effort to take more controlled deep breaths as this can lower your heart rate, stress levels and blood pressure.

Recognise when you’re angry 

Rage can cause us to act irrationally, so by recognising when we start to feel angry, we can challenge our thoughts. If you can help your mind take a step outside of the situation, it will give you a better perspective and prevent you from acting inappropriately.

Release your anger

Exercise and walking outside in the fresh air can release serotonin in the brain and will help you to feel calmer and more relaxed.

Prevent angry feelings 

As the saying goes, prevention is better than the cure. Try relaxation exercises, meditation and visualisation on a daily basis. When performed together, this combination can help you to remain calm in stressful situations before you reach boiling point.

Focus on something else

Step away from a situation where your anger is rising to the surface and focus on something more positive to distract your mind. Perhaps try listening to your favourite music, chatting to a friend or turning to a different task that is less stressful. When you feel in a better frame of mind, you can go back to the task that you stepped away from.

Release your thoughts

Put pen to paper and express how you’re feeling. Not only can this remove the negative and angry thoughts from your head, it’s a great way to prevent you from speaking or reacting in anger and making a situation worse.

Communicate

Often, anger occurs because we let negative feelings build up over time. To avoid this, try speaking to the person involved or even a close friend about how you’re feeling. Communication can nip any feelings of anger in the bud and will help you understand the point of view of the other person and them you. 

For more information, visit our webpage on anger and aggression >

Tips for reducing mental fatigue at work

Many of us will have experienced mental fatigue at one time or another in our lives and it’s no wonder with so many pressures from work. Continual strain can leave us feeling drained both mentally and physically, which can affect our motivation and energy levels as well as causing mental block, irritability and insomnia. If we ignore the signs of mental fatigue, it can eventually lead to stress and anxiety and, in some cases, depression or heart problems.

There are, however, a number of ways we can help prevent mental fatigue by taking a few simple measures.

Clear your workspace

When we’re busy, it’s easy to neglect our workspace, but the mere act of tidying and decluttering can have a positive effect on our minds. Not only will you be able to find things more easily, you will start to feel less stressed.

Allocating time

We all have different times of day when we feel that we're most productive and motivated, so try to allocate the right times to the right tasks. Completing the more mentally demanding tasks when you feel you're at your peak and leaving the simpler, more monotonous jobs for when you've less mental energy can massively increase your productivity at work.

Create achievable to do lists

Making lists is a great way to prioritise your workload and gain perspective on the tasks ahead. However, we can sometimes overdo it and cause ourselves more stress by trying to overachieve. Create realistic goals so that you actually see your list decreasing rather than increasing. By writing a new list each day, you're more likely to see your accomplishments rather than your failings and you will leave work feeling positive.

Pay attention to your sleep patterns

Getting a good night’s sleep is vital for avoiding mental fatigue and for refreshing your mind so that you're more alert and focused. Try to get into a bedtime routine where you give your mind time to wind down and quieten before you actually go to sleep. Switch off your mobile devices or the television and spend half an hour perhaps having a bath or reading before you attempt to sleep.

Take regular breaks at work

We're all entitled to breaks at work so it’s important to take time out when you feel like your mind is getting weary. Even if it’s just for five minutes to refill your water bottle and rest your eyes from the computer screen, these little breaks will work wonders.

Eat healthy snacks

Choose healthy snacks such as bananas, seeds and nuts to munch on throughout the day. As well as being a great source of energy, they will stop the temptation of grabbing a bag of crisps or a bar of chocolate, which will inevitably result in a slump in energy. Try to drink a couple of litres of water each day to help keep your brain sharp.

Relaxation

Make time for some form of relaxation every day when you're at home. Even ten minutes meditating, practising yoga or even just going for a walk can lower your heart rate, reduce blood pressure and calm your mind.

Take a proper holiday

Although an exotic holiday in the sun may be our idea of heaven, this isn’t just what taking a holiday is about. Taking a proper holiday means switching off from everything that could be damaging to your wellbeing. Turn off your phone, put your out of office on your emails and totally escape anything that may cause brain drain. If you let those closest to you know that you will be unavailable for a weekend or a week, hopefully you can switch off without feeling guilty.

