Whether your company consists of thousands of employees or a handful of team members, it’s important to foster a strong company culture where your people can produce great results.

Most owners and managers think that the way to boost company morale and build a strong culture is through fancy perks and team builders. But what they often overlook is the damage that is caused by small problems that over time eat away at a company’s culture, and ultimately its bottom line.

Rudeness in the workplace is becoming increasingly common, and it is taking a big toll on businesses large and small. Let’s look at what you need to know to rid your company of this pernicious monster.

Causes of Workplace Rudeness (Hint: It’s Not Just the Big Jerks)

A poll on workplace civility in 2016 found that in 62 percent of employees were treated rudely at work at least once a month. That’s up significantly from 49 percent in 1998 when the annual poll was first conducted.

While overt rudeness is obviously a problem, it’s often the more subtle forms of rudeness that go unchecked and wear on people over time.

Types of rudeness commonly seen in the workplace include:

• Replying to comments, emails or texts in a condescending or hostile tone
• Ignoring communications altogether
• Interrupting the person who’s talking
• Belittling a person’s ideas, skills or contributions
• Hostility in response to reasonable, constructive feedback
• Taking credit for someone’s work or ideas, or minimizing that person’s contributions
• Checking phone or working on the computer while others are talking

Left unchecked, these small but grating offenses wear down employee morale and motivation, especially as this type of behavior becomes the norm within an organization.

Stress at work also plays a big role. Being the victim of rudeness can cause stress, and so can difficult work circumstances.

And let’s face it – some people seem to have just never learned how to behave in socially appropriate ways. As with a physical illness, these few socially underdeveloped individuals can quickly spread the rudeness plague far and wide within your organization.

The Consequences of Workplace Incivility

Incivility in the workplace affects employees in the following ways:

• Decline in work performance
• Choosing to spend less time at work
• Reduced commitment to the organization
• Taking frustrations out on customers, colleagues, vendors, etc.

Both the quality and quantity of an employee’s work can suffer either deliberately (as the employee’s revenge for being mistreated), subconsciously (due to low motivation), or due to loss of focus on work as the person spends time and effort trying to avoid or appease antagonizing colleagues.

This, in turn, leads to consequences for the organization, such as:

• Increased employee turnover
• Losing the best and brightest in the organization, who have many options and don’t have to put up with such nonsense
• Greater occurrences of stress-related illness and sick leave
• Damage to the company’s reputation and brand when rudeness is experienced by employees, vendors or customers

Workplace Aggravation Is Literally a Brain Drain

The prefrontal cortex is the area of the brain responsible for concentration, self-control and decision-making: These are known as “executive functions.” Basically, it’s the CEO of the brain.

While extremely powerful, this part of the brain is a limited resource in the sense that it can only function at peak performance for a limited amount of time. This is why people can usually concentrate better at the beginning of the day, need rest and breaks to regain focus, and become more emotionally sensitive to antagonizing situations as the day wears on.

When people use up their executive-function brainpower in exercising the self-control needed to deal with rudeness, the amount of energy they have left to focus on doing their job well decreases.

And when that self-control dries up altogether, they lash out at whoever is in the wrong place at the wrong time. This is one way that the cycle of rudeness perpetuates itself.

7 Ways to Cultivate Civility in Your Workplace

Overall, there are two types of strategies for reducing rudeness in the workplace:

1. Establish a culture of professionalism
2. Reduce stress

Reducing stress allows people to focus on what’s important: doing their job well. Establishing a culture of professionalism means putting policies into practice that quickly correct unacceptable behavior, which in turn helps prevent it in the future.

Here are some specific steps you can take to establish a culture of professionalism and reduce stress in your workplace.

1. Call out unacceptable behavior – even the little stuff. Especially the little stuff.

Ironically, because people prefer to avoid conflict, they often don’t call out rudeness when it happens. And the few who do call out rudeness are often accused of being rude themselves and are likely to be targets for retaliation.

This has got to change. The only way to address inappropriate behavior is to recognize it – and for everyone to know that certain behaviors will get called out. This can’t just be a policy; it has to be put into practice and modeled at every level of the organization.

2. Model the kind of behavior you want in your workplace.

Owners and managers set the tone for everyone else. One rude or insensitive manager can damage an entire department.

A person’s direct supervisor has the most influence over their work satisfaction, both because of how they are treated and because of what kind of behavior the manager tolerates in his or her peers. Even within a great organization, a bad boss can ruin an employee’s experience of the company culture.

3. Make civility in the workplace equally important to achieving results.

Yes, results are important, but the results come from people living daily in your company culture. If you culture starts to sour, so will your results. It’s important to reward processes and behaviors that will lead to the results you want.

If you have a merit-based pay or bonus structure, do results trump all other considerations?

If other factors aren’t taken into account, like civility, then there’s a good chance people will do whatever it takes to get the results, including:

• Dismissing the ideas and contributions of others
• Taking credit for others’ work
• Publicly belittling others
• Cheating or shortcutting important processes

4. Look for ways to reduce stress in your organization.

Treat habitual stress like public enemy No. 1 in your workplace. Sure, a certain amount of stress is inevitable in business and in life. Things happen.

