Work. Work. Work. Stress. Stress. Stress. One of the major topics of conversation for so many is work. Besides home, work is possibly the second or third place where you will spend the bulk of your time in your lifetime. 

Today’s post isn’t about doing work you enjoy, instead it’s about mindfulness in your work environment.

Many of my friends are struggling at work because of poor leadership or management in their supervisors or the hiring of new management. Poor leadership can really change a work environment. It can even be more challenging when the person incharge is unaware of their weakness as a leader. Political hires can also drain work morale too. There is nothing worse to have people who have built their careers with a company only to be overlooked for a position simply because a person knew the right people.

A lot of people I know want to quit their jobs or are actively looking for new jobs for various reasons. They want to be apart of a great team. They want to know they can get a pay raise, promotion or be applauded for their work.

Many people often struggle to leave their work environment because of their work family. Working with people you love is great, but be mindful that your work friends are in fact, people you met as a result of work. We can find great mentors or coaches as work that can stay with us for a lifetime. We can even make friends that go the distance with us, even after we leave a company. However, not all your work friends are people you’d be friends with if it wasn’t for work nor are all of them true friends. Some of your work friendships will fade when you leave your job. 

Always be mindful of the intentions of the people around you in life and at work. Some people may befriend you for their own advantage. They may steal your ideas or take credit for them, they may want to meet your connections or find a way to leverage themselves ahead of you. We may not want to see people in this light or from this perspective, but it has happened before to many people I know, that it must be mentioned. 

Be mindful, present and honest with yourself when it comes to the reality of your work life. It will save your both surprise and heartache.

Recently one of my dear friends saw his work ‘friends’ shift what he perceived as loyalty to him when it was convient for them. In that case the people he worked for proved that their loyalty was to themselves and their survival. It was hard to hear this because of how loving and genuine this person is and he didn’t deserve it. In other case, perceptions can change the more someone spends a large amount of time with co-workers at work events or at happy hours. As a result they become more mindful with how they carry themselves at work based on patterns they observe or information they learn.

Others have a loyalty to their jobs as though they are a person or great friend. There are some jobs that are very rewarding because of the services they provide or the events that they hold for the community. Other companies pamper or take care of their employees. A job is not a person, it does not love you nor does it have a heartbeat or morals. This may seem callous or heartless, but it is a standpoint at which to evaluate work. Unions and laws were not put into place to be a pest. They exist because at some point one or many corporations crossed the line. Unions and laws exist to protect the worker and their environment. Some of the companies that have had conflicts in recent years, was the result of people in it for themselves and the leadership hid behind the company and did not own up to their poor choices that resulted in challenges for the general public. Even today their are corporations that brush up against ethics and the law or may over step both that we have yet to hear about.

Corporations care about their bottom line. Are we making money? Are our employees doing their job and contributing to our bottom line? How can we get more for less? Many people are burning out or killing themselves at work out of loyalty to an institution that does not have a pulse. Ohers don’t know how to draw the line between work and personal life. They miss milestones of their kids or important family events. Others are afraid to lose their job for finances or fear that they may not find another job. Whatever the reason that keeps your up late at night at work or keeps you from leaving a job, make sure you make your choice from a grounded mindful place. If you have to stay with your current company, make sure you take care of yourself. Get rest, excercise and enjoy your free time.

For today’s Mindful Monday assess to what extent you over or under exert yourself at work. Then ask yourself why. Let the know if your noticed or discover something you were not aware of before.

Love – Stephanie XO