Chapter 6

Discovering Mindfulness At Work Training

In This Chapter

Looking into the Mindfulness At Work Training programme

Investigating mindful ways to work

Trying out Mindfulness At Work Training for yourself

To help you develop greater mindfulness in the workplace, we’ve developed a do-it-yourself version of our Mindfulness At Work Training (MAWT) course. This chapter and Chapter 7 take you through the basics of this five-week programme. You discover the core essentials of developing a more mindful approach to life’s challenges and pressures in a way that’s directly applicable to the workplace.

If you’d like us to deliver this programme in your workplace or offer to staff online, visit our website at http://mawt.co.uk

Introducing MAWT

MAWT is intended as a short introduction to mindful working practices that you can embed into your working day. MAWT has two parts: core training and work essentials.

As with all mindfulness training, MAWT is not something you can just read about and instantly you will become mindful – it takes time and repeated practice to develop. The time commitment is not great – with 15 minutes practice each day for five weeks you should notice some positive changes.

If you are experiencing acute mental distress, this course will probably not be right for you. See your doctor who will refer you to the best source of advice for you. If that doesn’t help consider a course in MBCT or MBSR specifically for your condition.

Throughout the five week course you will be asked to actively participate. Each activity is clearly labelled with ‘MAWT Activity’. Some activities involve thinking or reflection; others (such as practising mindfulness) are more experiential. Don’t be tempted to skip these – they are important parts of the learning. You will need a notebook or journal to write in during the course. I (Juliet) treat myself to attractively bound tactile notebooks as I find them more pleasurable to write in – but any old note book, or even loose paper will do.

Getting ready

In this chapter you find the core training elements:

• Week 1: Understanding mindfulness at work: What mindfulness is and the science behind it. You start to recognise and step away from auto-pilot and begin embedding the core skills of mindful working.
• Week 2: Working with the body in mind: The interconnection between thoughts, emotions and physiology. You discover how the body controls the mind start to develop practices to improve your well-being and resilience.

In Chapter 7 you build on your core training to develop specific mindful working practices such as mindful communication, dealing with difficult people and strong emotions, and working in times of change. You also develop strategies to embed mindful working practices into your everyday working life that you can use for years to come.

MAWT is all about increasing your resilience to work’s trials and pressures. Each week is designed to develop your resilience further, so resilience appears as a key element in each and every week’s training.

Identifying the outcomes you desire

Before you start your MAWT studies, you need to ask yourself ‘What am I seeking to achieve?’ and ‘What would I like to be different at the end of this course?’

If you’re just looking for hints and tips on how to apply mindfulness to your working life, reading all or parts of the chapters in this book will suffice. The MAWT course set out in this chapter and Chapter 7 is written specifically to help people who are committed to developing new approaches to their work and to practising new skills that actively help them rewire certain areas of their brain.

Consider what you want to achieve. Maybe you want to reduce your levels of stress, keep calmer or stop thoughts whirring around your head so fast. You may want to improve your relations with colleagues or deal with a difficult person at work. Maybe you want to increase your concentration or develop a sense of well-being. Give this some thought.

Write down what you want to achieve in your journal. You can re-visit it later to review and keep your learning on track.

Considering alternatives to self-study

Before starting this course, remember that self-study based on a book isn’t for everyone. Some people are happiest studying by themselves, while others benefit from having a group around them. Some people need to know the theory before giving practical things a try, while others like to dive straight in to trying out new ways of doing things.

Mindfulness can be a tricky subject to get your head round at first. Many things you’re asked to do may be counter-intuitive or different to how you’d normally approach things. When you’re new to mindfulness, you may find that you get things wrong and go off at a tangent. Discussion and exploration are a really important part of the learning process during the eight-week MBSR and MBCT courses. If you decide you want to embed mindfulness into your life at a deeper level, you may prefer to attend a taught course that gives you the opportunity to discuss and check your understanding, and get support if you’re struggling with anything.

The lessons contained in these two chapters have been adapted to meet the needs of the modern-day workplace and solo student. They help you get started and experience a more mindful way of working. We suggest that you try to complete all the activities in this chapter and Chapter 7, as these form an important part of your study.

MAWT Part 1: Core Training

This section gives you the lowdown on what MAWT involves, how to prepare for it and what you can expect to achieve through it.

Preparing for MAWT

Before you start week 1 of the course, you need to do a few important things. First, you need to set a benchmark to measure your progress.

• Spelling out what you hope to gain from the course: List in your journal the three key things you hope to gain from the course.
• Specifying what motivated you to pick up this book and commit to the course: List in your journal what motivates you to commit to this course.
• Identifying your current level of mindfulness: Read the statements in Table 6-1 and rate each item as follows: 1 = almost always, 2 = very frequently, 3 = somewhat frequently, 4 = somewhat infrequently, 5 = very infrequently, 6 = almost never. Write your responses in your journal.