But your team should only experience stress when the unexpected happens. If stress is a daily part of life, look for ways to eliminate stress and conflict.

If you know a certain situation is a constant source of anxiety for your people, then make it your mission to find a way to eliminate, or at least reduce, the stress that this circumstance causes.

Common causes of workplace stress – that managers have control over – include:

• Unrealistically aggressive timelines
• Workload or performance metrics that are too high
• Internal competition for limited resources and manager approval
• Long work hours (especially when combined with not taking adequate breaks and neglecting proper nutrition)

External factors, like the competitiveness of an industry or a demanding client, can also increase stress. While management has less control over these sources of stress, they can control policies on how they are handled internally, including:

• Firing difficult-to-work-with clients
• Standing up for employees to vendors and clients
• Focus on personal-best performance rather than beating industry measures

5. Create systems that support your employees every single day.

Quarterly team builders are nice, but they won’t make up for the fact your people have to come into a toxic environment day after day. And if there’s bad blood between your employees, a team builder won’t make it go away. It will actually highlight the hypocrisy of such an exercise.

As an example, a friend of mine worked as a customer service rep at a company that had a billing policy that upset customers, so she had to deal with angry customers all day, while being expected to hit unrealistic call quotas. Meanwhile, her management thought they had a good culture because they had a game room in the employee lounge and other such perks. They talked about wanting to have a positive company culture, but their billing policies and performance metrics counteracted their supposedly good intentions.

Bottom line: If your employees are unhappy every day, then you don’t have a strong company culture, regardless of the “cool” benefits you provide.

6. Pay your people better.

This also falls into the reducing stress category. People come to work already unhappy when they feel they are working hard for not very much compensation. Or they may simply reduce how hard they are working to match their compensation.

Wages in the U.S. have not kept pace with inflation for many people, so stress from financial difficulties at home can bleed into the workplace.

Pay is also a sign of respect from employer to employee. Paying at or above market rate can go a long way to make people feel valued. As the saying goes: Put your money where your mouth is. You say you value your team members, but does their paycheck reflect that?

And if your company truly can’t afford to pay more at this time, then factors like the quality of the work environment are even more important to reducing employee turnover.

7. Encourage employees to take vacation and sick time.

People need time to recuperate physically, mentally and emotionally. You’ll be rewarded with more patient, focused, happy employees.

That’s assuming they actually use that time to relax. Some people might need help learning how to do that, since many people are so used to the constant stress of life that they don’t know how to break out of the cycle and really relax.

People often are afraid to ask to take time off. Making it a policy will make it easier for them, and it will force your company to figure out how to shift work around when people are out – which is bound to happen anyway due to unexpected circumstances.

Employee Rudeness Hurts Everyone: Make it Stop!

Workplace incivility can slowly eat away at your company culture, reputation and effectiveness. As a leader in your organization, it’s up to you to be an advocate for greater courtesy in the workplace. The rewards are worth it: a boost in employee morale, greater productivity and a more cooperative company culture.

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Most people probably assume that office workers have it easier than blue-collar workers. After all, we work in enclosed air-conditioned buildings, get to do our work sitting down and follow safety procedures consists of holding onto the handrail when you go down the stairs – if you take the stairs at all.

But, in fact, working at a desk job can actually be very hazardous to your health. It turns out that some of the very things that make office jobs seem safe and comfortable – like enclosed offices and sitting down all day – can actually be the most detrimental to your health.

5 Ways that Office Jobs Are Bad for Your Health

First, let’s look at how your cushy office job may be slowly killing you.

Light and Technology Pollution

Many office lights are too bright, which can lead to headaches, stress and fatigue, as well as interference with the body’s natural sleep cycle.

Photocopiers emit ozone, which is dangerous to inhale. Even though copiers have a filter to catch it, the filters often aren’t replaced and lose their effectiveness. Laser printers, in addition to emitting ozone, also give off tiny particles of toner that make their way into office workers’ lungs.

Sitting Too Long

Sitting for most of the day is extremely bad for your health. Your body needs to move around to stay fit. Sitting for long periods leads to increased blood pressure and blood sugar, since it is more difficult for your body to metabolize sugar and fat when you aren’t moving around. Your digestive system also doesn’t work as well, which can lead to constipation.

Plus, you burn very few calories sitting at a desk typing all day, which can lead to obesity. Obesity can lead to a whole slew of health problems.

Employers in the U.S. are required to allow 15-minute breaks in the morning and afternoon. People whose jobs require a lot of moving around tend to take their breaks so they have a chance to rest a bit in the middle of their shifts. But office workers routinely skip their breaks – and that’s bad for the workers, whose minds and bodies need the break, regardless of how many pressing deadlines are looming.

In fact, the more stress a person is under, the more important it is to take breaks to recharge. We recommend BackJoy Poster Seats for people like us that have to sit for 8+ hours a day at a desk job. The BackJoy posture support seats are a safe and effective way to relieve lower back pain and help improve posture at the same time. Basically, their back pain relief seats position your body in the correct posture for sitting all-day.