Forbes offers more advice on how you can overcome mental fatigue but if you feel that need further help, speak to your GP or health professionals like First Psychology.

Perfecting a work-life balance

We’ve become so used to juggling a hundred things at once, such as demanding jobs, family life and finances, that we can become tied in knots and forget to make time for ourselves.

How often does a mealtime get interrupted by an urgent call from work or how much time do you spend trawling through emails hours after you’ve left the office? Sometimes, because we lack the confidence to say “no” to our boss, our workload becomes so impossible that time management completely goes out of the window.

For the sake of our sanity and our health, it’s so important that we take some time out to assess the situation, otherwise it could result in serious health issues.

We have some useful tips that can steer you in the right direction and help you take control and get back on track for achieving that positive work-life balance.

Stop to think

Before you can move forwards and begin to make changes, you need to pause for a moment and clear your head so that you can gain perspective on your life. Whether it’s at a quiet spa, in a local park or in your bedroom with the door closed, some initial alone time is highly recommended.

Make a list

Once you’re feeling a little more relaxed and your mind is quiet, think about all the things that cause you stress or anxiety and make a list. Just by putting pen to paper, you’ll feel a weight lifted and it will help you to prioritise and put a plan into action.

Organise your workload

Once you can see everything in front of you, allocate realistic amounts of time to each task and try to stick to them without being distracted by the next task on the list. If your workload is a serious concern, speak with your boss and see if there is something they can do to help. Remember, it's okay to say “no” sometimes.

Don’t neglect your home life

Unless it’s absolutely necessary, leave your work at the office door and ensure that once you're at home, you switch off. It’s important to make time for your friends or family as this will help you clear your mind. When you feel happy and more relaxed, this will have a knock-on effect in all areas of your life. You’ll feel your stress levels start to drop and your mind will become clearer, which will help you to focus better on each task at home or work.

Take up a hobby

Whether it’s some form of exercise or a leisure activity, occupying your free time with something that you enjoy can improve both your physical health and mental wellbeing.


The Independent looks at a study that shows two thirds of British employees are unhappy with their work-life balance. Although it can appear daunting to make initial changes to your life, once you have established a better routine, you will become more productive and happier in the long run.

More about work-life balance >

Spotting the tell tale signs of stress and taking action

In an ever-changing economy with increasing reliance on technology, there is an expectation that we can do more with less resources. The situations and pressures that we find ourselves under at work can easily cause stress, when not addressed.

The truth is, that as stress becomes normal within our working lives we may not even notice when we are suffering – though it will undoubtedly alter our behaviour with colleagues. Sometimes it will be up to others to point it out to us. Colleagues may comment that we are more irritable than usual or that we appear less tolerant or decisive than we would normally be.

Rather than be defensive, when this happens to you, take it as a wakeup call and an opportunity to take a look within and see if what people are saying is true. When it comes to being under stress we can be the last to realise, so understanding how stress can present itself can help you manage your own stress levels and take preventative action before it becomes an issue.

Too much sleep

In the early stages of stress, you may find yourself being more tired than usual and have a general lack of energy. Your need to rest will be greater than usual, but even after sleep you won’t feel rested. Stress can make you feel physically and emotionally drained.

Too little sleep

Ironically, often when you feel like you need sleep the most, sleep will escape you. When we are under stress, our minds work overtime and this continues when our heads hit the pillow. Minor stress may result in a couple of restless nights, however, sometimes the lack of sleep can actually add to the stress we are under.

Forgetfulness

Colleagues may notice you are ‘off your game’ or that you are lacking the drive and focus you usually have. Mild forgetfulness is an early sign of stress, as is an inability to make decisions. At the time when you need to be productive, you could find that your stress makes it harder to accomplish half of what you need to, causing work to pile up and deadlines to be missed.

Increased illness

When the stress really takes hold – and your mind refuses to accept that you are putting yourself under more pressure than usual – your body may take over. You may find that when you’re under stress you become more susceptible to infections and colds and other minor ailments. This is your body's way of making you get the rest you need.


