How to cope with stress so you don't burn out at work

How to cope with stress so you don't burn out at work
PHOTO: Unsplash

Stress at work is no joke. It can lead to a myriad of illnesses, including depression, heart diseases and other issues.

Which is why, you probably should leave the job if it's doing more harm than good to your life. That said, if you're all right with your job but face a few tough days once in a while, it might be worth looking into what can reduce stress levels.

Bjorn Lee, founder of meditation app MindFi, who recently spoke at a Today At Apple session, dished out tips on how meditation and the mindfulness practice could help reduce stress levels.

What exactly is the practice of mindfulness?

"Mindfulness meditation means paying attention in a particular way, on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally," Jon Kabat Zinn once said.

He was a graduate student of MIT in the 1970s and pioneered an eight-week mindfulness-based stress reduction programme that has received a lot of scientific studies and research attention over the decades.

Why is mindfulness important?

PHOTO: Unsplash 

We are easily distracted and our attention spans are very short today. Mindfulness can help us improve our attention and cope better with the daily stresses of modern living.

Now, I know that our phones may be a primary cause of our distractions and hence having a meditation/mindfulness mobile app sounds ironic… but at MindFi, we take a practical and simple approach.

It doesn't require you to throw your phone away but use your phone positively for a mindful cause.

How can someone start on the practice?

PHOTO: Pixabay 

Many people assume that meditation must be done with our eyes closed. I thought so too, seven years ago! It is possible to be mindful with our eyes open and pay attention to everyday objects in our daily lives.

In MindFi, we build our audio-guided sessions around four main parts of anyone's daily routine - meals, commutes, breaks and even work itself.

You can eat your lunch mindfully and really taste the food, learn to be aware of your fellow passengers on the train or taxi. At work, you can focus better and overcome that afternoon slump with some of the features in our MindFi app.

How can mindfulness prevent stress and burn out?

I have been experimenting with various mindfulness and meditation techniques since I experienced chest pains from work stress seven years ago.

I realised mindfulness is not a one-off silent retreat or something you do at the end of the day. It should be something you can do during a stressful day.

Over the past few years, I have tried to embed mini-practices into my busy schedule. Learning to take a mindful walk after an intense meeting, using quiet restroom time to catch up on my frayed emotions and jumbled thoughts.

Even booking a meeting with myself in my calendar so I can actually have personal time to do work during normal office hours!

It is amazing how much self-awareness and appreciation I have learned in my mindfulness journey. However, you shouldn't expect to become an enlightened person!

My colleagues have told me that I have become a better listener during conversations and I think I lose my temper less, or apologise faster because I am more mindful of my impulses.

What are simply mindfulness practices that someone can start with immediately?

PHOTO: Pixabay

Look up from your laptop and thank the first two people that you see, silently. It can be simple things like the colleague who helped open the door for you this morning or the cleaner who wiped your desk.

Or sit on your office chair and get curious about the sensations you feel as the chair's fabric or surface touches your body.

In these two examples, gratitude and curiosity are the components of mindfulness. They are simple doorways to help you understand how your daily life can be simply rewired for mindfulness.

If someone has started on mindfulness but fell off the wagon because work has gotten hectic, what can they do to get back on track?

The very first thing they should do is not feel bad, or guilty, that they stopped. Even experienced meditators fall off the wagon or have the occasional bad session despite being mindful daily.

Read Also
lifestyle
Helping your spouse cope with work stress

My go-to practice is "one mindful breath before I sleep", inspired by ex-Google engineer Chade Meng Tan.

Before I sleep, I get really curious about only one breath - the inhale and exhale, as if it's the only thing in my life at that moment.

Then stop, say "good job me" and sleep! The trick is not to get too ambitious for each practice as daily repetition is more important.

Since one breath is so simple, I end up doing this almost every day and day after day, you will naturally increase to two breaths, three, five, 10…

That's how I built back my mindfulness practice years ago. Small, baby steps… before learning to crawl, walk, run. If I fall, start from baby steps again.

This article was first published in The Singapore Women's Weekly.

homepage

trending

trending
    'He was jealous': Woman allegedly slashed with knife for chatting with 2 men below Jurong West block
    Who doesn't forget easily and who doesn't gossip? Hong Huifang, Cynthia Koh and Pierre Png, cast of new Singapore-Thai thriller, talk people politics
    Singaporean who defaulted on NS obligations used fake Malaysian passports at checkpoints over 800 times
    This revamped Raffles Place food court has Michelin-recognised and cult-favourite brands - here's what to try
    Heartbroken dad dies hours after teen son is killed in motorcycle accident
    'We should not prejudge him': Ex-diplomat Bilahari Kausikan weighs in on Trump's ambassador-nominee to Singapore
    Kaya toast, extra cute please: Breakfast-themed plushies with a local twist at Marina Square pop-up
    Can Singapore run without air-conditioning or fossil fuels? We break down the innovations Temasek Foundation is backing for $2m
    4 women arrested in Yishun for allegedly offering sexual services disguised as massages
    Geylang petrol station employee, 77, dies after being hit by reversing car
    Climbers battle torrential waters after flash floods hit Mount Kinabalu; all 155 persons safe, says park
    Malaysian man strikes $4m lottery after betting on his, girlfriend's IC numbers for 3 years