Poor Eating Habits

Due to heavy workloads and high stress, many salaried workers are even skipping their lunch breaks or eating at their desks. Not giving the body a chance to get up and move around is one problem with this habit.

The other problem is that many office workers in a hurry don’t prepare healthy meals, opting for convenience instead. While this is certainly understandable, it further weakens the body by depriving it of vital nutrients.

Employers who try to squeeze more work out of their employees end up paying the price in terms of:

• Lower productivity among staff
• Reduced creativity among staff
• More workplace accidents and conflicts
• More sick days
• Larger health insurance costs

If you want an easier way to remember the five ways that your desk job harms your health, check out the following image (and feel free to share it with your social media followers):

8 Tips to Keep Your Desk Job from Killing You

Now that you know the many ways a desk job can threaten your long-term health, here are several steps you can take to mitigate the damage.

In an ideal situation, you would have total control your environment. In fact, this is why many professionals are turning to work-from-home jobs that make it easier to prioritize health while working.

But even if you can’t entirely control your work environment, you can at least control how you work in it. Here are some ways to create a healthier situation for yourself, wherever you work.

Take Breaks

Take your 15-minute breaks, and take your lunch break – away from your desk. The physical walk – even if it’s just to the break room – is good for your body. Changing the scenery and focus also helps refresh your mind so that you’ll be better able to concentrate when you return to your desk.

An easy way to get up and walk, even when you’re not on break, is to walk to people’s desks to talk to them. Sure, email, phone and IM are quicker, but if you need an excuse to leave your cubicle for five minutes, talking to a co-worker may be just what you need. And you’ll probably find that some discussions happen better in person than in writing anyway.

Leave your desk every couple of hours at least. Your brain can’t focus for more than an hour or two at a time anyway. So when you find your thoughts drifting off to other topics, or realize that you’ve simply been staring off into space for who-knows-how-long, call it quits for a few minutes and recharge.

Leave Your Desk for Lunch

As tempting as it is to work through lunch to try and tackle the overwhelming amount of work you have, this is a dangerous habit to get into. Your body needs to get up and walk around, eat a solid meal, and take a mental break from work.

Lunch is also a great time to socialize with your co-workers and build work relationships. Or, if you’re not feeling social, put on your headphones and do something fun on your smartphone for a little while.

Walk Around and Get Fresh Air

Find opportunities to get outside and walk. You don’t have to work out and get all sweaty. Just a nice stroll around the office building can be refreshing. If the weather outside isn’t good for walking, try to walk more inside. Take the stairs now and then for a super-quick mini workout.

It’s especially good for your health to take a stroll after eating a meal. This helps your body metabolize your food and keeps things moving in your digestive tract.

Lastly, you can also get a desktop air purifier to help make the air in your immediate vicinity a little healthier while you work.

Avoid Meetings as Much as Possible

Meetings can be a huge waste of time, not to mention boring. When you’re bored, your body thinks it’s time to sleep. This can throw off your natural body rhythms and makes you less productive at work.

And the more time you waste in meetings, the less time you have to get your actual work done, which can lead to longer hours and higher stress. So as much as possible, try to get out of unnecessary and unproductive meetings.

Many people just assume they have to go to meetings they are invited to. You may be pleasantly surprised to learn that you can find ways to un-invite yourself.

Get Plenty of Sleep

Stop Training Your Boss to Overwork You

One of the reasons that people have too much to do and aren’t prioritizing their health is because they’re not comfortable saying NO right now in order to protect their health in the future.

Unfortunately, many employees have trained their bosses to expect them to not take breaks, to work through lunch, to work long hours, and to respond to work-related emails and texts from home.

Think about it: It’s not like your boss is ever going to say, “You’re working too hard. Stop it!” Most companies prioritize results and productivity over employee health. This means you have to safeguard your health and your rights as an employee.

Stop trying to compete with the workaholics. The race to work longer and harder is one that every employee loses, even when they win. Especially when they win.

Here are things you can start doing now to train your employer to have more realistic expectations of your work availability:

• Leave at the end of the workday.
• Don’t work over 40 hours a week on a regular basis – only in emergency situations.
• Take your full lunch break.
• Take your 15-minute breaks.
• Don’t work from home or answer work-related messages at home, except in rare cases where it really is urgent.
• Take your vacation time.

If doing these things would mean that the work won’t get done, then it’s your employer’s responsibility to hire enough people to do the work that needs to be done.

Have you tried exercising mindfulness at work? Here are 10 ways you can do just that:

Mindfulness at Work Tips

Work from Home

Share Your Workplace Health Hacks

OK, now it’s your turn: What strategies do you use to combat the physical and mental effects of working in an office? Please share in the comments.

Team Eminent SEO

Eminent SEO provides strategic SEO campaigns with measurable results along with expert website design, development, pay per click, content and social media and organic website marketing. 800.871.4130.