These are just a few of the subtle signs that you’re under stress. There are more. But once you’ve recognised that you’re suffering, the question is: what can you do about it? This article from Psychology Today contains some useful and inspirational strategies to help you find the strength within to manage your stress levels:


And here are some of our suggestions:

Take a break

Once you've identified what is causing your stress, make a conscious decision to separate yourself from it for a short time. Gaining some distance from the issues that are bothering you mentally, can help to put things in perspective. Sometimes your stressors may be difficult to get away from – such as debt, or a major work deadline – if this is the case, even 15 minutes spent doing something you love will really help to focus your mind and make things easier to manage.

Get moving

The benefits that exercise has on your body is well documented, but more than that, keeping active is just as good for your mental health as it is for your physical health. We’re not talking about hitting the gym – though that may help – even a short walk can have an immediate calming effect on your mental wellbeing.

Be mindful

Meditation and mindfulness help the mind and body to relax and focus. Mindfulness can help people see new perspectives, and develop self-compassion and forgiveness. When practising mindfulness, people can release emotions that may have been causing the body physical stress. Much like exercise, research has shown that even meditating briefly can make a difference.


For more information about stress in the workplace check out our Guide to Stress.

How to speak so that people will listen

Have you noticed how some people can command the room when they speak, while others find it hard to grab – and keep – people's attention? We take a look at why this might be – and how to stop it happening to us!

Only talk when you have something to say

Have you noticed that children will ‘switch off’ from adults when they talk for too long? The same is true of our co-workers and colleagues. Often the people who are the most talkative are the ones that are listened to the least – it is hard for people to distinguish between the chitter-chatter and the words that add value to a work situation so they just switch off. If you are more mindful over your words at work, people will be more willing to listen to what you have to say.

Listen very carefully

We have two ears and only one mouth and there are many that believe we should listen twice as much as we talk. We don’t just mean not talking here though, it’s about actively listening to what our co-workers have got to say and using their ideas and insight to make us better at our own job. Listening is about processing what others have to say and only responding or adding to the conversation where you can definitely add value. People have to trust that you listen to them before they will actively listen to what you have to say.

Choose your time and place wisely

Speaking to people is not just about the words that you use, it’s about when and where you choose to impart your knowledge too. So, 4pm on a Friday in a crowded lobby is not going to command the same level of attention as 10am on a Monday in the training room, when everyone is motivated and ready to tackle the week ahead. When you have something important to share with others, make sure you are not competing for their attention.

Summarise and follow up

If you don’t feel confident in speaking and are often unsure that your audience will have taken in what you wanted to get across, always end your conversation or presentation by summarising your most important points, even if this means you’re repeating yourself. It’s also fine to follow up with people after the event too. Putting the important points in writing should not be seen as a reflection on your speaking ability, more a helpful reminder of your most salient points.



Public speaking or indeed addressing colleagues in a formal business setting is something that few of us relish. The good news is that these skills can be learn't – and until you have mastered the art of speaking with confidence, there are a few tricks you can employ that will enable you to ‘fake it until you make it’!


Here are our practical tips for how to speak with more presence so that people will sit up and listen:

Relax

As much as you can anyway. Do a few gentle stretches, touch your toes, walk up and down the stairs a few time. The more relaxed your body is, the more relaxed your voice will be when you’re speaking. Take a deep breath and let your body settle. Speak from your belly and direct your voice from your chest. When your voice is lower it sounds strong and convincing – people trust what you are telling them.

Slow down

When we are talking to groups of people or delivering presentations it’s important to take our time. When we’re nervous, the tendency is to rush through the event to make it end quicker – unfortunately this just means that we don’t articulate properly and this can make it more difficult for people to hear and understand what we are saying. Rather than rush through, slow down. Think of it this way – the more people who understand what you have told them, the less questions you will have at the end!


If you’ve got ten minutes free, why not watch this inspiring TED talk about the art of powerful speaking

https://www.ted.com/talks/julian_treasure_how_to_speak_so_that_people_want_to_listen

The benefits of ‘me’ time at work and how to get more of it

It’s national relaxation day on the 15 August – the perfect excuse to lock yourself away and lose yourself in your favourite activity or pastime for an hour or two. Let’s be honest though – how many of us regularly take time out for ourselves? How many of us carve out some ‘me’ time to focus on what we like to do?

