The Most Contagious Thing at the Office

We're in the middle of winter and cold and flu season, and in the crazy run up to the holidays, I was reminded of a meditation I wrote a while back. Fun fact, I used to teach meditation. Dealing with stress at the office could be a whole other series. I offer it up at the beginning of the New Year so that you can increase your mental immunity along with getting your flu shot or taking your vitamin C.

Have you ever been in a situation where someone is freaking out about something and they want you to join them in it? They're not really doing this to make you miserable, but they’re having a cow and people who are having a cow don’t want to do it alone. The most contagious thing at the office is often anxiety. It doesn't have to be work, it could also be a friend of family. But how can we protect ourselves from catching other people’s anxiety? 

Whenever you get an immunization, it’s turning a weakness into a strength. If you have immunity to something, your body has the antibodies (tools) at the ready to help you fend off that physical illness. And storing up some mental immunity will help you fight off anxiety or other stressful situations more skillfully. It’s not as simple as taking a shot. But the more you practice noticing negative emotions and developing the positive ones, the more immunity you can build up over time. That is the practice of meditation. And that’s why we have to practice it over and over. You wouldn't go to the gym and do just one sit-up.

In the moment, you might pause and recognize that the other person is just not having a good day, or they don’t have the same mental reserve built up to deal with stress as well. Take an inhale and an exhale. You can acknowledge the other person’s emotion without adopting it yourself. This also means that you will not continue to pass it along to someone else. 

Inhale, and as you exhale, let go of any emotions that are not your own today. 

Happy New Year!