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A large majority of the violence that takes place during HBO’s mega-hit “Game of Thrones” does not revolve around armies of the undead or wars of succession. In reality, most of the drama that drives the show has less to do with grand battles between good and evil and more to do with people not getting along at work.

Take the early adventures of fan favorite Jon Snow, now King in the North but once an entry level employee at The Wall. It was Jon’s ability to rally his fellow new hires that caught the eye of the C-Suite and eventually catapulted him into management. Ultimately, Jon envisioned a different direction for the company than his board of directors did, and he was unceremoniously let go:

Even in an organization headquartered on a giant wall that is meant to protect all of humanity from a daunting, supernatural threat, the people working there still have time to bicker and be petty with one another. So it’s not that surprising (or a big deal) if you don’t like everybody at work. Your only responsibility is to be civil, play well with others and not let your disagreements become a distraction.

Here’s a few tips on how to do that. We’ll use the very worst that “Game of Thrones” has to offer as examples of co-workers you can’t stand.

The Waif aka The One-Upper

Seasons 5 and 6 of Thrones saw Arya accept an internship in Braavos with The Faceless Men, where she had to work directly under a sour, dour young woman known only as The Waif. Ostensibly, The Waif was assigned to watch over Arya’s assassin training and act as a mentor. Instead, she routinely talked down to Arya about her performance and beat her up after work.

As Arya got better at her job, The Waif began to bug out. Her passive-aggressive behavior suggests that her whole demeaning attitude is deeply rooted in insecurity. This is the case for most co-workers who seem obsessed with proving their superiority to everyone around them. Their go-to solution for puffing themselves up is bringing other people down.

How Do I Deal with The One-Upper?

The best way to resolve conflict with The One-Upper is to avoid playing their game. If they feel the need to show you up in a conversation or in a meeting, just ignore it and power through.

The more you feed into their cycle, the more you come off looking like the smaller person. Everybody knows The One-Upper can’t help themselves. You demonstrate your professionalism by not letting their self-promotional ways affect your demeanor. That’s a good look, even for an organization called The Faceless Men.

Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish aka The Hater

If you’re a fan of the show, you were probably waiting to see the enigmatic Littlefinger make an appearance on this list. The All-Star schemer isn’t just on this list because he likes to play politics, however. He represents that co-worker who can’t help interfere when he sees relationships develop without him.

During season 7, Petyr impulsively begins to attack the burgeoning mutual respect formed between the recently reunited sisters Sansa and Arya Stark. After all, any consolidation of power that doesn’t involve him needs to be undermined. Around the office, The Hater can be found popping into your cubicle for a quick chat that starts something like this:

“I’ve noticed you’ve been talking to the boss a lot…”

“I didn’t think you’d have much in common with Karen…”

“Were you having lunch with Jason? Huh…”

Co-workers who trade in these kinds of non-secrets are frustrating to work with because the bonds they see as a threat are actually great for your organization. This is another example of a co-worker whose insecurities drive counterproductive, unprofessional behavior around the office.

How Do I Deal with The Hater?

Just keep doing what you’re doing. The best way to resolve conflict with The Hater at work is to continue to develop the bonds you have that are real. If necessary, emphasize to your co-worker that you’d like to limit your conversation to matters directly related to your work. Start logging incidents and report the behavior to your manager if the behavior continues.

Theon Greyjoy aka The Apology

Over seven whole seasons of Thrones, Theon has proven time and time again that for every occasion, he will find a way to avoid rising to it. Whether it’s crumbling under the pressure of leadership after a poorly executed coup or abandoning his sister on the field of battle, Theon is a constant screw-up with as many excuses and apologies as there are swords in the Iron Throne.

That might be a little harsh. Theon finally seems to be coming around just in time for season 8. Regardless, he gives us a distinct example of a co-worker who consistently drops the ball during collaborative projects. What can be even more frustrating than these individuals’ inability to come through in the clutch is their long list of excuses for why they couldn’t have been successful in the first place.

How Do I Deal with The Apologizer?

The Apology’s self-pitying behavior wouldn’t be so bad if the solution to the problem wasn’t to affirm them as much as possible. It’s hard to be in the mood to keep supporting a co-worker who constantly lets you down, but confronting them too directly may only make it harder to build their confidence the next time you need to rely on their expertise.

Instead, continue to assert that they are a capable contributor to the team and cross your fingers. Maybe also assign them fewer vital tasks.

Samwell Tarly aka The Two-Face

Sam started off as Jon’s pudgy co-worker at The Wall, but these days he’s defeating ancient snow demons, curing diseases and doing important work as a Westerosian history post-graduate. This all to say that Sam is quite the capable individual, even if his cherubic face and ho-hum demeanor might suggest otherwise.

Whether it’s sneaking peeks into The Citadel’s forbidden library or straight-up swiping the family sword from his jerk dad in the middle of the night, Sam has proven he will lie to your face and just do what he wants anyway – if that’s what it takes to get his way.

