Tips for Meditation at Work

Many people assume that meditation at work is not an option. It seems that it would be too noisy if you work in a factory, or that there is no place to meditate in an office setting. But in almost any workplace there are ways to find the time and space for meditating. Here are some suggestions.

Keep it Short

You probably won't have time for a long meditation session during your workday. That's okay--you don't have to meditate for thirty minutes to get benefits. Instead have a couple short meditative practice that you design just for the limited time you'll have. Even just closing your eyes and breathing deeply for a minute or two while watching your breath can do wonders to calm you and make you more able to focus when you return to your work.

Designate a Space

Find a place where you will be left alone for those few minutes that you need. Meditation at work doesn't mean you have to get into the lotus position on top of your desk. There are a few options for greater privacy and fewer distractions. One is your car. If you can escape to your vehicle for a few minutes, just sit quietly and meditate in the front seat. If you have a van you can set it up in back to make it more conducive to good meditation.

A bench under a tree, or a rock in a park that you can sit on are possibilities as well. Choose ones which don't have much traffic going by, of course. If you have meditation MP3 recordings, you can even meditate while walking in a park or along a quiet street.

In the factory or office there is always the bathroom. As long as the toilet stalls have doors, you'll be left alone. It might even be a quiet place.

If there is a break room which isn't too noisy, and you don't mind dealing with the inevitable questions you'll get, just tell people that if your eyes are closed you're meditating and want to be left alone. Choose a chair in a corner, or sit on the carpet.