  Table 6-1 Testing Your Current Level of Mindfulness with the Mindfulness Awareness Scale (Adapted from Brown and Ryan, 2003)

  1. At work I sometimes experience emotions that I am not aware of until later.
  2. At work I find it difficult to stay focused on what’s happening in the present moment.
  3. When walking to or from work, around my workplace or out to lunch, I tend to walk quickly to where I’m going without paying attention to what I experience along the way.
  4. At work I often get so wrapped up in the goal I want to achieve that I lose touch with what’s going on all around me and what I am doing right now.
  5. At work I tend not to notice feelings of physical tension or discomfort until they really grab my attention.
  6. At work I frequently run on ‘auto-pilot’ without much awareness of what I’m doing.
  7. At work I often rush through work activities without really paying them much attention.
  8. At work I often find myself listening to someone with one ear, while trying to do something else at the same time.
  9. At work I often find that my mind drifts off to consider things that may happen at work in the weeks or years to come or things that have happened at work in the past.
  10. At work I often find myself snacking on the job without being aware that I’m eating.

Now add up your score. The lower the score, the less mindful you are.

• 10–20 = low
• 20–40 = moderate
• 40–50 = good
• 50–60 = excellent

If your score is low, that’s fine – this MAWT course can help you improve this score. If your score is higher, there’s always room for improvement. Try taking this test at the end of the course to see what’s changed.

Assessing your current level of resilience

Next, you need to look at your resilience. Read the statements in Table 6-2 and rate each item as follows: 1 = strongly agree, 2 = agree, 3 = disagree, 4 = strongly disagree.

Table 6-2 Testing Your Current Level of Resilience

Now add up your score. The lower the score, the less resilient you are.

• 0–14 = low
• 15–26 = reasonable
• 27+ = good

If your score is low, don’t worry. You’ll steadily improve as you work through the MAWT activities.

Now you need to set aims for your study. In your journal, write three things you’d like to be different when you’ve completed the course; for example, ‘I would like to be able to better focus on my work and to cut out distractions’ or ‘I would like to be able to cope better with all the changes going on around me at work’.

Week 1: Understanding mindfulness at work

Have you jumped straight to the ‘Learning to be mindful at work’ part of this book without reading any of the rest of it? Don’t worry; you’re not alone! If you have time, you will, however, benefit from reading Part I of the book, but if you’re in a hurry, here’ a summary of the basics.

Try to work through this course one week at a time. Avoid the temptation to jump ahead. Read and work through the teaching in each week, then experiment with and practise the techniques for a full week before moving on to the nest week

Debunking myths about mindfulness

• Mindfulness isn’t a religion. You don’t have to light incense, chant, become a monk or sit on top of a mountain (unless you want to!). You also don’t need to sit in uncomfortable positions on the floor – a chair is fine.
• Mindfulness at work training isn’t a therapy. If you want mindfulness-based therapy, consider an MBCT course or ACT, taught by a qualified psychotherapist as a therapeutic intervention.
• Mindfulness isn’t all about relaxation. Mindfulness trains the brain to pay attention and can be hard work. Relaxation may or may not result and that’s okay.
• Mindfulness isn’t about suppressing your thoughts or blanking your mind. Mindfulness is about observing your thoughts, acknowledging them and choosing how you respond to them.
• Mindfulness isn’t about thinking only positive thoughts. Part of mindfulness training is about teaching people to approach and re-examine things they find difficult.
• Mindfulness isn’t about running away from reality. Mindfulness is about seeing clearly exactly what’s going on in the present moment.

Mindfulness is all about training your brain to become more aware of what is happening as it is happening. It cultivates awareness of your thoughts, emotions and body, and the interplay between them, as shown in Figure 6-1. Mindfulness is experiencing the present moment openly and curiously without judging it as good or bad or trying to categorise it.

Mindfulness has been the subject of thousands of research papers. MRI brain scans have shown that as little as eight weeks of mindfulness training can improve the brain’s wiring. It can lead to increased grey matter concentration in brain regions involved in learning and memory processes, emotion regulation, self-referential processing and perspective taking. Mindfulness also improves focus, concentration and decision making.

Recognising the benefits of mindfulness at work

In the modern-day workplace, change is the norm. Change of course is nothing new, but what is new is that the pace of change is increasing. Many workers are becoming stressed as a result of increasing demands, reduced time in which to get results and uncertainty about the future.

Work-related stress is a person’s adverse reaction to excessive pressures or other types of demand placed on them at work. Stress is a good thing – in the right circumstances. Our ancient ancestors needed this stress reaction to escape from life-threatening situations such as being chased by a wild animal. When they encountered something dangerous, their threat system released powerful hormones designed to help them evade danger. After the danger had passed, their system returned to normal.

