Ask most people what they think of when they hear the word “meditation” and they might conjure up images of a spiritual guru or a Zen-like wellness studio in a leafy sanctuary visited by those seeking enlightenment. Yet, meditation is a very accessible practice that can be done anywhere and benefit anyone seeking stress reduction, increased self-awareness, and improved overall well-being, regardless of their background or lifestyle. I started meditating about 15 years ago at a time when I was feeling overwhelmed, inefficient, and stuck. The discipline and calm I’ve learned from practicing meditation has not only helped me personally, but also to be more successful at work as an HR executive in a fast-paced investment firm.

Meditation teaches us how to let go of the thoughts and chatter that dominate our minds—and observe our surroundings and be fully present in our lives both at work and at home. It can help us navigate challenges that come up, and provide a sense of calm when chaos erupts. By teaching us to inhabit the spaces around and between our thoughts, it enhances our focus and concentration in a world dominated by technology and noise.

The challenge I had to navigate for many years was profound discomfort with my anger. I taught myself at a young age that anger was bad and that I should block it and never show my discontent to the people around me. In reality, anger is an emotion that protects us by alerting us when something is wrong. Meditation allowed me to quietly sit and look at what was happening in my life with curiosity rather than judgment, which helped me harness the anger that I had been unable to release. Rather than continuing to suppress this feeling, meditation taught me that anger is a human emotion that everyone has the right to feel. Meditation has also helped me achieve equanimity and create more balance in my life and in my relationships.

Working in the investment industry, I’ve led hundreds of meditation sessions for employees and executives at my firm. They are dealing with challenges every day, whether it’s new responsibilities added to their role, the complexities of a deal they are trying to close, or tensions with a team member. Many have told me these sessions help them focus on what they need in the moment and allow them to go about their day with greater clarity and productivity.

A daily 10-minute meditation practice can help highly driven and busy people to survive and thrive in high-pressure work and personal environments. That’s why I started a meditation club at my company. We have meditation challenges, where each morning, for 30 days, dozens of employees tune in for sessions. Here are four ways I’ve worked with my team to harness the power of meditation in the workplace:

USE MICRO MOMENTS TO CREATE MACRO CHANGES

How often do you pay close attention to what you’re feeling and thinking about your life? Our days are filled with uncomfortable micro moments we try to avoid noticing. Feelings like anger, embarrassment, fear, and an immediate judgment of ourselves for experiencing these feelings all happen in a flash. We reach for our phones, a bag of chips, a drink without realizing this impulse began with the decision to resist what naturally occurred in the micro moment before. But it’s from noticing these uncomfortable moments that we can gain a better understanding of our thoughts, feelings, and ultimately our goals.

Marketers often use these micro moments to sell us products and services because they understand how easy it is to manipulate us when we’re trying to distract ourselves from thoughts and feelings we don’t want to acknowledge.

Meditation allows us to take back these micro moments by giving us the ability to observe whatever is going on with us with an attitude of acceptance and help us decide with more clarity on a way forward. The act of sitting with an emotion we don’t want to feel, even for a minute, can help us build up a tolerance for it. Eventually, we notice what triggers these moments. These micro moments are the key to our transformation because they create a larger pattern that unblocks us and can lead to big changes in our lives. For instance, now, when I notice a flash of anger, it is a signal to me to look for a boundary that may have been crossed. In the past, I would jump directly to people-pleasing without noticing the tightening in my chest that is my body’s way of telling me something is up. Noticing the micro moment and recognizing the power of choice rather than the momentum of habit has changed my life.  

NOTICE THE CONSTANT CHATTER

When you meditate, you become acutely aware of the constant voice inside your head that is telling you a story about yourself and your life. I sometimes think of it as a bad roommate who never quiets down. Watching the chatter with a nonjudgmental attitude allows us to see how much that voice is influencing our decisions and how we feel. 

Meditating allows us to get a better understanding of what that voice is saying. Too often, it is repeating the same unproductive story. Paying attention to it can help us interrupt it and insert more positive thoughts, such as “I’m capable of accomplishing any challenge in front of me” or “I’m a good parent who is providing the best life I can for my family” or “I can change this situation to ensure my success.”

CONNECT WITH YOUR INTUITION

Once I started meditating and became familiar with watching the chatter, I learned to notice the space between and around my thoughts. I also began to notice that the space between thoughts is healing because it allows you to interrupt the pattern of incessant, constant and addictive thinking in service of connection to something deeper—our intuition. Connecting with our intuition means connecting with our higher intelligence, both of which enable us to be more productive, more peaceful, and to lead fuller, more authentic lives.

LISTEN TO YOUR BODY

Meditation will allow you to pay more attention to what is going on with your body. We often overlook the signals that our body is giving us. Our body knows when we’re truly engaged with an activity versus when we are doing something because we think we should do it. When we learn to pay attention to our body, it can reveal to us when we are stressed or uncomfortable often more quickly than our mind can tell us.

Through my meditation practice, I have learned that we always have a choice to enter a calmer place in which to find a solution to our problem. As a certified meditation coach, I work with others to help them unleash the power of meditation. We all have the ability to unlock these meditation tools if we only create a little time and a little space for it in our lives.