You may be having flashes of that time a co-worker agreed to your strategy in a meeting before they immediately proceeded to implement their own plan instead. Maybe you know a fellow employee who spoke poorly of you to a supervisor but acts like your pal at lunch. There are plenty of people like that in the workforce, and few of them have as heroic intentions as Sam.

How Do I Deal with The Two-Face?

This one’s tough because people who systematically lie are usually A) pretty good at it and B) know how to work the system. Accusing them of being dishonest straight up won’t work. They’ll claim miscommunication and that they’ll “try to do better” next time.

Instead, anticipate and plan around them. Take advice or input you get from The Two-Face with a grain of salt; get confirmation from fellow co-workers if necessary.

Rickon Stark aka The Guy Who Can’t Run in a Zig-Zag Pattern

You’d think that if your captor had told you to run across a big field to safety, you might suspect something was up. You’d think that running in a straight line is probably foolish, especially in an era where ranged weaponry is limited to arrows of various sizes. You’d think to occasionally change direction, perhaps multiple times, forming a sort of zig-zag pattern, as to protect yourself from any income projectiles.

You’d think that. I’d think that. Rickon didn’t think that. Rickon got shot by an arrow.

At the office, The Guy Who Can’t Run in a Zig-Zag Pattern is the employee who is unfortunately both underqualified for his position and can’t think outside the box enough to compensate. They’re probably great at paperwork? Hopefully.

How Do I Deal with a Non-Zig-Zagger?

I mean, this person is probably a nepotism hire in the first place. Not really much you can do except wait for them to screw up really, really badly. If they can’t figure out how to run in a zig-zag pattern, the problem will sort itself out sooner than you might expect.

M’Lording Your Manager

Most of this advice has revolved around managing peers who get on your nerves around the office. But what about your boss? In many cases, there isn’t much to do when you and your superiors have a personality clash. Mitigating your expectations and looking for ways to become essential to your boss are the most effective responses outside of finding another position.

Here are a few quick tips based on dealing with a frustrating supervisor, based on the show’s trio of kings from House Baratheon.

Stannis aka The Family Man

Stannis would be a great boss if he didn’t let his family drama impact the workplace daily. Who can concentrate on winning a war of succession when the boss’ wife and girlfriend are having an awkward spat in the company kitchen? It’s just not a good way to do business.

Your best bet is to be as firm about setting boundaries as possible. Your boss knows he or she is not supposed to bring their personal life into the office; they just can’t help themselves. They can’t hold it against you for not wanting to deal with it either.

Robert aka The Old Buddy

Eddard Stark found himself in the unfortunate position of being the president of a company owned by his roommate from college, good ol’ Robert Baratheon. Working with friends or family can be a great opportunity, but also invites challenging work dynamics when personal feelings get in the way of the work. Robert could never bring himself to take advice from Eddard, so why empower him to make decisions?

If you find yourself in this type of position, your best bet is to be honest about your feelings. It’s either be open with them when you feel like the personal is interfering with the professional or suffer working in a toxic environment and threatening a friendship. Your friend-boss can’t have you beheaded, so relax and start a conversation.

Joffrey aka The Big Man

Who could forget the short but spicy reign of boy-king Joffrey Baratheon? Prior to being poisoned at his own wedding, Joffers made a habit of having his political rivals murdered in front of their children and turning servants into pin cushions with his trusty crossbow. His famously thin skin also made it easy to get fired from a position at Westeros, LLC. Any perceived sleight could lead to a date with the executioner when Joffrey was CEO.

If you’ve got a boss who’s easily threatened and likes to take it out on subordinates, you probably know what it’s like to work for a Joffrey-type firsthand. The Big Man is only satisfied when his importance is on the top of everyone’s minds. Honestly, the only way to deal with these types of supervisors is to prove your usefulness. They’ll leave you alone if they think your success reflects positively on them.

You Win By Not Playing

At the end of the day, the best way to manage, respond and resolve your conflicts with co-workers is to avoid escalating the problem. You may have to swallow a bit of your pride, but that’s a small price to pay for a peaceful work environment.

Want more advice about managing difficult personalities around the office or other conflict-resolution tips? See our tips on curbing workplace incivility or bookmark our blog for several new updates every month.

Remy Albillar

As a content writer at Eminent SEO, I specialize in producing high-quality copy for a long list of digital mediums, including websites, emails, blogs and social media. I got my career started right out of college producing SEO-driven content for a marketing agency based in Tucson, AZ. I’ve since worked as a copywriter within numerous industries. I’ve written the first half of a personal memoir and earned my master’s in Creative Writing from Emerson College in Boston, MA.

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First, let’s start with a quick definition of mindfulness before we get all gung-ho about it:

So, basically, it’s being in the moment, focused on the here and now. That is not an easy feat with deadlines looming over your shoulder like a fasting vampire breathing on your neck. Now that you have that visual in your mind, let’s get back to the topic at hand: mindfulness in the workplace.

Deadlines, emails, phone calls, meetings, more emails, presentations … no, don’t run from your desk! Keep reading!