The problem is that nowadays most employees are not in danger of losing their lives, but their body reacts to workplace threats such as a critical boss or fear of looking stupid in front of work mates in exactly the same way. Remaining in this state of heightened arousal for long periods can have a huge impact on human bodies ranging from indigestion and sleep problems to cancer and death. In many countries, stress is now the most common cause of long-term absence from work. A high percentage of staff report that their jobs are highly stressful. Remaining in a stressed state not only hurts your well-being, it also has a huge impact on your work performance. In this emergency state, your brain devotes its energy to carrying out only essential tasks. Your body stops replacing brain cells and diverts energy away from higher- brain activity such as decision making, prioritising and strategy.

What employees need in order to thrive in this environment is the ability to detect stress and diffuse it before it becomes harmful to both their health and productivity. They need to recognise the point at which their performance is dropping off and take steps to bring themselves back to peak performance. They need to be able to deal effectively with multiple, conflicting demands. They need to develop a mental mind-set that can cope better with uncertainty. Lastly, but most importantly, they need to be able to take a step back from all the busyness going on around them and see things as they really are – in the present moment.

Mindfulness can assist with all these things.

Research concludes that mindfulness at work can:

• Help employees develop positive strategies for dealing with highly stressful environments and work pressures
• Enable employees to deal better with complexity
• Enhance employee self-regulation of thoughts, emotions and behaviours and make them more resilient when facing of challenges
• Improve task performance

John, a project manager working for a multinational company, decided to go on a mindfulness course I (Juliet) was teaching because he was struggling to meet work demands and was worried that his performance was suffering. In his workplace, change was the norm and things seemed to be changing all the time. During one eight-month project his line manager had changed twice and the division he worked for had been amalgamated with another. John said, ‘Trying to deliver this project on time and on budget is hard enough without having to worry about whether I’ll have a job next week or getting to grips with new managers. I’ve managed many projects over the years, often in difficult circumstances, but have never found it as hard as I’m finding it now. I always regarded myself as someone who was highly flexible and able to work with change and uncertainty, but now I’m starting to doubt myself and my capabilities.’

John isn’t alone. Many things can make us feel stressed or under pressure at work. Pressure may be caused by change, difficult relationships, over- or under-stretching job roles, excessive demands, a lack of control over work and insufficient support and guidance from colleagues and superiors.

Some things in life you can change and others you can’t. What you can change is the way you respond to them. Victor Frankl was an Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist who survived the Holocaust in the Second World War. In his book, Man’s Search for Reason, he said, ‘Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.’

While you can’t argue with this statement, you may find it hard to put into action. To be able to choose your attitude and response to what life throws at you, you need to be aware of what’s going on in your head and body. What you may not realise is that your thoughts and emotions have a tangible impact on your body. Your body also has an unconscious impact on your thoughts.

Mindfulness shows you how to progressively become more aware of your thoughts, emotions and body. By developing this skill, you can choose how you respond to challenges at work rather than responding on auto-pilot based on outdated mental programming and habits developed over the years. Now you need to put this into practice.

1.1: Mindful eating

Find a place where you have some privacy and can observe what’s going on without being disturbed or concerned about people walking in on you mid-exercise.

Select something you like to eat or, if you want to make it more challenging, something you don’t like eating! If the item is large, such as an apple, sandwich or chocolate bar, break off a small piece. If the item needs peeling before eating, do so now. If your food item has pips, make sure that the piece you break off has no pips. Now follow these steps:

1. Hold the item. Imagine that you’ve never held one before. ? Is it heavy or light? Spend a few moments considering its weight.
2. Look at the item. What do you see? What colours does it contain? Is it shiny or smooth? Try to spot details that you haven’t noticed before.
3. Touch the item. Is it hard or soft? Is the surface textured? Does it feel any different if you touch it with your lips? Spend a few moments exploring how it feels, as if you’ve never touched one before.
4. Smell the item. How does it smell? Can you identify different smells or just one smell? Is it a strong smell or a weak smell? Does it have no smell at all?
5. Put the item in your mouth. Avoid the temptation to chew or swallow. How does it feel to have this piece of food sitting on your tongue? Are you aware of any sensations in your mouth?
6. Chew the item. Observe how the texture changes as you chew. Can you identify different flavours and sensations in your mouth? Spend a few moments longer than normal, just chewing.
7. Swallow the item. Feel the sensation of the food going down your throat towards your stomach. Be aware of any sensations that arise in your mouth and throat.
8. Identify any remaining sensations. Are you aware of any lingering flavours? Are your lips tingling? What are you thinking about?

Mindful eating reflection

Spend some time reflecting on this activity. Note down your reflections in your journal. Use these questions as a prompt.

• How did you feel while you were doing that activity?
• When was the last time you paid that amount of conscious attention to something you were doing?
• How was your eating experience changed by the simple action of focusing on it?
• Did you experience anything that surprised you?
• In what ways was this experience of eating this particular item different from experiences of eating similar items in the past?
• Can you make any other observations about this experience?

