1 Amazing Way to Practice Mindfulness Right in Your Cubicle

1 Amazing Way to Practice Mindfulness Right in Your Cubicle

1 Amazing Way to Practice Mindfulness Right in Your Cubicle: I love my smartphone and I use it all the time, especially to listen to music at the day job. However, I had never thought about putting the headphones in my ears as a sort of, “Do Not Disturb” sign to my colleagues at the office. The idea was presented in a recent New York Times article. This is not just about using the headphones to listen, but to have them on with nothing, no sound – just to give the impression to others that you’re busy.

In the article one of the sources mentions that you could even use this tactic to practice a few moments of meditation or mindfulness. What a wonderful idea! It’s the ability to kill two stones with one little set of headphones. Putting the headphones on tells people, ‘don’t bother me,’ while you can then focus on being mindful of yourself and your thoughts in the moment.

Some of the people in the story state they regularly wear their headphones around the office with no music or podcasts playing just to gain a sense of privacy in the midst of the cubicle farm. I feel fairly certain this is a strategy I will start using the next time I am in the office and I find the need to zone out and be mindful. I can see this being especially useful prior to important meetings where you expect there to be a stressful situation.

This could also be a solid solution to the problem that arises when the office chitchatter wants to stop at your cubicle to drop the latest office gossip. Looking up from your monitor and removing one earbud surely lets them know right away, ‘I’m busy.’

In the ongoing search for peace and a moment of mindfulness at a busy job, using headphones to create silence and sense of privacy – even if it’s only in our minds, is a great solution. I guess you don’t always have to listen to music, do you?

READ MORE: 4 Ways to Add More to Your Mindfulness Practice