Office Zen

101 Ways to Make Your Work Space Calm, Happy, and Productive

Emma Silverman

• Publisher: Skyhorse
• Year: 2017
• Print ISBN: 9781510716643
• eBook ISBN: 9781510716650
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Human Resource Management
• Index: Business

You do not need to climb to the top of the coldest, highest mountain to be Zen. You do not need to crawl on your hands and knees, seal yourself away in a cave, or stop eating birthday cake. Most importantly, at least for this book, you do not have to quit your job to be Zen. In Office Zen, you will learn how Zen can exist in any moment and any place, even the most stressful and high-strung office. Office Zen will be the first book to incorporate the Zen principles of mindfulness and simplicity into the home office and work station byproviding tips on how to remove clutter from your work space
teaching meditation and stretching exercises to destress in two minutes or less
laying the frame work for a healthy work-life balanceZen, and other mindfulness practices like it, asks us to examine the world around us with an emphasis on kindness and compassion toward ourselves and others. By being more meditative and calm in your daily interactions, you can bring peace into your workplace and happiness into your life.

Sharing the Space

Bosses, Coworkers, and Work Relationships

23

Dating in the Workplace

I have, on occasion, dated yoga students of mine. It’s not something I’m shout-from-the-rooftops proud of, but it has happened. When things ended—and they all ended—they stopped coming to my classes, and I was left hoping they found a different class that worked for them rather than giving up the practice entirely. On the other hand, I have friends who met and fell in love in the workplace (and sometimes your workplace happens to be a yoga studio or a meditation center) and they have fond memories of the experience.

If it’s not against office policy, I think it’s fine to date in the workplace. From experience, though, I recommend sitting down at the beginning of the relationship (whether it consists of hookups when you’re bored of watching Netflix alone or a path to growing old together) and discussing office etiquette and exit plans. Specifically, how are we going to behave at work together? How are we going to behave at work together if things don’t work out? Do that, and make sure those around you feel comfortable, and even if it isn’t for forever, things should be okay.

24

Bring Your Pet to Work Day

Since June 24, 1999, the United States has celebrated Take Your Dog to Work Day as an annual event. This past year, the organization that helps promote the event estimated that more than 100,000 people brought their dog (or pet) into work. While this might upset office “pawlitics” in some workplaces, especially if you have allergy-sensitive desk mates, spending time with our four-footed friends might be just the thing to keep our day Zen.

25

Office Birthdays

You don’t have to eat the birthday cake, even if it’s been precut, even if someone is handing it to you. Some say, “Life is short, eat the damn cake.” I say, in larger offices, there are too many opportunities to eat things that make you feel terrible. Perhaps bring some mindfulness into what you’re putting into your mouth. At times, eat the damn cake.

26

Office Clubs and Organizations

Social groups around the office are a great way to integrate into your community, especially if you’ve relocated to a new city for work. I know someone who didn’t get the office dynamics at her new job until she joined their kickball league.

Just make sure you do the things you like; if you’re someone who shivered at the mere mention of the word kickball, find the office mates who want to hear about your Top Ten Books of the Year or your recipe for vegan cheesecake. I know I would!

27

Office Culture

Pretend that you’re in a room with your oldest, closest friend. Describe to her the culture of your office. Is it hyper-social? Opportunistic? Laid-back? Tech-y? Now, imagine her response. Would she say your personality aligns with the culture of the place where you spend more waking hours than anywhere else in the world?

If you catch yourself saying you hate everyone you work with (“they’re all idiots” is a phrase I have both heard and said before), maybe it’s the culture and not the individuals.

If you can move to a new organization or business, or even a different unit in your current workplace, try to find an office culture that more obviously aligns with your own. Ask questions about this during your job interview and head to the Internet to do research. If changing jobs isn’t an option for you (I know it isn’t always that easy to just pick up and leave), perhaps the ability to step back and see clearly where the misalignment occurs can help create a sense of control over your situation.