Mindful eating key learning points

The mindful eating exercise shows you that:

• A simple everyday experience like eating can be transformed by focusing on it.
• You spend a great deal of your life on auto-pilot.
• Your perception of what’s going on may be very different from present moment reality
• You can start to train your brain to notice what’s actually happening in the present moment.

When John did this exercise he said, ‘I felt really silly at first. I used a segment of orange and ate it during my lunch-break. I was surprised that the orange tasted so sharp and sweet at the same time. It made my lips tingle and I started to salivate while I delayed swallowing it. It really shocked me to I realise how little I notice about what’s going on in the present moment. It made me smile to think that some days I am so engrossed in my work that a gorilla could walk through the room and I wouldn’t notice!’

Were your experiences of mindful eating similar or different to John’s?

Working out whether you’re conscious or unconscious at work

Most people think they are always fully conscious and in control of their actions. How much of your work day do you think you are you fully conscious of what you’re doing? Scientists were asked a similar question in a recent TV documentary. None of the scientists came up with a definitive answer but they did all agree that what the brain is conscious of on a day-to-day basis is tiny in comparison to unconscious activity. Automatic processes are good in many respects. Think about how difficult life would be if you had to consciously remember to breathe, if you had to think hard every time you wanted your fingers to type on a computer keyboard or had to consciously tell your body how to digest food!

Routine tasks such as breathing, digestion and walking are stored in the more primitive areas of the brain. Skills we pick up such as using a computer keyboard or driving are also stored in the basal ganglia, our habit centre. Most activities stored in this area are carried out unconsciously.

The brain can only consciously focus on one thing at a time. If you try to juggle too many things simultaneously, some get stuck in the bottleneck of your short-term memory, called ‘working memory’. You can extend the working memory by using auto-pilot habits – habits take less brain power and virtually no awareness.

While working on auto-pilot is wholly necessary for many things your body does, it can also cause problems. The human brain is pre-programmed to minimise threats and maximise rewards. In work terms, threats can be fear for your job, status or position. At work, your brain is constantly scanning for things you find threatening or think may be harmful to you. You’re likely to respond to these threats on auto-pilot, unconsciously, based on past experiences and what you think may happen in the future.

Relying on auto-pilot can result in you blowing things out of proportion and getting stressed and tense about things that are only going on in your head; even though they haven’t actually happened, they’re just thoughts. Remaining in a heightened state of arousal (stress) is seriously bad for your health and over time reduces your ability to tap into higher-brain functions.

The more pressure you’re under, the more negative you may feel. Negative thoughts and feelings amplify emotions and trigger more auto-pilot responses to things in life.

Mindfulness helps you close down some of these mental programmes that you’ve left open and running in the back of your mind. To develop mindfulness, you first need to be able to focus on one thing at a time.

Training your attention

One of the core skills of mindfulness is being able to direct your attention at will to where you want it to be. Sounds easy? Most people find this simple task really difficult at first.

The exercise below uses the breath as an anchor point on which to focus your attention. The reason we use breath is that breath is universal – everyone breathes! In this exercise, make sure that you do not try to control your breath - just observe it.

The exercise isn’t about relaxing (although many people do find it so). Rather, the exercise is about ‘falling awake’ – becoming more aware of what’s happening in your mind. Think of yourself as a kind scientist, inquisitively observing everything that’s going on without judging or categorising it.

Find somewhere quiet where you won’t be disturbed. You can try it on the train or bus home, in your lunch break (if you have your own office and can place a ‘Do not disturb’ sign on the door) or at home. If you can, listen to Track 7 of the audio downloads available at www.dummies.com/go/mindfulnessatworkuk, which guides you through the exercise. Alternatively, read the instructions below, set a timer for 10–15 minutes, and guide yourself through the exercise. If possible, select a gentle alarm tone so that you don’t jump out of your seat at the end of the exercise.

1.2: Mindfulness of breath

1. Settle yourself in a chair where you can sit in a comfortable upright position. Both feet should be firmly planted on the floor, your shoulders relaxed and your head facing forward.
2. Pay attention to the contact points between your body and the chair and floor. Spend a few minutes exploring how your feet, legs, bottom and any other areas in contact with the chair and floor feel.
3. Notice how feelings arise and disappear. If you notice nothing, that’s perfectly fine. The important thing is checking in with yourself and just observing what’s there.
4. Now focus your attention on your breathing. Notice how your chest and abdomen feel as the breath enters, pauses and leaves your body. Observe how the air feels as it enters your nostrils, and leaves them.

   This exercise isn’t about controlling your breath. No right or wrong way exists. Just observe what’s happening right here, right now without judgement.

   If your mind wanders, that’s fine – minds do wander! Give yourself a pat on the back for having recognised that your mind’s wandered and bring your attention back to where you want it to be. It doesn’t matter if your mind wanders 100 times; the act of recognising that your mind has wandered and bringing it back is what’s important.

5. Continue to use your breath as anchor within you for as long as you have time. When your timer sounds, gently stretch your fingers and toes, and open your eyes, ready to start work again.