You must be asking yourself how can you possibly consider applying the principles of mindfulness so that you feel less zombie-like and more alive, as well as becoming more productive. Here are a few ideas to get you started on your journey to being mindful at work:

1. Be Consciously Present

More than anything, mindfulness is about being fully aware and awake (yes, go get ANOTHER cup of coffee), rather than just working on autopilot. When you are consciously present at work, you become aware of two things in your moment-to-moment activities:

1. You notice what’s going on around you.
2. You notice what’s going on within you.

Being mindful at work means to be aware of, at all times, in that moment, what you are doing while you are doing it. It also involves managing your mental and emotional state. If you are creating a proposal or a report for the big cheese or the little guy, mindfulness requires that you give it your full attention.

Each time your mind wanders to things like that funny cat video you watched or what you read on Facebook about the Kardashians, acknowledge the thoughts and then bring your mind back to the task at hand.

Here are a few tips to change mindlessness into mindfulness and increase your productivity:

• • Make a clear decision at the beginning of your workday: Begin with a clear idea of what you wish to accomplish.
  • Slow and steady wins the race: While you become used to the practice of mindfulness, you may find you work a little slower at first, but it will pay off in the long run.
  • Remember WHY you are doing this: Keeping the why in mind helps motivate you to keep going.
  • Give your undivided attention to every task: Yes, even the mundane, everyday tasks such as opening the door, pouring that third cup of coffee, or even breathing while you wait for a meeting to start.

2. Make Use of Short, Mindful Exercises

OK, stop everything. We need 30 minutes of your time to go over some mindfulness exercises. What? No time? Yeah, me neither. But, that doesn’t mean we cannot be mindful, as these exercises can be as short as time allows. Even taking 1 minute to sit back, clear your mind and refocus your attention on your senses is technically a mindfulness exercise. That’s it? Yep, that’s it.

No closing your eyes, no sitting down: just 60 seconds realigning your thoughts. Be creative and find time throughout your day to do these exercises. Have a few more minutes? Fantastic!

Barely have time to breathe between calls? That’s fine, too. These short exercises are important. They help you rebalance your nervous system, reduce your fight-or-flight response, and reinvigorate the “wise” part of your brain so on the next call you will be calm, clear and focused on winning that new client.

3. One Thing at a Time

Oh, you think you are a master tasker. You can multitask like no other? Well, I hate to break it to you, but no one is really a multitasker. Our brains just aren’t made to do it, try as we might.

Multitasking is really just switching back and forth really fast, and in most cases, losing data in the process. Multitasking is inefficient, and yet we continue to do it. In fact, there are studies that have shown the more you multitask, the more addicted to it you become.

So let’s kick that habit and become a mindfulness bad ass. Here are a few tips to get you started:

Try a Time Journal

Track what you are accomplishing in a block of time, and note when you were single-tasking or multitasking. Add what you achieved in that time frame and how mindful you were.

Try Categorizing Tasks

Group together your tasks to accomplish in one block of time. Put emails, phone calls, errands and meetings together. Rather than jumping around, use the dedicated time.

Remove Distractions

Silence the phone, log off email, remove Facebook pop-ups, mute your work chat. Now, set a timer and work undistracted. At the end of that time, check what you need to – emails, chat, etc. Do what works for you to focus on the single task for the allotted time.

Remember Your Mindfulness Exercises

Between tasks, get up, stretch, take deep breaths, go for a walk or listen to a guided breathing exercise, such as this.

4. Use Reminders and Alerts

Ever driven home and realized you don’t remember the trip? Your brain was on autopilot. This is a state of low energy, one which is almost dreamy – very unmindful. In fact, the word mindful means to remember. Unfortunately, most people who see the benefits of mindfulness and even practice it  forget to be mindful!

Autopilot means you are not 100 percent present in the moment, and that you are barely aware that the moment is in front of you. You can’t be creative, plan or respond properly if you are operating on low power. You just can’t do it, Captain. You don’t have the power!

So let’s give you back the power! Try these tips:

• Use alarms on your phone: Do this even if your phone is on vibrate so that it’s not driving your coworkers crazy.
• Use your calendar: Set appointments with yourself.
• Add some art: Keep a small note or a picture on your desk to remind you to be mindful.

5. Slow Down to Speed Up

I’m sure you’ve see the movie “Cars.” Doc Hudson tells Lightning McQueen he has to turn left to go right. Well, I am going to tell you to slow down to speed up.

Here is another way to look at it: You can no longer sleep; you need to work, because sleeping isn’t working and there is too much to do. So, just stop sleeping. After a while, you just don’t function any more and you are no longer living in the moment, but in the hallucinations of your sleep-deprived mind.

So, you can see how you need sleep to work, and sleep is rest. Rest is good. Your brain needs breaks to regroup and become more efficient.

That panicky rush to hit a deadline leads to mistakes, poor decisions and wasted energy. So, stop. Breathe deeply. Now, focus on listening. Walk, don’t run. And take your time to be mindful.

6. Stress Is Your Friend … Really!

If you don’t think it is, you’d better change your mind! Researchers found that individuals with high stress who believed that stress was good for them had some of the lowest mortality rates. This is opposed to their stressed-out counterparts who believed stress would be the death of them – who also had the highest chance of dying. It’s what you put out into the universe!