Singapore

Singapore
    • Fulfilling a childhood dream: RSAF pilot enlists after JC, takes part in first NDP
    • 'I believe there will be more opportunities in the future': Fresh poly graduate who took up contract role on job hunting
    • Economic Resilience Taskforce unveils new business grant, support for workers amid global trade jitters
    • 'A seminal leader who shaped Malaysia': Lee Hsien Loong wishes Mahathir happy birthday on his centennial
    • All 12 government parliamentary committees to get new chairpersons, 19 first-term PAP MPs included as members
    • 'You need to do some homework': Trump's ambassador nominee to Singapore under fire at Senate hearing
    • Man in Tampines tased by police officers after allegedly brandishing penknife at them
    • Singaporean fugitive nabbed in Thailand for alleged drug trafficking, turned over to CNB
    • Singapore must develop deeper relationships with China, US, Europe: Shanmugam
    • 'Give a positive review': Hidden AI prompt found in academic paper by NUS researchers

Entertainment

Entertainment
    • Where Chow Yun Fat was spotted at while in Singapore for Star Awards 2025
    • 'I could not possibly discard the embryo': Lee Si-young pregnant with second child through IVF months after divorce
    • No joke: Woman makes out with Xiao Zhan's standee in Malaysia shopping mall
    • High energy, strong vocals: J-pop boy band Be:First makes explosive debut in Singapore
    • 'I was so excited I wanted to cry': Fans spend up to $50k in auction to experience a day with Jackson Wang
    • Tori Kelly reveals she is expecting her first baby
    • Jay-Z hits out at 'harassment' from man claiming to be his son
    • My Chemical Romance sparks speculation on new music with teasing clues on Instagram
    • Ex-NCT member Taeil sentenced to 3.5 years of jail for sexual assault
    • Sheila Sim takes haircutting course after giving daughter bad trim

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
    • Singapore coffee brand Alchemist debuts 2 outlets in Japan, marking first overseas venture
    • Now you can get Springleaf prata in a cup - with curry - from a vending machine
    • Orh Gao Taproom, popular bar by night and kopitiam by day in Serene Centre, to shutter
    • Singapore Food Festival returns in September, includes SG60 Specials series
    • 'Definitely a big improvement': How Chery went from cheap joke to become a competitive automotive player
    • I try Springleaf prata in a cup from a vending machine - how does it compare to the real deal?
    • Cat A COE prices cross $100k mark again in first bidding exercise for July 2025
    • Sleeping on the job: This company will pay people $7 per hour to nap
    • Chanel shows haute couture in private salon setting at Grand Palais
    • McDonald's launching Chilli Crab Sauce Burger in collab with Jumbo Seafood, also releasing limited-edition Lunch Bag

Digicult

Digicult
    • Slim, sleek, but slightly too short-lived: Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge review
    • World's best Dota 2 teams to compete for $1m prize pool in Singapore in November
    • 'Report 1 shop, another 10 appear': Hoyo Fest artists on copyright struggles
    • NTU penalises 3 students over use of AI tools; they dispute university's findings
    • Australia social media teen ban software trial organisers say the tech works
    • Disney, Universal sue image creator Midjourney for copyright infringement
    • Initiative by IMDA, AI Verify Foundation tests AI accuracy, trustworthiness in real-world scenarios
    • Under siege? Helldivers 2's latest city to be invaded by aliens could be spoof of Singapore
    • Honor 400 Series launches in Singapore with first free in-device AI image-to-video tool
    • Home Team humanoid robots to be deployed by mid-2027, $100m to be invested: Josephine Teo

Money

Money
    • Best credit card promotions in Singapore (June 2025): Citibank, DBS, HSBC, UOB and more
    • Temasek sees $45b rise in net portfolio value to record high of $434b amid global uncertainties
    • 'It's our grandfather's company, we won't sell', says Wong family as shareholders reject GE delisting bid
    • Japan, South Korea hit with 25% tariffs as Trump ramps up trade war in letters to leaders
    • Trump says alignment with BRICS' 'anti-American policies' to invite additional 10% tariffs
    • Regulators warned Air India Express about delay on Airbus engine fix, forging records
    • Higher seller's stamp duty a 'light touch' to curb property flipping: Experts
    • Trump tax bill averts one debt crisis but makes future financial woes worse
    • Seller's stamp duty rates for private homes raised; holding period increased from 3 years to 4
    • Trump escalates feud with Musk, threatens Tesla, SpaceX support

Latest

Latest
  • Daily roundup: Ex-diplomat Bilahari Kausikan weighs in on Trump's ambassador-nominee to Singapore — and other top stories today
  • US wants South Korea to join efforts to counter China in shipbuilding
  • Effigies of refugees set alight on bonfire condemned in Northern Ireland
  • Asean agrees Myanmar election is not a priority, Malaysia says
  • Philippines' president to discuss tariffs in Trump meeting this July, top diplomat says
  • New Zealand braces for severe weather as storm threatens flooding
  • China offers to help resolve Thailand and Cambodia border dispute
  • South Korea, Japan and US conduct air drill as defence chiefs meet
  • US's Marco Rubio to meet China's Wang Yi in Malaysia amid trade tension

In Case You Missed It

In Case You Missed It
  • Jail for ex-auxiliary police officer who loaded 1 bullet and accidentally discharged revolver
  • Woman injured on SMRT bus after bottle thrown at vehicle shatters window
  • Singaporean drivers rack up over $17k in fines for VEP violations in 5 days
  • Roblox avatar and lantern: Star Awards 2025 looks that made us go 'huh?'
  • Long time no see! Sharon Au, Li Nanxing, Yvonne Lim and others return to Star Awards stage
  • 'Intimacy was not anything sexual', says man who drove car with lover's husband on bonnet
  • Boy, 9, has kidney removed after falling at Bukit Batok playground
  • 'We just want our money': Income Insurance shareholders disappointed at failed Allianz deal
  • Buying property in Malaysia as a Singaporean: 6 key restrictions to be aware of
This website is best viewed using the latest versions of web browsers.