Mindful breathing reflection

Reflect on the following questions, and write your reflections in your journal:

• How hard did you find it to remain focused on your body or your breath?
• How many times did you need to bring your attention back?
• Did you find yourself at any time making judgements about your experiences or being self-critical?
• Can you make any other observations about this experience?

Mindfulness of breath key learning points

Practising mindfulness of breath regularly is important. The exercise helps you to cultivate the ability to disengage from auto-pilot. It trains your brain to focus attention at will. Over time, you develop the ability to treat thoughts as mental processes rather than facts, giving you time and space to decide on the right course of action rather than responding on auto-pilot.

When you try the mindful breathing exercise remember these three important things. Firstly, your mind is designed to wander – accepting this fact helps you in your mindful practice. Repetition is key to success – you don’t have to like this exercise or find it relaxing, you just have to do it. Getting angry or frustrated won’t help you master this skill – these emotions just make it harder, so be kind to yourself if you’re struggling.

Consider the project manager, John. He didn’t find this exercise easy at first, and started to get frustrated. ‘I thought that sitting doing nothing for 10 minutes would be easy. How wrong I was. My mind kept wandering and I kept thinking about the project I was working on. As instructed, when I noticed my mind had wandered, I brought my attention back to my breath. Two breaths later my mind wandered off, thinking about the latest reorganisation. Again I bought my focus back to my breath. After 10 minutes of fighting with my thoughts, it was a relief when it was time to end.’

Despite the difficulty, John persisted. A few days later he said, ‘I started to become really interested in my thought patterns. It really drove home to me just how much of my energy I was spending thinking about work, worrying about the reorganisation and trying not to drop any of the balls that I was trying to keep in the air simultaneously. I started to give myself a pat on the back each time I noticed my mind was wandering. A few days later another strange thing started to happen – I started to look forward to my 10 minutes of peace each day. It still wasn’t easy, but I started to feel more relaxed and clear-headed.’

Your experiences may be different from or similar to John’s. Some people find the mindful breathing exercise easy; others find it hard. Even people who’ve been regularly practising it for 20 years or more still have minds that wander.

You don’t have to like the MAWT exercises; you just have to do them. Rather like going to the gym and training a muscle, you can train your attention to focus where you want it. Every time you do the mindfulness of breath exercise, you’ll be rewarded. With each repetition, you’re strengthening the links in your brain connected with focusing your attention. Over time, focusing your mind becomes easier and a normal part of your working day.

By discovering that thoughts are only mental processes, you create a gap between a stimulus (such as a thought) and your response (often unconscious and on auto-pilot). You can then use this gap to consciously choose what to do next. You can decide to try a new approach or choose to use a tried and trusted approach – the important thing is that you have a choice. When living your life on auto-pilot, you have no choice because you’re often unconscious of what’s going on. Cultivating mindfulness at work allows you to respond more wisely to the day-to-day challenges that you face there.

Committing to being more mindful at work

Now is the time to make a commitment to becoming more mindful at work. Becoming mindful isn’t a quick fix – it takes time, practice and commitment – but the rewards are immense.

Many people moan that they’ve too little time in their day to devote 10–20 minutes to developing their mindfulness skills. Step back and think about it. If you cannot spare 10 minutes of the 1,440 minutes you have to play with each day, maybe you need to examine how you’re living your life.

If you look for time to fit mindfulness training into your life, you’ll find it. Most people find time each day to brush their teeth or to eat breakfast. Instead of thinking of mindfulness as ‘another thing to fit into my busy day’ regard it as ‘a short practice each day that really makes a big difference to my life and work, saves me time and helps me manage my work more efficiently’.

Make a commitment to your practice. Make sure that you want to practice not because the authors of this book say you should, but because you want to experience the benefits of mindfulness in your life. Make an appointment with yourself and write it in your diary. Find the time of day that’s right for you; experiment and see what works. Find a space to practise in where you won’t be disturbed and the lighting and heating levels are right for you. Remember, your brain loves to store things as habits, and habits feel safe and secure. Aim to make mindfulness a habit in your life by establishing (if possible) a regular time of day and place to practise.

Week 1 reflection

Reflect on the progress you’ve made as follows:

• Write in your journal one key thing you’ve discovered from this week’s study.
• List three ways in which mindfulness can help you at work
• List three ways in which you’ll start applying what you’ve discovered to your work

Learning check

Check what you’ve learned in Week 1 by answering the following questions:

1. In your own words, what is mindfulness?
2. Name one or more thing that changes in the brain when you practise mindfulness.
3. Why is the brain’s tendency to work on auto-pilot simultaneously a good and bad thing?
4. How can ‘being in the present moment more’ benefit your work?

Week 1 home practice

Carry out the following mindfulness practice at home:

• Practise the mindfulness of breath exercise (Track 7) at least six times during the week.
• Find something you do at work on auto-pilot (such as always sitting in the same chair in meetings or at lunchtime, or always parking in the same area) and try something different.
• Eat one thing mindfully each day – use all of your senses to experience it.