So, if you are part of the second group, you should be going, “Holy cow, I gotta change my ways!” Mindfulness can help you change your views. When you encounter a stressful situation at work, take a moment to reflect on your reaction, your heart rate, your blood pressure, your attitude.

Having your pulse increase increases the oxygen in your blood, and gears you up for the challenge ahead. Treat it more like getting ready for an Ironman Challenge rather than the Dread Pirate Roberts. You aren’t going to your death: You are rising to the challenge and you will come out on top.

This change of view can LITERALLY add years to your life and improve your productivity in the workplace.

7. Adopt an Attitude of Gratitude

Human nature is not all unicorns and rainbows. We tend to dwell on the negative, the things going wrong. Repeatedly focusing on this will eventually cause you to develop a negative and unbalanced way of thinking.

To counter this, you must develop an attitude of gratitude. Find your silver lining, however small it may be. This will lead to more silver linings, which will give way to silver clouds and then blue skies. To get there, practicing mindfulness in all aspects of life and work helps improve your resilience to the downward spiral that is negativity.

Not happy at work? Find something to be thankful for – maybe your paycheck. It may not be the paycheck you would like, but it’s better than no check. And, I am sure you like at least one person there, one person who makes you smile. If nothing else, the job gives you insight into what you are looking for in a career – things you want and don’t want. So, be grateful for the experiences and lessons the job teaches.

8. More Humble, Less Grumble

Humility comes from the Latin term humilis, meaning grounded. Please don’t go around tooting your own horn over and over. You did it, congratulations. People who make the most noise grabbing our attention is what society seems to live for, but in reality, a humble person is way more attractive.

Don’t confuse humility with meekness or timidity. They are in no way the same thing. To be humble doesn’t mean that you see yourself as inferior, but rather you are aware of your natural dependence and your equity in those around you.

Humility and mindfulness work very closely together. You can even say they are intimate. Mindfulness is accepting who you are and being open to listening and learning from those around you. You are grateful for them and the lessons they share. And someone who is grateful for others is also naturally humble.

Need a little humility in your life? Try these:

• Practice your mindful exercises.
• Spend a few minutes every day thanking those who have helped you – even if it is silent, in your heart or prayer.
• Show appreciation: Say thank you!
• Value other people’s opinions.

9. Like the Serenity Prayer, Accept What You Cannot Change

The core belief of mindfulness is to be present in the moment. If you cannot accept yourself as you are right now, then you have some work to do. Acceptance is the driving force behind mindfulness. It doesn’t mean resignation or giving up. You can change. Everything can change. But, right now, accept what is.

At work, if you missed a deadline, accept it. It came and went, and you weren’t ready. As soon as you accept that, you can come to a solution, talk to the team, learn from the mistake and move on. Acceptance leads to change.

Personal acceptance is infinitely more powerful. Embrace your shortcomings, weaknesses, strong points, aspects you do and don’t admire: They make you who you are. This acceptance will lead to confidence, clarity and joy. No longer will you be stuck with energy draining self-criticism, but you will have set the stage for greater peace of mind, productivity and mindful moments.

10. Think ‘Growth’ in Everything

A growth mindset changes the game from “this is all I got” to “I can do more.” People with a fixed mindset tend to believe that their intelligence and talents are stuck – never able to change. Meanwhile, people with a growth mindset believe that they can improve these qualities with effort. These people thrive on learning and trying new things, and they usually have success in the workplace because of this.

Mindfulness is about developing a growth mindset. It’s about giving full attention to the moment right now – with no judgments – and being open to new possibilities. Your new mindfulness outlook will make receiving negative reviews easier: You will see them as an opportunity to grow, instead of as an attack. You will be willing to take on new responsibilities and challenges because you will be curious to see how you can handle it all.

Mindfulness in the Workplace Can Bring About a New You

Through this mindfulness journey, you will discover new things about yourself, your work and your attitude. Take baby steps. Rome wasn’t built in a day, nor will you master mindfulness in one go.

Want to Learn More About Boosting Productivity at Work Through Mindfulness?

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Kirstin Douglas

Technical Project Manager. My day-to-day includes performing technical SEO tasks, managing multiple projects and supporting the website optimization process. I also communicate directly with customers to help them understand their options and implement their customized solutions.

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Happy Employees Are Productive Employees

Stress in the workplace is unavoidable. However, you don’t have to let it get the best of you. Instead, take control of it and watch your productivity soar. Find ways to create peace of mind and focus before, during and after each work day. You will find that not only will your work day become more enjoyable, but the balance of your life outside of work will also reap the benefits.

Not Another Meeting

Before you go into another “meeting about meetings,” ask yourself two things:

1. What do I want to get out of this meeting?
2. What do I want to contribute to it?

Having clear goals for yourself will help you stay on track and guide your colleagues down the path of achieving the original goal of the meeting. This keeps them short and sweet, so they don’t take up time needed for other projects.