A recent study by the British Psychological Society (BPS) found that quality me-time not only improves your psychological wellbeing it can also make you a more engaged employee. Their findings point to the fact that those employees who engaged in high-quality ‘me’ time were more engaged and productive at work.

At home, it can be easier to carve out some time alone to recharge the batteries and gain some insight and perspective to help us deal with whatever life throws at us. However, it's still too easy for us to make excuses and put the needs of others – family, friends and work colleagues – above our own.

At work, we're often driven by other people’s schedules which makes it hard for us to carve out time for ourselves, yet doing so can really help us manage our stress levels. Given that we spend most of our lives at work, rather than feeling guilty about taking a little ‘me’ time, we should actually embrace the need to take care of ourselves – mentally, emotionally and physically - and acknowledge the benefits that this will realise in the workplace, such as better productivity, a reduction in stress levels and improved inter-personal relationships. So next time you're tempted to eat lunch at your desk, think about how you could fit in some 'me time'.

Irrespective of whether we take our ‘me’ time at home or at work, it might help to remember the following:

Establish how much time you need

Be realistic about the time you can spare during your working day to concentrate on yourself. Too little and you won’t feel the benefit or be able to engage in any meaningful activity; too much and it will soon be regarded as an extravagance and become easy to replace with more pressing pulls on your time. Remember, time to yourself, doing what you enjoy, is not selfish, it’s taking care of yourself.

Decide what you will do with your time

Spend a few minutes thinking about what you would do if there was an extra fifteen minutes in the day? How would you spend that time? Jot down a list of all your favourite pastimes and allocate your ‘me’ time to doing some of the things off your list.

Build this time into your daily schedule

Once you've decided what you want to do and how much time you need, you need to commit to taking the time. Create a daily ritual so that your chosen pastime soon becomes a habit and something to look forward to.


Taking time out for yourself is not a luxury, it’s a necessity that will help you gain perspective and focus. However, if you don’t value this time, no one else around you will either. Self-care is absolutely necessary if we are to give our best to those around us. You can read more about the benefits of ‘me’ time on your work in this article.

Take a minute for World Mental Health Day

Today is World Mental Health Day and this year's focus is on mental health in the workplace.

Most people spend a large proportion of their lives at work, so it's important to ensure that you can find ways to cope with your workload and the environment you work in if you're going to have good mental health and wellbeing.

If you find your role stressful, it's worth sitting down and thinking about which tasks create stress for you. Remember that not everyone will find the same things stressful, and what one person finds motivating another may find overwhelming and stress inducing.

And stress is not really such a bad thing when it's doing it's job of protecting you from harm - it's our inbuilt response to danger and it really works - our bodies 'power up' ready to fight or run away from danger.  However, when we are exposed to stress inducing situations in the long term, stress can affect our mental and physical health, which is why keeping on top of stress is key. Stress is cumulative - in other words it's not just your job that can cause you to experience stress at work. Family problems, relationship issues, financial problems, moving house,
and illness can all add to the stress load and are more likely to result in you feeling stressed at work.

So what can you do to reduce the load and manage the stress?

Building in time for relaxation is the key to managing stress before it becomes a problem.

We've come up with some simple one minute exercises you can do at work to help stay on top of stress. The first one is below. We'll be adding more throughout today, so come back later to check for more tips.

1 Step outside for a minute 

One of the most important things you can do to support your mental health is to take a break and do a little bit (even a very little bit!) of exercise. This helps your mind switch off, even for a moment, which allows your adrenaline levels to reduce. The exercise will loosen your muscles and release some tension, and if you can face some gentle stretching this will be even more beneficial! Regular breaks and time outs can have a huge impact, giving you the ability to find perspective and feel less overwhelmed with things that are going on – reducing stress and improving your mood.