With Mindfulness, practice is key. Practice mindfulness at home to begin with. Once you have got to grips with it you can start to practice more at work. If things don’t go to plan one day, don’t worry. You’re human and lapsing is okay! Remember, learning mindfulness isn’t like being on a diet. If you lapse one day, it doesn’t mean you’ve failed and don’t have to bother for the rest of the week. Tomorrow is another day – just start afresh. Practice each day for a week before moving onto week 2.

Week 2: Working with the body in mind

In week 1 you discovered what mindfulness at work was all about, the benefits it can bring you, and the benefits and problems associated with working on auto-pilot. You started training your attention by focusing on your breath – using your breath as the anchor for your attention.

You also discovered, by eating food mindfully, what a rich experience everyday activities can be if you just focus on them. Maybe you also realised just how many things you do unconsciously, and how much you may be missing out on.

A Finance Director for an international magazine (let’s call her Linda), signed up for one of my (Juliet’s) mindfulness course. At the start of week 2 she pulled me to one side and burst into tears. She explained that one evening a month ago her four-year-old son had asked her to play with building bricks with him. She agreed to do so, but spent the whole time on her smart phone catching up with emails – she lay only three bricks in an hour.

A couple of weeks ago her son had asked her to go out for a walk with him. It was a beautiful sunny Sunday morning, and her brother and family (who were visiting) came too. A work issue had been playing on her mind. As she walked, she mulled over the issue. She concluded that her colleague Jan was not on-board with the project, and could not be trusted. Maybe her boss was in on it. Maybe this whole project was a plot to make her fail so that Jan could look after number one. Her colleague Tom had been a bit withdrawn recently – maybe he could see the writing on the wall, and was protecting his job by keeping his head down. She remembered her boss’s words at her last appraisal: ‘Your ability to manage finance isn’t in question, but I do feel that your people skills could do with improving.’

Linda felt the sun on her face, and looked down at her son. She noticed that his clothes were covered in grass stains, as were those of her niece and nephew. All the children had big grins on their faces. Seeing the confusion on her face, her brother said, ‘James won!’ She stared at him, feeling even more perplexed. Her brother added, ‘The rolling down the hill race. James won!’

Linda told me that she was distraught about the degree to which work was forcing her to give up on the important things in life. She realised just how much of her son’s growing up she was missing.

I suggested that this realisation was cause for celebration, not tears. Linda was confused, and a little irritated. I explained that recognising how much time you’re spending on auto-pilot is the first step to breaking out of life in that mode. After all, you cannot change something if you’re not aware of it.

I also encouraged Linda not to beat herself up about what had happened in the past. I told her: ‘The past is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift, which is why it’s called the present.’ I explained that feeling bad about things never helps – it just makes things even worse.

I suggested, ‘You may decide to devote some time to being with your son mindfully in the present moment, or you may decide that at this moment work has to take priority. The point is that now you know that you have a choice.’

Mindfulness encourages you to be kind to yourself, befriend yourself and to forgive yourself. Mindfulness gives you choices – you can choose to do things differently. You always have a choice in life, even when you think that you have no choice.

Reflection on week 1

How did you get on with the mindful eating exercise? Write your reflections in your journal

• How many times did you manage to sit down and focus on your breath? Describe your experiences.
• What auto-pilot habit did you try to do differently last week? Describe your experiences.
• In your opinion, how much of your life is currently spent on auto-pilot? Describe below a few things you think you’re currently missing out on?
• Do you find it easy to forgive yourself or do you judge yourself harshly for each and every mistake?
• What were the main things you found useful from week 1’s exercises?

Key learning recap from week 1

In week 1 you explored the human tendency to work on auto-pilot. You discovered that life was full of amazing experiences – many of which you miss. You also discovered that for much of the time you respond to life events based on habits stored in the primitive areas of your brain, and these responses are often based on outdated information and may, as a result, be inappropriate. You discovered that mindfulness creates a gap between a thought and your response to it. This mindful gap gives you choices – respond as you’ve always done, try something different or do nothing.

Week 2 builds on this knowledge.

2.1: The body scan

The body scan is all about getting back in touch with your body. Your body has more of an impact on your mind than you may expect. Mindfulness of your body sensations encourages you to shift into approach mode rather than work in avoidance mode (see Chapter 5 for more about the interaction of thoughts, emotions and physiology).

