The Power of Being Present at Work
We have all been there; sitting in a meeting while a coworker or client is talking to us with our inter dialogue taking over the show. As they outline details of a project, our mind is racing on details of another program, a personal problem, or our next meeting. While automatic thoughts like these are impossible to stop, there are tools we can use to help strengthen our ability to stay focused.
Meditation:
This isn’t the first time you’ve heard about the benefits of meditating. Maybe you have dabbled in it or even have a daily practice. But when it comes to the noisy environment of work, and the competing priorities, it can be hard to see the correlation between meditation practice and juggling a full workload. By having a daily meditation practice you are training your mind to slow down. While we can’t stop our thoughts, over time, meditating does help us in our ability to focus. It also helps calm our nervous system which allows our bodies to regulate, which makes staying calm under pressure a bit easier.
Reduce Your Multi-Tasking:
The thing is, despite us thinking we can multi-task, we are actually just task switching. Neuroscientist and focus specialist Dr. Amishi Jha uses the analogy of a flashlight as a tool to demonstrate how our focus works. We can only focus on one thing at a time, the way a flashlight can only light up one part of a dark space, not the whole space. When we are flipping between tasks, we are actually just rapidly shifting our focus from one thing to another. Dr. Jha, states we are more effective when we can sustain our focus on one task at a time. One way to do this is to shift your workflow and work on blocking time in your calendar to deal with one thing at a time.
Reducing Distractions:
Even in our remote working environments, it’s pretty clear when we’ve lost someone’s attention. As their eyes drift down to look at a new text message or check their email or social media channels, we know they aren’t fully present. I am as guilty as the next person, and even though I know their distraction isn’t something I should take personally, it is a bad habit I am trying to curb. Nothing is more frustrating than coming out of a meeting and realizing I missed a key piece of information because I got distracted and shifted my focus to something else. Leaving my phone in another room, closing my internal messaging systems (like Slack) and email before jumping into a meeting with coworkers can be a good way to reduce those distractions and help me stay present.
Building Relationships
A good way to strengthen a relationship is to make the other person feel seen and heard. It may not be your intention to disrespect a colleague, client, or partner, but getting distracted by other tasks while in a discussion can be damaging to your relationship. Try working on your active listening and incorporating things like mirroring back what they are saying to you. This will keep you accountable to listening intently, will help you retain the information and will make the other person feel more connected with you. Think of the last time someone was really present with you, kept eye contact, leaned into your story and demonstrated they were listening. It felt good, right? When people feel good around us, they are more likely to want to work with us. And if they like working with you, you will likely enjoy working with them. It’s a great positive cycle.
As you go into a new workday, see if you can use one or more of these tools to help you focus on the people around you. Over time, you will see your relationships strengthen and people’s respect for you will likely increase.
About KindCo
KindCo is a Vancouver-based brand engagement consultancy that specializes in employee engagement and corporate events. We bring people together through the art of gathering.
Founder, Nikki Hedstrom, has over 15 years experience as a brand engagement and event specialist.