2 List the positives

Research has shown that people who keep a list, each day, of positive things that happened to them during that day find their mood improving and their general sense of well-being increasing. When things are difficult, and we feel under pressure, we can often lose perspective and forget about the good things that might be happening around us. So, take a minute to write down three positive thing that have happened in the last 24 hours – these could be an enjoyable chat with a friend, a beautiful view of the sun setting as you make your way home, reading a good book, sharing a funny moment with your child, etc. If you do this exercise daily, research would suggest you will find yourself feeling more positive and upbeat. Try it!

3 Face a fear

Anxiety is one of the biggest mental health problems faced by many people. We worry about many things, and this can reduce quality-of-life and create a burden that often feels difficult to let go of. So take a minute to tackle one fear (pick a minor one - it's only a minute after all!). Identify something you're worried about, and ask yourself the following questions:

 a) What is the actual likelihood that what I am feeling will happen in the way I think it might – does the evidence suggest this or not? Remember, most commonly we exaggerate to ourselves the awfulness and level of catastrophe that we would face if the thing we fear comes to pass! 

b) If what I fear did actually happen, how would I cope with it?  It's often really helpful to develop a clear and concrete plan as this allows you to feel more in control and also to challenge some of your assumptions that you couldn't cope. 

c) Chat to someone else – asking someone about whether they would deal with what you fear in the same way is often very helpful – it can provide perspective and give you an alternative viewpoint that you hadn't thought about.

4 Keep others in mind

People experiencing mental health difficulties often find it hard to talk about things, or even seek help. Take a minute to look around you, or to think about friends and family who may be having a hard time. Are there any people who you see or know who may have changed in recent times, perhaps seeming under pressure, more introverted, working harder, eating less (or more), drinking more alcohol, or neglecting themselves a little bit. Use your minute to think about others, and even to ask someone who may appear not themselves if they are okay. A question like that, followed by a cup of coffee and a chat, may mean your minute makes a huge amount of difference to somebody else.

Daylight savings - what will do with that extra hour of daylight?

It’s that time of year we all look forward to – the clocks go forward an hour this weekend and spring is in the air.

Studies show that the more daylight we’re exposed to, the more active we are – and the better we sleep at night. The question is what are you going to do with your extra hour of daylight? And, what difference is it going to make to your life?

We’ve compiled some suggestions to get the most out of your – longer – day, helping you to feel happier and more fulfilled.

Get off to a positive start (20 mins)

A good morning routine helps to set us up for the day, so starting the day as we mean to go on is a great way of making the most of your extra hour of daylight. Understand what works best for you in a morning then make it happen. Write out a schedule and have a plan of what you want to achieve during each day. This insight into the morning routines of successful people makes pretty inspiring reading.

Take 5 (5 mins)

Build some time into your daily routine to take in your surroundings and be thankful for the beautiful nature around us. Just five minutes is long enough to practise some mindful thinking, which will have a positive impact on the rest of your day. For more information about mindful thinking, you can read this previous blog post.

Catch some rays (10 mins)

Vitamin D is essential for human health. It increases the metabolism and the absorption of calcium and phosphorus. Sunlight is what the body needs to produce Vitamin D in the skin – so plan some time into your schedule and use some of your extra hour to get a daily dose of the sunshine vitamin. To find out more about the benefits of Vitamin D, why not read this article?

Get moving (15 mins)

Try to do more of what you love outdoors. Take a walk – use local parks to get more active. The great news about exercising outside is that it’s free and the preparation time is minimal; you don’t need any equipment and you’re less likely to get bored with the routine. This study outlines the benefits of outdoor exercise on not only our physical wellbeing, but our mental health too.

It may only be an hour, but we guarantee that these extra 60 minutes will be enough to boost your mood and leave you feeling more positive and productive. So, use it wisely – take a big breath in of the fresh spring air and leave the ‘sluggishness’ of winter behind you.

Mindfulness and work - how practising mindfulness techniques can benefit you at work

Workers in the UK are putting in more hours at work than ever before – according to the Trade Union Congress  – are you one of them?

Absenteeism and workplace stress are also on the rise and it’s unlikely that this trend is going to buck anytime soon. This is why employers and employees alike are looking for ways to make each working day easier to manage. Today, mindfulness practices are not confined to yoga classes and retreats. Many businesses are acknowledging the role that these skills can play in improving morale and motivation, not to mention better team effectiveness and an increased ability for leaders to make sound decisions.