A guided version of this exercise is available as an audio download (Track 8 at www.dummies.com/go/mindfulnessatworkuk). Alternatively, read the guidance below, and set a timer to stop you worrying about drifting off. Select a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed and then follow these steps:

1. Sit on a comfortable chair, with your feet firmly on the floor. Ensure that your back is upright and comfortable and your head is looking forward. Your arms can rest on the arms of the chair or your lap. Remain aware of your posture throughout the exercise if you can, and correct yourself if you notice that you’re slouching.
2. Focus your attention on your breath. Feel the sensations of your breath coming in and your breath going out. Do so for approximately ten in and ten out breaths.
3. Focus your attention on the toes of your right foot. Identify whether you can feel any sensations, such as hot, cold or tingling. See whether you can feel your toes in contact with your socks or shoes. Spend a few moments exploring your toes, then repeat the process with your left foot. If you can’t feel any sensation at all, just notice the lack of sensation – that’s absolutely fine.
4. Compare your right and left toes. Do they feel any different?
5. Focus your attention on the soles of your feet. Start with your right sole, identify what you feel. Repeat the process with your left sole and then compare the sensations you experienced with your right and left soles.

   If at any point during the exercise you feel any discomfort, treat it as an opportunity to explore what’s going on. Approach the discomfort with kindness and curiosity. What does it feel like; what sensations arise? What thoughts enter your mind? What emotions are you experiencing? Then try letting go of the discomfort as you breathe out.

6. Focus on your lower leg. Spend time exploring the right lower leg, then the left and then compare the two.
7. Focus on your knees. Examine the sensations in your right knee, then your left knee and then compare the two.
8. Focus on your thighs and bottom. Explore how they feel when in contact with the chair.
9. Try to explore the sensations in your internal organs. Focus on your liver, kidneys, stomach, lungs and heart. You may not notice any sensation at all – and that’s okay.
10. Focus on your spine. Move up your spine slowly, focusing briefly on one vertebra at a time.
11. Focus on your right arm. Identify the sensations in your right arm, then your left arm and then compare the two.
12. Focus on your neck and shoulders. If you experience any tension or discomfort, try Letting it go as you breath out.
13. Focus on your jaw and facial muscles. Identify all the feelings and sensations.
14. Focus on your scalp. Finish with your head. You’ve now worked your way from the bottom to the top of your body.

When in avoidance mode (for example, when trying to avoid pain), your sympathetic nervous system (SNS) is more highly activated – you’re in fight or flight mode. When in approach mode, your parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) is more highly activated, resulting in a greater sense of relaxation and mindful awareness. Exercises like the body scan cultivate an approach mode of mind, activating your PNS, relaxing you and reducing your SNS-induced state of heightened arousal.

Simply put, mindfulness exercises like the body scan help you shift from a nervous system that’s on danger alert, to a nervous system that’s more relaxed, open, creative and intelligent.

Body scan reflection

• How did you find this exercise?
• Did you manage to keep your attention focused throughout, or did your mind wander?
• Did you find this exercise harder or easier than the mindful breathing exercise?
• Did you notice any marked differences between sensations in different parts of your body or on different sides of your body?
• Did you encounter any discomfort in your body? If you did, what was the impact of approaching the discomfort, examining it with openness and kindness and breathing the discomfort out?
• Can you make any other observations about this experience?

Body scan key learning points

This activity helps you to reconnect with your body. It’s another opportunity to practise focussing your attention on one thing at a time. It helps you to develop an approach mode of mind.

2.2: Three-step body check

This version of the body scan can be done anywhere, as long as you’ve a chair, about three minutes to spare and are unlikely to be disturbed. It’s quick and easy to use at your desk.

Figure 6-2 shows the three areas of your body on which to focus attention during this exercise.

You can do this exercise with your eyes open in soft focus (just slightly opened and looking downwards) or closed. Sit in a comfortable, upright position with your feet firmly on the floor and follow the instructions in the audio download available on www.dummies.com/go/mindfulnessatworkuk (Track 9) or follow the steps below:

Step 1: Feet, legs and lower body

Centre yourself by focusing on the sensation of taking three slow breaths.

Notice the sensations you experience, such as heat, cold or tingling, when you focus your full attention on your feet. Pause to observe then repeat with your legs, followed by your bottom.

Step 2: Chest and arms

Repeat as in Step 1 above, focusing on your chest and internal organs, followed by your arms.

Step 3: Shoulders and head

Repeat as above focusing on your neck and shoulders. Follow this with your jaw, nose, facial skin and scalp.

Finish by centring yourself by focusing on the sensation of taking three slow breaths.

Three step body check reflection

Please reflect on the following questions and note your responses in your journal

• How hard or easy did you find this exercise?
• What parts of the body were tense or tight?
• If you were feeling thirsty, where did you feel the sensation?
• How hungry or full up did you feel? How did you notice that exactly?

Three-step body check key learning points

Many people carry stress and tension in their body. This exercise helps you locate and release the tension. The exercise provides an opportunity to experience how your body feels in a direct, experiential manner (something you may rarely do). Mindfulness helps you to reconnect with your body. Doing so can act as an early warning system, help you maintain your well-being and boost your resilience at work.

Exploring the mind–body connection

Thoughts have more impact on the body (and vice versa) than most people realise. In the modern world, you can easily become detached from the body you live in and take it for granted. Your behaviour is frequently driven by your fears and emotions. These fears and emotions become locked in your body in the same way as thoughts and feelings become locked in your brain.