Don’t Get Stuck at Your Desk

We sit far too long from the ride to work, to our desk, back to the car, to the couch … maybe you’ve squeezed in a short walk or a trip to the gym. Therefore, it helps to set aside time for taking mindful walks every day that will increase brain functionality and spark creativity.

Try taking a walk for 10 minutes or turn it in to a “walk and talk” meeting. Keep the meeting to no more than three people. The change of scenery and fresh air will help the creative juices flow.

The best time to schedule these walks is around 2 or 3pm when everyone’s energy levels are dropping. This quick burst of activity will be the perfect pick-me-up to finish out your day.

Check Your Posture

At least three times a day, take notice of how you are sitting at your desk.  Are you slumped over your desk? Are both feet on the floor? Or do you tend to sit on one foot?

Make adjustments to how you sit at your desk to reduce neck pain, eye strain and even backaches.Try sitting on a ball or switch to a standing desk.

At minimum, you should stand for five minutes for every hour you sit to boost your energy and productivity, as well as lower your risk for disorders like diabetes, high blood pressure and other chronic conditions.

Stay Organized

Before you leave write, down three “must-do’s” for the next day. I am sure your inbox is overflowing with things that need to be done yesterday – but narrow the field down to three items. When you come in next day, you will already know exactly what you need to focus on without having to stare blankly at the ever-growing count of unread emails in your inbox.

Clear Your Mind – Not Just Your Inbox

Take two minutes for some mindful meditation. Close your eyes, sit relaxed with both feet on the floor and focus on your breathing – in through your nose (notice how cool the air is) and out through your mouth.

While doing that, try to think, “At this moment, my job is to experience THIS moment as fully as I can. Everything else can wait.”

Yes, the client can wait for two minutes for that email response.

Lunch Break

Often times, we have our nose to the grindstone, so focused on work that we forget about essentials like food and water. Set a reminder or a timer to remind you to take those breaks and nourish your body and mind. Be mindful when you do eat: Rate your hunger level on a scale of 1-10 (1 = not hungry; 10 = ravenous). If you are over a 7, try drinking a glass of water. In many cases, our minds confuse hunger with thirst. When you have completed the meal, rate your hunger again and ask yourself:

• Did I over do it?
• Did I savor the meal?
• Did the food get tastier with each bite?
• Do I remember the taste?

Don’t forget to savor your drinks as well. Pick one drink a day to savor that isn’t water – maybe a soda or latte or an herbal tea. Then ask yourself:

• Was it satisfying?
• Did it taste good?
• Did it leave me thirsty?
• Am I now craving sugar?
• Why did I chose that drink?

To Be or Not To Be: That is Your Question

Start a “to-be” list. Focus on who you WANT to be: loving, present, calm, generous, creative, grateful, etc. Choose one quality a day to focus on and then ask yourself:

• What is in my life that cultivates these qualities?
• What activities bring me joy?
• What makes me happy to be alive?

The activity doesn’t have to be work-related. It could be gardening, cooking or baking, playing sports or even listening to music. The goal is to identify what brings you joy and how to incorporate it more into your life both in and out of the workplace. Enjoy gardening? Add a plant to your desk. Enjoy cooking? Pack yourself an amazing lunch to look forward to.

Each morning, set an intention to focus on one quality from your list. Close your eyes and create the feeling of what that quality will feel like. How you will feel. How others will feel.

And make sure to dedicate at least 30 minutes a week to doing something that you love. Take a class. Create a group. Put it in your calendar. Just do it.

Create an Attitude of Gratitude

Begin a gratitude journal: List three things every day that you are thankful for, that went well today or both. This will shift your outlook from, “Is today over yet?” to, “Thank you for today”. Changing your perspective will help you look forward to workday ahead of you. Thus, it will help you focus and increase your overall productivity.

Remember not to just focus on your own gratitude – but to be thankful of those around you. Get into the practice of “random acts of kindness” to your co-workers. If you are headed out for break, offer to pick something up for them or invite them along. And never underestimate the power of a simple “thank you.”

The Little Engine That Could

“I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.”

In the story of the Little Engine, those words became, “I knew I could, I knew I could, I knew I could.”

Pick an affirmation every day that inspires you and repeat it three times throughout the day. Write it on a Post-it note, jot it on the napkin in your lunch box or set a reminder on your phone – however you can get that affirmation in front of your eyes again and again.

Spruce Up Your Space

Add items to your space that give you joy – pictures of family and friends, trinkets, postcards of travel experiences from the past and yet to be done. If you don’t like clutter on your desk, change out your desktop wallpaper and change your phone or tablet wallpaper too. Swap out your mouse pad or get pens that write in your favorite color. Keep your favorite mug at the office.

Life creates its own stress. The trick is learning how to redirect the bad stress into positive vibes and break through the roadblocks in our way.

Kirstin Douglas

Technical Project Manager. My day-to-day includes performing technical SEO tasks, managing multiple projects and supporting the website optimization process. I also communicate directly with customers to help them understand their options and implement their customized solutions.

More Posts - Website

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