An article in Personnel Today looked at the ways in which businesses – like GlaxoSmithKline, KPMG and the Home Office - were maximising the benefits that mindfulness practice can have in the workplace. Take Transport for London, for example, who were reported to have seen a massive fall in the number of days employees were off sick since they introduced mindfulness practices to the workplace.

Mindfulness is about training the mind to be present, which helps us think about things differently. We are all creatures of habit and our working day is defined by a range of routines, tasks and practices. It doesn’t take much for these routines to change and this can leave us feeling unbalanced. Mindfulness helps us to regain our equilibrium and stay focussed on our work.

The great thing about mindfulness practice in the workplace is that it doesn’t take much time. A few tweaks to our daily schedule and we can retrain our brain to approach stressful situations differently.

As a start, the following will help:

Take a break

Some people think that taking a lunchbreak, or a coffee break, is an act of weakness – taking your eye off the ball. On the contrary. Even a short 5-10 minute break will improve your concentration levels and boost your creativity. Lunchbreaks, if you can make the time, can really set you up for the afternoon and are an easy way to make sure mindfulness features in your working day.

The Harvard Medical School published some great tips on mindful eating practices to help you maximise the benefits. They include advice such as taking time to reflect before starting to eat, not eating on the move and making sure you chew each mouthful. You can read more about mindful eating here >

Take some exercise

Exercise is a natural grounder – a way of clearing our mind and releasing the feel good endorphins that make us feel as though anything is possible. However, often the thought of taking exercise during work time seems anything but possible. Even a quick walk around the block or taking a few flights of stairs, rather than the lift, will be all it takes to clear your mind and leave you focussed and more able to handle your daily to-do list.

Mindful exercise is about focussing on your activity, as you do it, not getting distracted or zoning out. If you’re walking: think about how the road feels below your feet, think about the speed at which you are travelling and the way that the road is designed to take you to your destination. It really is that simple.

Take a moment to think

Have you ever noticed that we do things without really thinking about them? Your routines when you get to work and switch on your equipment, the unconscious walk to the printer, the way you drink your cuppa with papers in hand, as you review your work…

Multitasking is a necessary skill, but choose any one these tasks each day and really think about what you are doing. Turn your chair around and drink your tea away from your desk – think about how it tastes, how warm the cup feels in your hand – focus only on your beverage and how good it makes you feel. Once you have finished your drink, turn your chair back around and carry on with your work.

Take time to try something new

In the workplace, make a conscious effort to break away from your routines and habits. Sit in a different seat in meetings, write with a different pen, wear different shoes, move your desk around. Just the very fact that your brain has to adjust to do something differently will heighten your senses and leave you more able to contribute to the task in hand.



Mindfulness in the workplace will benefit everyone but if you find yourself regularly drifting away or getting irritable with your team mates, you may want to think about how to build mindfulness into your working day, sooner rather than later!

Listen to our podcast in which Counselling Psychologist Stephanie Gooding discusses mindfulness  practices and the benefits for our wellbeing. 

Getting the balance right – returning to work after the holidays

No-one looks forward to their first day back at work after the holidays – however much we enjoy our work. Rather than take this as a negative, see it as a positive; a reflection of the fabulous time you spent with friends and family.

We’ve developed three top tips to help your first few weeks back seem less daunting and to ease you – painlessly – back into work after the summer.

Recreate your holiday behaviour at work

We are all creatures of habit and, whether intentional or not, chances are we will have developed certain habits during our holidays. Reading the paper in a morning over breakfast; taking a stroll after dinner; enjoying a drink on a balcony before bed – these little moments are often what we remember about our holidays. Think about it, what is stopping you recreating these behaviours – or at least something similar - at work too? Build time into your day to change your work habits: take a short stroll or read something new; eat your lunch in a different place, go out of your way to get to know colleagues you haven’t connected with yet. These simple things will make your work day more interesting and, perhaps, give you something to look forward to. Before too long the holiday blues will have passed and it’s up to you if the new habits continue or you revert back to old working practices!

