Four Ways to Find Your Zen in the Workplace

It’s easy to zen out at home when you’re in your own personal space, but carrying this same calmness throughout the workday is important to staying motivated and happy. Creating your own zen space at work will help elevate your mood and reduce feelings of stress. When you’re confident and calm, you’re likely to be more creative, motivated and produce better quality work. Try implementing some of these techniques into your work routine and watch the results.

Us Lava Rock Beads to Make a Diffuser Bracelet

If you already wear or use crystals outside of work, you recognize and believe in the benefits of crystal meditation and healing practices. Diffuser bracelets allow their wearers to combine the benefits of aromatherapy with crystal energy by incorporating essential oils into the jewelry—and you can take them with you anywhere you go. You can make your own diffuser bracelet with lava rock beads to encourage a state of grounding and stability throughout the day. Lava rock beads are one of the best types to use for this jewelry because the rock itself is extremely porous, allowing it to absorb the essential oils and continue diffusing the scent for several days. Using essential oils during work can help promote feelings of relaxation and sharpen your focus.

Carry a Worry Stone

Much like the release people get from squeezing a stress ball, rubbing a worry stone can help to reduce anxiety through physical action. Worry stones are typically designed to be smooth, flat rocks in the shape of an oval with an indented area for you to run your thumb across. We often release mental stress or worries through physical actions, so keeping your worry stone on your desk can come in handy throughout the day. Worry stones come in all different varieties. Select the stone that you’re most attracted to or seek out a crystal that aligns with your goals . For example, fluorite is said to help increase concentration, so if you find yourself distracted often, you can use a fluorite worry stone to keep your focus and release unwanted tension.

Make Mala Beads

A type of Buddhist prayer object, malas can be worn as bracelets or necklaces or simply carried around as a way to enhance your meditation and remind yourself of your intentions. Malas are great to have in the workplace because they’re small and easy to transport and can also help with the act of fidgeting at your desk. To make your own mala, you must first set an intention. What do you want to use this mala for? Perhaps you’re hoping to be more relaxed or maybe you’re looking to attract something into your life. Whatever your purpose for creating the mala is, you should have a clear understanding of it before you start.

Then, select beads that correspond with your intention. If your focus is on becoming more grounded and centered, lava rock beads are a great choice. Now, it’s on to make the mala. The number of beads on the necklace is essential. Every mala has 108 beads, a spiritually charged number in Indian culture, though there are variations that use 54 beads (for a half mala) and 27 beads for a mala bracelet. The most identifiable part of a mala is the small tassel amongst the beads, which helps you track when you’ve counted every bead and it’s time to begin another repetition.

Once you’ve strung your lava rock beads together and created a beautiful new mala, you’ll need to understand how to use it. Take that same intention you had in mind during the creative process and charge your mala with this thought . Then, anytime you meditate or just need a reminder of your goals, you must drape your mala over your hand and place the beads between your thumb and index finger. As you count each bead, visualize that intention and practice breathing techniques to relieve stress. You can repeat this counting process as many times as you feel you need.

Practice Breathing Techniques

Understanding and mastering basic breathing exercises can greatly reduce stress in the workplace and make you feel more zen–even in high-pressure situations. You can practice these exercises at any time, particularly in moments when you feel overwhelmed, to remind yourself that you are okay and you can handle any task that is thrown your way.

The most common breathing technique is to inhale through your nose for five seconds, hold your breath for three seconds and exhale through your mouth for another five seconds. Another variation of this has you inhale and exhale through your nose while alternating which nostril you inhale and exhale through. To begin, close off the left side of your nose, take a slow, deep breath through the right side, plug both nostrils and, then exhale through your left. You can continue to repeat this, switching which side you inhale from. To add some visualization to your breathing exercises, imagine breathing in clean, blue or green air on your inhale and breathing out dark brown or black air on your exhale, continually inviting new, refreshing energy into your body.

We have all felt the overwhelming pressure of work-related stress before, but it doesn’t have to become part of your everyday life. There are many ways to reduce anxiety and help your mind relax so you can stay focused on the project at hand. Bring this state of calm into the workplace by creating your own mala out of lava rock beads, practicing easy breathing exercises or keeping a worry stone close by.

This article contributed by guest blogger, Brenda Kimble

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