We are almost all back to work, in a office or in our own studio-home. Our question was, how can we migrate from Summer to Autumn, from reclining beach chair to desk without losing the positive energy gained during breaks and holidays?

We thought about some mindful ideas to share, that you can implement in your work life, to make you feel more present and alive and hopefully more productive.

• Be aware
Be more consciously present, avoid operating unconsciously, that is often what we do (even when driving...). Evaluate your emotional state. Pay attention to your physical sensations. If you notice you get distracted acknowledge the fact, and bring your attention back to the task you were doing. This exercise will also help you understanding your state.

• Focus on a single task at a time
Multi-tasking is an illusion. It makes you lose time. It's not always a choice, but sometimes is. Studies show multi-tasking is ineffective. You lose time and data when you switch from one duty to the other. Honestly, who can do two consuming tasks at the same time?

• Be awake
It's nice living in our internal narrative but it's not productive. Up to 47% of our day can be spent lost in thoughts. Auto-pilot mode is not good for your work production. Make it a habit to be present and let go your mind in a dreamy mode only when you take your break. Watching the world going on is not as bad as people think. But reduce this state to a minimum.

• Slow down, pause, focus
Don't overdue. Your efficiency drops to almost zero if you work too hard for long hours and don't get enough sleep. Rush leads to bad decisions. Reflect. Slow down to speed up.

• Some stress can be good
Don't be stressed by stress. Accept it as part of your life. Stress sharpens your senses and can improve your productivity.

• Be grateful
Way too used as a concept, but gratitude is the antidote to negativity. Especially when it comes to tasks or a job you don't enjoy, applying some gratitude helps. It adds some balance. You don't like your job but at least you have a job! You don't like your task, yet there could be something new to learn, it could be a way to make you noticed. You can be grateful for talking to your colleagues. And if you don't really find anything to be grateful for at work, maybe it's time to let it go. Remember, positivity helps finding jobs or roles. Nobody likes someone who complains about everything...

• Accept yourself for who you are
It doesn't mean you don't need to improve yourself. It doesn't mean giving up. It means you accept the person you are and are aware of your limit. You accept the situation you are in. This is the way to start improving, you are ready to listen and learn. You are ready to change.
Mindfulness is about self-accepting. You are awake.

• Be open to new possibilities
Don't be in denial. Be open to new possibilities. Adopt a growth-mindset. It means you adopt a good attitude. If you are given a challenge, embrace it. If you are given a task, be open to take on more responsibilities. Because you believe you can improve and grow. Of course there is a balance, but because you are awake and aware, you know when it's time to say no.

Last but not least, try this exercise

• S.T.O.P.

If something doesn't go your way: stop, take a breath, observe, proceed.

This, we believe, is a smart and mindful way of working to embrace the season of abundance.

✒ BY MARGHERITA ANTINORI