In the last decade mindfulness has moved into the mainstream. Helped recently by online platforms and a period of time when the majority of us have been working from home, the practice has never been more popular.

But how do you define mindfulness, why is it important for business owners, and how can you start becoming more mindful yourself?

Well put away those energy stones, step away from your yoga pants, and we’ll get to it.

Mindfulness is the meditative practice of focusing intensely on what you’re doing and how you’re feeling in the moment. By putting judgement and interruptions to the side you’re able to relax the mind and reduce stress.

The principles of mindfulness can be applied to the workplace where they can be used to improve focus and mood. Here’s our top tips for getting the headspace you need to run your business to the best of your ability.

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#1 Sleep is for the weak (or not)

Glamourised by the startup fraternity and #247Hustle squawkers on LinkedIn, the idea of getting by on a few hours sleep and a bulletproof coffee has become misaligned with productivity.

And while the tide is beginning to turn on these talkers and we wake up (get it?) to the idea of spending more time in the land of nod, it’s worth underlining the importance of sleep when it comes to improving your health and general wellbeing.

A straight eight hours might not be right for you personally, but your body will tell you whether or not you’ve had enough rest. Listen to it and factor getting the right amount of sleep into your routine.

#2 Start your day off right

We’re not going to ctrl+c ‘don’t hit snooze on your alarm’ into this blog post. If that works for you then by all means proceed. However, when you do stir from your slumber start your day off with something positive that’s not work or life jobs related.

You could…

Walk a dog, practice yoga, meditate, go for a run, prepare yourself a nice breakfast, give yourself time to eat that nice breakfast, listen to your favourite song, do a home workout, do a gym workout, go cycling, you get the idea…

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#3 Monotasking

The forgotten sibling of multitasking, monotasking is all about taking one job at a time and focusing on it until it’s finished.

As we struggle to wean ourselves off the endorphin drenched distractions on our screens, it will likely be those able to focus on one thing at a time, not the juggling plate spinners, who will be more content in their work.

Becoming a monotasker doesn’t happen overnight though. By focusing on completing increasingly longer and more complicated tasks in one go, you’ll become more disciplined and effective in what you do.

#4 Me and my inbox

Wake up in the morning and it’s there, go for a walk and it’s there, eat some lunch and it’s there, go to bed and… it’s there…

Thanks to our trusted friend, the smartphone, we’re never more than a few milliseconds away from checking our inbox. Are we working while checking our inbox or busying ourselves instead of doing an actual piece of work?

Granted we all need to check our email, but can we get into the pattern of doing this at the beginning of the day and end of day? No, how about three times a day? Still not enough?

How about not checking it halfway through a task and not having it open in the background while you’re doing other work?

#5 Make real-world connections

Never has this seemed so appealing as right now.

Emerging from the hazy Zoom-centric work world that’s been our reality for far too long, it’s time to put some proper clothes on and step outside.

As restrictions continue to ease here in the UK (blog published May 2021), it’s not a hugely outlandish prediction to say we’re going to want to get out of houses and connect with people in real life.

From past clients to current customers and new contacts - it’s time to reach out. If not now, then when?

Nil points

While we accept not winning any points for originality with the above list, it’s worth considering that these tips are trotted out across the web for a reason.

They. Work.

Like anything though, they work if you’re consistent.

Making small but meaningful changes to your daily routine will help reduce stress, improve your mood and make you more productive.

And you know what else reduces stress? Getting your unpaid invoices paid and improving your cash flow.

See what we did there…

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