Many employees say they don’t have time for mindfulness practices, such as daily meditation. An alternative is micro-presence: weaving moments of mindfulness into the workday to heighten self-awareness, recalibrate, and reset. Practicing mindfulness can be an effective way to handle pressure and overwhelm at work, and it doesn’t need to be a huge commitment—you can build small moments of mindfulness into your daily routine. Here are seven simple yet powerful micro-mindfulness techniques that can seamlessly integrate into your busy work schedule.

Take three deep breaths. When you’re feeling stressed or simply have a few moments between meetings, stop and take three slow, conscious breaths. Inhale deeply, feeling your stomach expand, hold for a brief moment, then exhale slowly and completely. If you can, repeat this pattern a few times.

Check in with your senses. Take a 30-second break to ground yourself in the present moment. Focus your attention on what you can perceive through your senses. Notice what you see and hear around you, and the feeling of your chair or desk.

Do a full body scan. Do a rapid top-to-bottom scan of your body to identify areas of tension. Observe whether you feel tightness in your shoulders, jaw, or other areas—then consciously try to relax them.

Take a “mindful minute.” Pause whatever you’re doing, close your eyes if possible, and turn your attention to your breath for 60 seconds. Notice the natural rise and fall of your chest and the sensation of air flowing through your nostrils. If your mind gets carried away by thoughts, gently guide it back to the breath.

Go for a meditative walk. Step away from your desk and move around. Rather than scrolling through your phone or mentally rehearsing what you’ll say in your next meeting, focus on being present and experiencing the sensations of your body in motion.

Pause for gratitude. Take 30 seconds to focus on something you’re grateful for. This could be a meaningful aspect of your work, a supportive colleague, a positive experience, or a simple comfort like the warmth of your coffee.

Grab a bite—and really savor it. Resist the urge to multitask during meals. Even if you can only spare a few minutes for lunch, unplug during that time and focus on enjoying your food.

To integrate micro-presence into your schedule, you must be intentional and create new habits. Use time-, transition-, or technology-based triggers to prompt behaviors of mindfulness. It’s important to start small and pace yourself. Pick one trigger and at most a few of the practices and work on making them habitual.

If you try to do too much, you risk falling into the “I’m too busy” trap. And remember: If you do miss a trigger, it’s not a big deal, so don’t beat yourself up. Do your best to get back in the flow.

References:
Harvard Business Review (2024, July 16) Michael D. Watkins: 7 Ways to Weave Mindfulness into Your Workday

Most of us tend to hyperfixate on our weaknesses. But reflecting on your innate strengths—the skills that come naturally to you and set you apart—can help you maximize your potential and make a unique impact in your role.

General strengths are competencies and are often driven by externally motivating factors. Think of the skills you have to acquire for your work (maybe working with Excel spreadsheets) or your daily life (maybe diapering a baby).

Innate strengths, on the other hand, are internally motivated and oriented. These strengths are instinctive, differentiating, and energizing. Because they come easily to us, we might even feel intrinsically motivated to do them. For example, if there’s part of a project you find yourself consistently starting with, or a task you particularly enjoy, it probably requires skills that you’re innately good at.

Because most of us overlook our innate strengths, we often need external data to help us recognize them. There are several ways to begin gathering that data:

Start by asking mentors and colleagues for their feedback. Questions like, “What situations do I thrive in?” or “What makes me a good team contributor?” or “What type of work do you see me get excited and energized by?” can reveal strengths you might overlook. Their insights, drawn from observing and working closely with you, are valuable data.

Then, put yourself in new situations. Look for opportunities to take on tasks, projects, and responsibilities. Pay attention to what you gravitate towards naturally and pick up easily. New experiences can activate hidden strengths that remain dormant in familiar settings.

Finally, be aware of your biases. Be mindful not to project your strengths onto others. Not everyone has the same innate strengths as you. When someone doesn’t meet your expectations, reflect on whether it’s because they lack a skill you naturally possess. This awareness can help you better understand yourself and your collaborators.

In a world that asks you to obsess over self-improvement, try to forget about your weaknesses for a while. They’ll still be there when you come back to them. Instead, do the most radical thing you can: Work to identify and develop your innate strengths, and then use them with intention.

For a deeper dive into discovering your strengths, and the strengths of your teammates, consider the following classes from Learning & Organization Development.

• CliftonStrengths for Managers (in-person) on October 24th
• CliftonStrengths for Individual Contributors (in-person) on November 18th

References:
Harvard Business Review (2024, June 19) Sanyin Siang: Identify – and Develop – Your Natural Strengths