Mindfulness has a direct application to the important areas of our life such and sleep and work recovery.

The definition of mindfulness we use at Smiling Mind, has two active components:

1. Paying attention to this present moment – meaning we are tuning in to right here, right now.
2. The attitude we bring – openness, curiosity and without judgment.

The practice of mindfulness allows us to accept and sit with difficult moments as well as we do with pleasant experiences. Mindfulness isn’t about making things go away, or creating a particular state of relaxation, it is being able to hold the experience in awareness without judgment so we can make good decisions and feel we have brought our best self to each situation.

Sleep disturbance

Most of us are familiar with sleep. In fact, recent research by the Sleep Health Foundation of Australia found that about 60% of adults experience either trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking too early and not being able to get back to sleep, at least three times per week.

The role of mindfulness in sleep

Developing your mindfulness practice means you are developing your skills of nonjudgmentally noticing your thoughts, emotions or sensations and being able to let them go, rather than getting hooked on trying to change them. Mindfulness practice teaches you how to redirect your attention.

The 3 step mindfulness approach

1. Become aware of what you’re thinking. No need to change or replace the thought, just notice.
2. Redirect attention to sensations of the body, bed coverings or the sensations of your breathing.
3. Practise acceptance of night time wakefulness.

Other practical sleep tips

In addition to practicing mindfulness and having a regular meditation practice, there are many things you can do to improve your sleep quality to give you the best chance of waking rested and energised.

11 tips for a good nights sleep

1. Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day
2. Avoid caffeine for 10 hours before sleep
3. Avoid nicotine
4. Exercise early
5. Avoid alcohol before bed
6. Avoid large meals late at night
7. Don’t nap after 3.p.m
8. Relax before bed
9. Keep bedroom temperature cool
10. Clear the bedroom of distractions
11. Get enough sunlight exposure during the day

Research shows that to manage stress, feel energised and perform well, we need to recover from work daily. Work recovery means making time to disengage from work-related activities to reduce physiological and psychological symptoms of stress. Done well, recovering from work each day will help you to feel more energetic and inspired for each new workday.

We have two types of work recovery

1. internal
2. external

Internal recovery

Refers to allocating short periods during the workday, specifically to reduce our body’s stress responses. These periods might include taking short breaks, doing breathing exercises, or switching tasks when you’re feeling mentally or physically exhausted.

External recovery

Refers to what we do outside of work to help relieve stress, such as watching TV, reading, creative activities, or socialising. The external recovery activities shouldn’t encourage you to think (and stress) more about work.

Burnout is a state of chronic stress that leads to physical and emotional exhaustion. When you experience burnout you can become detached from your workplace, your colleagues and your work output. Burnout is often coupled with feelings of ineffectiveness and lack of accomplishment.

The ‘slow boil’ of chronic stress

Burnout is the result of being exposed to chronic stress that places the body and mind under duress and leads to the kind of physical and emotional exhaustion you might experience at the end of running a marathon.

Warning signs of burnout can be recognised early and appear on a continuum from mild to severe. The earlier your take action, the easier it is to turn things around and continue to gain satisfaction while staying energised and engaged in the work you are doing.

Warning signs

Each symptom will exist along a continuum from mild to severe. Examples of changes in thinking, feeling and behaviour include:

• Fatigue
• Sleep
• Memory & attention
• Physical symptoms
• Weight fluctuations
• Mood changes
• Detachment & isolation
• Decline in performance

The earlier (milder) the symptoms.

Healthy, recovery-based after-work activities help manage the day’s work stress and boost our energy levels the following day.

• Psychological detachment – letting go of constant thinking about work.
• Relaxation – when you place your body and mind in an atmosphere that enables you to relax and feel no demands.
• Mastery – seeking out opportunities that encourage your mind to learn without the stress of work performance.
• Autonomy – we need to be able to choose how we engage, what we engage in and who we engage with.
• Social Connection – as social creatures we need social connections that bring a positive energy that renews our energy and vitality.

It is important to know that it’s not the amount of time spent on recovering but the quality of these activities that really makes the difference.

Sleep is possibly the most valuable thing you can do to reset your brain and restore your body’s health each day, and therefore dial up the effectiveness of your recovery from work.

Science suggests that every single body and brain function is supported, polished, and restored by sleep.

• Sleep improves your ability to learn, memorise, and make logical decisions.
• Sleep helps you integrate and process your emotional experiences of the day and supports you to navigate psychological and social challenges the next day.
• Sleep strengthens your immune system, prevents infection and wards off all manner of sickness.
• Sleep keeps your metabolism in check, and it regulates our appetite.
• Sleep also lowers blood pressure and helps keep your heart healthy.

Some practical work recovery tips

• Take regular short breaks during the workday.
• Develop hobbies and interests – go for mastery in something that has nothing to do with your work.
• Move! Exercise regularly.
• Meditate regularly.
• Relax – deliberate relaxation.
• Schedule time for friends and being social.
• Prioritise sleep – give yourself the opportunity of 8 hours of sleep each night.
• Implement the sleep tips to improve the quality of sleep.

Practical tools and tips from experts that can help you create a mentally healthy approach to business and life.

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