Save content
Have you found this content useful? Use the button above to save it to your profile.
Mindfulness
istock_francescoch

Mindfulness exercises for accountants

by
9th Jun 2016
Save content
Have you found this content useful? Use the button above to save it to your profile.

AccountingWEB has undergone a spiritual transformation over the last month, experimenting with the stress relieving powers of mindfulness. 

In a series of blog posts, we have encouraged accountants to swap their calculators for a dream catcher and embrace their spiritual side. So far we have practiced mindful walking and started our day by sharing gratitude.

Recently, we attended a guided mindfulness session, run by Bristol mindfulness teacher Jackie Hawken, and added another meditative tool to our arsenal. 

Work-life balance still remains an issue for many accountants, and in this time of mobile phones and emails, tearing yourself away work once you head home becomes an impossible endeavour.

However, this is where mindfulness can assist, bringing space into your daily life, and separating the grind of work from your home life.

After all, as AccountingWEB member Paul Scholes advised, commenting on one of the Mindfulness blogs: “Any practice, no matter how small or infrequent, is better than no practice.”

Breathing

Before starting our mindfulness expedition, Hawken recited a quote from Thich Nhat Hanh, who says: “our breath is a connection between the mind and the body”.

So, when your mind starts to run away from you, immersing itself in your mental to-do list, bridge your mind and body with three mindful breaths. That’s all: Breathe in for one, and then exhale for one.

For accountants wanting to flex their number crunching prowess, increase the inhaling and exhaling number count.

This simple exercise should ensnare your wandering mind, and bring your attention to the present moment – whether that is enjoying time away from the work, or being able to concentrate on the work at hand, rather than panic at your workload.

You can do this from behind your desk, waiting in traffic on the way home, in between client meetings, or before stepping back home, which should raise the barrier between work and life.  

Body scan

Taking our seat, Hawken instructed us the most conducive sitting position, imagining a rope dangling from the ceiling which hoists your posture straight, and to plant your feet firmly on the floor. 

From here, Hawken guided us through a full body scan. This is something you can do from behind your office desk to alleviate stress during the day. If you can, close your eyes during this scan.

Start your body scan from your head down or your toes up, bringing awareness to each body part. This exercise not only relaxes you, but also encourages you to let go of the self-imposed stress of needing to get things done. But for an accountant, the body scan can be useful in increasing attention levels, which translates into greater focus at work.  

You set the time you take to complete the exercise, which should expunge fears of having your superior or colleagues catching you, eyes closed, sitting behind your desk.  So, you can enjoy an instant burst of relaxation with a short scan, or try longer, if you’ve had a particularly stressful day.

But this is mindfulness activities that accountants can do. Remember, everyday tasks which you do can launch you into office enlightenment: 

Use your morning cup of coffee as a way to relax into the day. Instead of chugging back the drink, actually taste the coffee. Or, bring awareness to sitting in your chair. Don't just drop in your seat, with your mind already floating away with the daily duties - be aware of how you're sitting, and how your body moves in and out of the chair.  

Acceptance

Accountancy can be stressful. While some of these techniques can help lessen stress levels, when dealing with unruly clients or tackling heavy workloads, mindfulness can be utilised to bring acceptance to the issue.

It will by no means eradicate the issue, but will help you deal with stressful times, by recognising the emotion, viewing it non-judgementally, and accepting that ‘this too shall pass’.

Hawken concluded with this small piece of advice: realise that your emotions will eventually go, and this will help infuse you with the courage and optimism to tackle your workload, or any difficulty you encounter in work. 

Tags:

Replies (1)

Please login or register to join the discussion.

avatar
By larryboman
28th Apr 2017 08:41

Public education has become so substandard that a high school diploma is virtually meaningless. Many employers require college degrees now where they had not before merely in the hope that applicants will be at minimum literate and numerate if not actually educated despite a degree might be get with cheap essays. Practical skills and stress resistance often mean much more for employer than university degree.

Thanks (0)