Give yourself something to look forward to

Sometimes it’s hard to get motivated after the holidays. We can feel like we have nothing to look forward to now – and next summer is just too far away to be meaningful. Taking time out from work often makes us realise that there is more to life – however much we enjoy our jobs – many of us often make a resolution when we return from the holidays, to redress the work/life balance. So, now’s the time to plan some small treats to help motivate you at work and make you feel as if you’re working towards a goal. It could be a meal out with your family or friends; a day trip to the seaside to recreate that holiday feeling; or a back-to-basics overnight stay in a tent. Whatever it takes to make focus on a positive outcome, rather than dwell on the holidays that have passed.

Create a to-do list that leaves you feeling productive and fulfilled

A return from holidays often means a backlog of emails, telephone calls and work priorities to juggle. So much so that, a large percentage of workers are reportedly put off going on holiday due to the mountain of work that will be waiting for them on their return! Take time on your return to work to set out an achievable schedule and a realistic to-do list. Don’t try and do so much that you become overwhelmed. That means prioritising and accepting that you can’t do everything at once. A to-do list that you can deliver, will help you leave work feeling fulfilled, rather than stressed and overworked. No one wants to wonder if taking a holiday was worth it!


When you do return to work, recall your holidays with a smile. Post photos of your exploits (but remember your privacy controls!) and use these happy memories to refocus your mind if the work starts to get on top of you. Remember what your holidays taught you – we work to live, not the other way around.

Stress-busting support techniques to keep business booming

According to the Holmes and Rahe stress scale, issues relating to work account for eight out of 41 major life stressors. http://www.health24.com/Mental-Health/Stress/Stress-management/41-major-life-stressors-20120721

It follows then, that if we can help employees to manage stress at work this will impact positively on their activities outside work too, which results in a happier, more productive workforce.

As you’d expect, men and women deal with stress differently. The first step towards easing stress at work is being able to identify when your employees are experiencing pressure.

It is unlikely that male colleagues will openly admit that their workload is too much, that they’re experiencing conflicting deadlines or that they’re having trouble with other colleagues. Cues to look out for would be if a male colleague starts to stay away from others; if they avoid certain situations – such as excuse themselves from meetings; or if they appear to anger more easily than before.

There are a number of stress busting techniques that can be adapted to use at work. These include deep breathing exercises, guided imagery, or meditation.

There are also a few practical exercises that employers can introduce to the workplace that help employees keep stress at bay.

Schedule setting

Taking time at the beginning of the week to review to-do lists is time well spent. Stress often comes from feeling overwhelmed and this starts when we have lots of tasks and obligations rolling around our minds without a place to settle. Encourage colleagues and team members to be realistic about what can be achieved in the work hours available.

Focus on what matters

Being realistic invariably means prioritising. We can’t do everything at once and trying to over-deliver usually impacts on the quality of our work. Employees need to be clear about the tasks that have to be done that week and the tasks that should be completed if time allows. Focussing on priority tasks helps people regain control, which reduces stress levels.

It’s good to talk

It can be difficult to share frustrations and anxiety at work with colleagues but the benefits of offloading problems onto someone else are well documented. If employees don’t have access to an independent listening or advice service, encourage them to call on their personal support network. A problem shared is a problem halved and even a two minute call can help put things in perspective.

Take five

Is the habit of working through lunch and tea breaks prevalent in your organisation? Studies show that rather than help us achieve more, a lack of regular breaks impacts on productivity. Just five minutes break is all we need to reset our body and reduce anxiety. Seriously, is anybody so indispensable that they can’t take five? Encourage colleagues to use their breaks as time to focus their thoughts, take in their surroundings or enjoy a bite to eat. Productivity is likely to improve and stress levels plummet as a result.

Just small changes to the way we approach our work can make a massive impact on our ability to deal with stress. The trick is finding out what works in your organisation and making it part of the work routine, where possible.

Find out more about mindfulness at work and how it can help reduce stress >

Coping with change: mindfulness techniques to reduce stress at work

The only thing we can say with certainty is that nothing stays the same for long! Increasing workloads and expanding job roles can leave even the most committed colleague feeling overwhelmed or exhausted, from time to time. This can impact on the quality of the work delivered, which in turn increases stress and pressure at work. The reality is that none of us can change what happens around us, however we can change the way we deal with it.