What you may not realise is that your body is acutely sensitive to the smallest emotions that flit across your brain. Your brain can detect your thoughts before you’ve consciously registered them yourself and your body reacts to thoughts as if they were real. A great deal of research backs up this finding.

In one experiment a volunteer was asked to hold out an arm and repeatedly state, ‘I am weak, I am weak.’ Another volunteer was asked to push down the first volunteer’s arm to see how much force it took. Next, the first volunteer was again asked to hold out their arm but this time repeatedly stating, ‘I am strong, I am strong’. This time their arm proved harder to push down. Just saying ‘I am strong’ made the person stronger.

Another example involved students who thought they were testing out headphones. They were told that they needed to test the headphones while jogging. The students were divided into two groups and both were asked to listen to a radio show including an editorial advocating student ID cards. The students in one group were asked to shake their heads from side to side as they listened; those in the other group were asked to move their heads up and down. As they left the headphone test room both groups were asked their opinion on student ID cards. The group who moved their heads up and down (nodding their head) supported the argument for student ID cards much more enthusiastically than the group moving their head from side to side (shaking their head).

You may spend so much time in your head that you forget you have a body at all. You may feel disconnected from your body. This situation can undermine both your physical and mental well-being. The sense of disconnection from your body is often reinforced if, like many people, you don’t like your body much. This dislike can lead you to ignore or mistreat your body, treating it like the enemy, berating it when it does not do exactly what you want it to do. Many people treat their body like a stranger, rather than a friend that houses them, transports them and serves them without fail 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Mindfulness helps you reconnect with and befriend this long-lost friend. In return, your friend, the body, repays you by acting as an early warning system, alerting you when things need attending to and keeping your performance at peak level.

2.3: Appreciate the good

There may be things at work that you don’t like. Equally, however, there are likely to be a number of things that you do like but fail to notice or fully appreciate.

Happiness is a state of mind. It involves looking at the same thing with different eyes. Life is happening right here, right now – so why not make the most of it? Consider the simple action of smiling. Smiling tells the body that everything is okay. As a result the body stops pumping adrenaline into the body, immediately. Your blood pressure lowers quickly, and your immune system is also boosted rapidly. Scientists say that smiling has the same positive effect on your happiness as eating 2,000 chocolate bars – and fewer calories!

Part of mindfulness is learning to pay attention to, appreciate and really benefit from the good things in life. Each day can be full of small pleasures – if you notice them. Huge benefits can be gained from spending more time celebrating the good in life, each little win and each time you achieve something.

Huge benefits can be gained from spending more time celebrating the good in life, each little win and each time you achieve something.

When you really appreciate something, your brain releases endorphins. Endorphins are neurotransmitters that make you feel really good. They’re your in-built reward system, and have addictive characteristics.

Serotonin can induce comfort and contentment while reducing stress and increasing optimism. Research also shows that serotonin improves brain function. Dopamine can act as a motivator, keeping you focused on goals, and creating a sensation of pleasure when you achieve something. It also helps you to maintain attention.

The more things you appreciate and enjoy, the more feel-good hormones your brain releases and the better you feel and the more resilient and productive you become.

Reflection on appreciating the good

Reflect on the following questions and note your responses in your journal.

• Write down the names of three people in your life who make you feel good.
• List five or more activities or things that make you happy.
• How can you give these people, activities or things some additional appreciative attention?
• What do you think would occur if you paused for a moment to fully appreciate it when pleasant things happen to you?
• Pick one thing to focus on really noticing and appreciating for the next seven days.

How you feel about things (good or bad) has a real, tangible impact on your body as well as on your mind. If your body feels good, it has a positive impact on your thoughts.

Week 2 home practice

Your week 2 home practice should be as follows.

• Practise the body scan (Track 8 of the audio download tracks available at) at least six times during the week.
• Think of two things you’re grateful for or appreciate each day, then observe their impact on your body.
• Think of one thing you really enjoy, and make time to appreciate it and benefit from it more fully.

Remember, these mindfulness activities are there to help you not to add another pressure to your day. You may encounter days when it feels difficult to squeeze in a few minutes to do the body scan, but these are probably the very days you need it most, so make an extra effort.

Week 2 Reflection

Note in your journal one key thing you’ve found out from the week 2 exercises, and three ways that you will start applying what you’ve learned to your work.

Learning check

1. Is this statement true or false: ‘My body can detect thoughts before I have consciously registered them myself.’
2. In your own words, describe what ‘approach mode’ means.
3. In your own words, describe what ‘avoidance mode’ means.
4. Is this statement true or false? ‘If I am finding the mindfulness practice boring or frustrating, I’m not benefiting from it.’
5. Is this statement true or false? ‘When you practise body scans, if you cannot feel sensations in each part of your body you’re not trying hard enough.’

Check out the answers in the Appendix.