Work is a little like Lord of the Flies.

You take perfectly nice people, put them in a stressful environment and the aggressive ones tend to win.

For the past 130 years, this mentality has been the norm.

It’s called progress, people.  Or at least that’s what they tell us.

Our Energetic Systems Know the Score

In a hostile environment, in a place that doesn’t feel like we can grow, we leave.

We stop remaining present.

Energetically, this is very interesting.

Your system  stops taking in so much junk. And you, energetically, go to a different place.

Your energetic system doesn’t leave, but your energetic consciousness does.

You are not there.

Signs that you aren’t there:

You can’t remember what you said in any conversation. The details slip around in your head.

You look at the clock and it’s 2o minutes later than the last time and you haven’t really moved.

Everything takes forever to do.

Electronic equipment gets way harder to use. The copy machine starts acting like a real asshole.

Why Does This Happen?

Not being present is our body and minds’ energetic answer to soul-sucking boredom and pain.  It’s the wrong answer, but a natural one.  We used to use this to enable us to plow a field for 12 hours without losing our minds.

Let’s find a way to be present at work that doesn’t hurt.

Being present is good. Being solidly aware makes your job easier. And instead of avoiding all that pain, you can consciously let it go by you.

Here are two ideas for bringing presence to your workplace.

Change your Environment to Match your True Nature

If you have a cubicle or office that you can decorate, great. Get natural lighting, and shut off the flourescents if you can. Bring in artwork that sings to you. Bring in pictures of the people and animals in your life.

This changes your mood considerably.

What if there is a company policy against such things?

Then you need to be creative.  Put a picture in your pen drawer. Put a picture on your computer screen.  Put pictures or names on your person.  Search Etsy for personalized jewelry.  Or get a locket.

Making your environment your own makes it easier to be present, which makes it easier to work. You feel safer. You are reminded of the unique fabulousness of you. You are reminded of who you care about so much to work this sucky job.

Practice Filling The Bowl

Here’s the easiest way to bring presence to your life.  It also reduces anxiety.  It’s a tiny meditation that you can do anywhere.  It’s called Filling the Bowl.

Find your hipbones.

Find your tailbone.

Imagine the space between these.

This is your sacred bowl. This is the sacrum. This is the home of your first chakra.

Close your eyes, and imagine your bowl.

Examine and imagine your bowl in its entirety. What is it made out of? You might even be able to feel it. Imagine the inside. Imagine the outside.

You might find words written on it.  Or pictures on it. It’s your bowl. It can look like anything you want.

Then Fill It.

Try putting apples in your bowl.  Then empty it and try feathers. Try filling it with flowers.  Try filling with warm chocolate syrup.

You can fill your bowl with whatever you want.

This technique relaxes you and brings you back into your body, which makes it easier to work.

Try it.

And Tell Me- How do you stay present at work? And also…what’s in your bowl?

Tomorrow- The Bubble- keeping the energetic vampires at bay..