How Can Mindfulness Help Me in Professional Development?
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Mindfulness is an art that helps us be fully present, notice our surroundings, and be aware of our feelings and bodily sensations. We might even use mindfulness to calm ourselves and release emotions. However, did you know mindfulness can also be used for the development of your career?

Explore your hesitation about certain jobs

During your search, you might hesitate to apply for certain jobs. If you do, consider the following questions:

• Do you underestimate your abilities or feel you’re not competent enough for this job?
• Does the job trigger any past trauma that keeps you from applying?
• Are the same fears showing up in other areas of your life?
• What emotions are you feeling?
• What physical symptoms are associated with these emotions? 
• What can you do at this moment to free yourself from these limitations?

Fears can limit you from reaching your true potential. Being compassionate to yourself and practicing mindfulness can help you answer these questions and work past your limitations. Mindfulness can help you understand where your fears are coming from and resolve them before applying for your dream job. Before applying for a job, take a moment to notice what comes to mind when you think about your career, job application, future, and the overall process. Observe your judgments, feelings, and physical sensations. Then ask yourself the questions listed above. If you can’t resolve these fears or limitations on your own, you can reach out for support. A professional, such as a therapist, can help you explore and move past these challenges. 

Infuse mindfulness into your job search

There are many ways to incorporate mindfulness into your job search or professional development. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Use mindfulness exercises that focus on visualizing your ideal career.
• Read job postings without any judgment.
• Focus on keywords in the job description.
• Read what the company has to offer and the benefits of working for them. 
• Explore mindful walking, mindful stretching, yoga, or mindful art (such as colouring) before starting a job application.
• Try visualization or guided imagery videos from Youtube.
• Give yourself mindful breaks as you explore a new job or career. 

Mindfulness techniques can help your job search in many ways. Using visualization, curiosity about a position, looking at postings without judgment, giving yourself mindful breaks, and using guided imagery can go a long way. Now go discover your new career — mindfully!

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This article was written by Fatima Noorali during their time at Shift Collab.