Work is often described as being the third biggest cause of stress. By learning how to manage the stress experienced at work – using some simple mindfulness practices – life balance (and productivity) can soon be restored. 

Mindfulness at work 

The term mindfulness is not new. However people tend to link it with self-help behaviours like meditation rather than the benefits it can bring to people’s working lives. This is changing, with health experts starting to recognise the physical effects that mindfulness techniques have on the body. A study in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research has cited reduced blood pressure, and a reduction in chronic pain as some of the physical benefits of mindfulness. While mindfulness based stress reduction is said to help cancer patients. This is alongside the more widely reported upturn in emotional wellbeing.

Mindfulness is about training the mind to think about things differently. More often than not, life – and work - is defined by a range of routines, tasks and practices. When these are changed, for whatever reason (holiday, illness cover at work, increased workload), it can really knock us off kilter. By rewiring our brain to approach situations differently, we leave ourselves more alert, more open to change and more able to deal with stressful situations.

What happens when we rush?

Faced with more to do and the same time in which to do it, there’s a tendency to rush our way through work without the usual care and attention. Getting things done, rather than doing a good job feeds anxiety and heightens stress. Mistakes can be costly, but it’s not just that. Stress releases adrenaline into the body which becomes addictive. We then begin to rush things that are non-urgent just to get the same feeling. Unfortunately, what we lose in the process of rushing is clarity. Clarity goes hand in hand with good judgement. Mindfulness helps us keep focused on our purpose.

Letting go of what you can’t control

It's common to stress over things we simply can’t control. However, this also has a habit of taking us out of the present which impacts on our effectiveness, as well as our happiness. By being honest with ourselves about what we can control we can consciously free ourselves from those we can’t. Worrying about something – even if it’s non-articulated – uses up valuable energy, energy that could be spent on something constructive. It’s easy to let go of some things – like the price of petrol, or the weather – and still be aware of them. Others can be trickier, like what people think, how they feel, what they do. Mindfulness helps us focus energy on the activities we can influence. 

Exercise while you work…

All mindfulness exercises are a form of meditation. Meditation is the simple practice of breathing, or rather focusing on our breathing. When experiencing stress, we usually exhibit a number of physical cues. The trick is to recognise these cues early on – and use a mindfulness exercise to disperse the stress before it has really taken hold. Everyone’s cues will be different, but examples include irritability with colleagues, daydreaming or losing focus during meetings. 

Exercise one: it only takes a minute 

Find yourself a quiet space. Sit down, make yourself comfortable and turn off all distractions (PC, phone etc). And breathe… That’s it. In and out, calm and steady. Use all your senses to take in what’s around you. Be aware of how your body feels and how it relaxes with the simple practice of breathing. If it helps, place your hands on your abdomen so you can feel your breathing motion. When the minute is up, reinstate your PC and phone and continue on with the day.

Exercise two: savour the moment 

Starting each working day with a feeling of gratitude for what we have makes us less likely to hold on to negative/stress inducing thoughts. Tea-breaks and lunchtime are excellent opportunities to practice this exercise. For example, rather than drink your cuppa while going through work papers or scrolling through messages, take a couple of minutes to really appreciate what you are doing. How the drink smells as you pour it, the warm feeling as your hands hold the cup, the relief and enjoyment as you drink it. Go back to your emails – or whatever you’re doing – after you’ve finished and see just how focused you feel.

Exercise three: something new 

To keep in the present, take time to try something new. Your senses will be heightened and you will be more aware of what’s around you. This works particularly well in meetings. Sit in a different seat, write with a different coloured pen or pick up your water glass with your non-dominant hand. These small actions, although seemingly insignificant in themselves, go a long way to keeping your brain switched on, so that you remain present and can give your absolute best at work.

To find out more about keeping calm at work, read our previous post.

Have you booked a place on our FREE Mindfulness-Based Resilience workshop for HR professionals/people managers? Find out more and book your place today! http://bit.ly/1TSBqfF