28

Drinking with Coworkers

The stereotype of the drunken holiday party is already overdone; you know what that looks like in the movies and in real life and everyone knows how it ends (spoiler alert: not well). Zen teaches us to notice when we’re running away from the things in our life that are difficult to face. Only you know your impulse behind these social gatherings, so decide whether they’re bringing the cheer of your social life to your workplace or the dreariness of your workplace to your social life.

29

Girl Scout Cookies and Other Donations

I once worked in an office comprising almost entirely women in their late twenties to early forties. It wasn’t uncommon to get hit up at least a couple times a month: for a wedding card and present, for some kid’s cookie fund-raiser, or for a baby-shower fund. At one point, I realized I had to start budgeting for these requests.

If you truly want to give to all of these occasions (and have the cash on hand to support your generous spirit), there’s no reason not to. Doing so and complaining about it later, however, will not give you any karma points.

To stop these requests from coming your way, talk to the party planner in private (I imagine it’s usually the same person making the rounds). Don’t lie or come up with excuses, but let her know directly and Zen-ly why you can’t, or won’t, contribute this time around. As we’ve seen in other chapters, you’re not responsible for her reaction, only how you communicate your needs.

30

Mediators and Conflict Management

Mediators are trained, impartial professionals who step in when two parties are unwavering in their disagreement and cannot, on their own, come to a peaceable conclusion. I’ve used one when my landlord wanted to keep my entire security deposit because I burned a pencil eraser–sized hole into a kitchen countertop (hot pan, short story). I often wish one was handy during extended family visits.

If you ever were in the middle of a conflict and wanted to shout, “Is anyone else hearing this? Doesn’t this other person sound absolutely crazy?” a mediator is the person you could say that to. Preferably with no shouting.

Mediators can come from your HR department, which might have someone on staff or will hire someone from a mediation service on a temporary basis. One of the basic tenets of mediation is that it stays confidential, so you can speak freely and honestly. If one of the most challenging aspects of your office life is continual struggles with an individual, mediation can help solve it.

31

Asking for a Raise the Zen Way

The best way to ask for a raise is to ask when you have earned it, not when you need it. Instead of making the “ask” about money or politics, show your commitment to the organization and to your tasks, and use positive, thoughtful language. Make a list of talking points and stick to them. Ask fearlessly and listen without emotional attachment to how your supervisor responds.

32

R.E.S.P.E.C.T.

Everyone you meet and interact with is in some ways a reflection of yourself. In this way, we keep meeting ourselves again and again. With each interaction, we have the opportunity for a different outcome.

Recognize the continuity of experience between yourself and your peers, bosses, and those you lead—not the separation. Zen teaches us that in meditation and in daily life we must seek answers in the space of the heart. Teach respect by example, respecting yourself and others around you.

33

Conscious Communication

During my yoga teacher training, a part of our curriculum was Conscious Communication. I had two personal takeaways from this training that have informed every disagreement I’ve had since then.

The first lesson I learned was to frame discussions around actions. This can be summarized as: “When you do this, I feel …” In this way, we don’t presuppose how others are feeling or their intent. We only speak to what we know: what they did and how we felt about it.

The second, and perhaps the more important, is to truly listen. Let people finish their sentences. Allow for a few moments of silence after they speak to respond internally to what they said. Finally, reply first with ...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• Introduction
• Before Work: Preparing for the Day
• Creating Your Work Space: Ergonomics, Cleanliness, and Feng Shui
• Sharing the Space: Bosses, Coworkers, and Work Relationships
• Working from Home: Creating a Home Office
• On the Road Again: Traveling for Work
• Stimulate Your Senses: Maintaining Focus and Sanity
• Taking Care of Your Body: Healthy Body for a Healthy Mind
• Mind Matters: Meditations on Mental Health and Productivity
• After Work: Making Time for Friends, Family, and You