Feeling frazzled? Ruby Wax knows the feeling too well. So well in fact, that she’s written the book ‘A Mindfulness Guide for the Frazzled’.
Whilst most books on mindfulness make it sound like a spiritual practice, Ruby combines her scientific knowledge and witty satire to describe mindfulness and help you put it into practice.
Inspired by her book, here are three ways of avoiding feeling frazzled in the workplace:
Sh*t happens
We’ve all heard the saying – so there must be some truth behind it. Learning to be accepting of the good, the bad and the ugly will ultimately make you much less stressed.
As Ruby puts it ‘Everyone wants things to be better, but they mostly aren’t, so what are you going to do about it? Have a hissy fit?’
If there’s nothing you can do, learn to witness the situation ‘without giving a running commentary on whether you like what you’ve seen or not.’ You will begin to feel much less stressed about things that are no longer in your control.
Learn mindfulness
Everything in life we learn. From speaking English all the way through to your day job, no one is born omniscient.
Mindfulness is no different.
It’s not about ‘saying hello to your dishes before you wash them’ but turning off auto-pilot and being present in what you do.
Ruby likens being on auto-pilot to missing out on a really great glass of wine.
‘You spend a fortune on a wine that costs more than the annual GDP of Bolivia to relish its woody undertones but your mind is somewhere else, you’re missing the whole experience, and now you’re urinating it out without having experienced it.’
You see, being present is experiencing the senses and living in that very moment.
This can be done at work by talking to co-workers, going for walks in your lunch break and breaking out of your everyday routine.
3 apps for mindfulness
And like everything in the 21st century, there’s an app for that.
If you’re a mindfulness newbie, want to do some guided meditation or join a community of people trying to be more present, these are the apps for you:
This app is great for beginners as it offers guided meditations, starting at just 3 minutes long which break down and simplify the 'what' and 'how' of mindfulness.
Looking to do more than just meditate? Calm is a great all-rounder.
From listening to relaxing sounds while you read your emails to bed-time stories for the insomniacs, this app will have you present and calm throughout the day.
Do you struggle with switching off auto-pilot?
The app created by our Honorary Fellow Chris Barez-Brown helps you realise those moments where you are truly present, capture them and share them with the WakeUp! community. Immersing mindfulness with your everyday life.
By Orianna Rosa Royle, Digital Assistant at The Marketing Society
If you’d like to learn more about Ruby’s six-week mindfulness guide, you can buy A Mindfulness Guide for the Frazzled.
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