ONE SIMPLE LESSON ON MINDFULNESS
Random Fact: During the pandemic, I found myself taking care of 19 houseplants. 19! Why so many? Well, they bring me joy, despite that fact that many of my houseplant purchases didn’t make it over the years.
I can’t tell you how many times I hear people say, “I can’t have houseplants. They always die.”
Why I am I sharing this? I have a few ways of thinking about all of this, and I believe these thoughts may be interesting to you, too. My takeaways relate to mindset, environment and mindfulness. Let’s look at ways to layer these into your workday.
Mindset. It’s so easy to have all or nothing thinking. This can lead to giant assumptions (or limiting beliefs) that you can never do or experience something because of one misstep. Sure, plants can be picky. Some like more water, some like less. Some can sit in extra water, some can’t. But these are all pretty easy nuances that can be learned through trial and error. If one or two $4.99 plants don’t make it, it’s going to be okay.
Bottom Line: What you say to yourself matters, and you can learn from all experiences.
Environment. Wellness experts agree that your environment matters. These are your (internal and external) surroundings. I have found that my environment matters big time. I have discovered I have a little nesting ritual anytime I enter my office (whether onsite or home) and this supports me in getting mentally prepared and organized for the workday. I also clear some clutter. My plants add value to my environment. They perk me up. During a year-long pandemic, I benefitted tremendously from the perking up – and the control. It was a variable in my immediate environment that I had a say about.
Bottom Line: Look for ways to shape your environment for the positive.
Mindfulness. Everything I’ve described so far ties to mindfulness and becoming more aware. Let’s dig into that a little deeper. Sure, plants can die. It’s also equally possible that they will flourish. Let me tell you about my very favorite plant benefit. When I care for them (watering, removing fallen leaves, etc.), I notice. I especially take note of the new growth I see before my very eyes. It is so, so satisfying to watch something that you’ve been nurturing generate a new healthy leaf, stem or bud.
Bottom Line: Even mundane tasks, like watering plants, can become an awe-inspiring experience if you pay attention.
My hope is that you can layer some of these ideas into your workday. If you see the benefits of moving your workplace toward mindfulness, we can help. Something like mindfulness could seem overwhelming to implement organization-wide. We can support this effort by focusing on simple skills and actions that can yield big results – at work and at home.
P.S. If you need more encouragement to gift yourself a plant, keep in mind that they are known to improve indoor air quality, boost mood and decrease stress levels. Give it a try! ;)
Author: Katy Tombaugh