How to Set Up a Meditation Space While Working Remotely

Meditation comes with a list of beneficial effects. It has become adopted by many organizations to improve the well-being of employees. Fortunately, meditation can be performed in several ways and does not require you to get specialized equipment. However, creating a space where meditation can be done seamlessly does help the process. Chances are, a remote worker may not have many options when it comes to creating a personal meditation space while at home. Either due to limited spacing or because they are unaware of what they should be doing to set up a proper meditation space.

However, creating these meditation workspaces can make a remote worker more focused and productive. It can be challenging when a home doubles as the office space. It's one of the many reasons why remote employees must establish an environment that helps them relax. With that being said, the room can also serve as a place where they can meditate as well. Creating a space that doubles as a workspace and meditation space can help those with limited amounts of room. Furthermore, it creates a more relaxed environment, making it much easier for them to concentrate on what matters the most.

Additionally, the space they choose for their meditation session doesn’t require them to use a separate room. Any corner, alcove, or even a closet can work. If any employee has a backyard or garden, then they can use that as well. While there are no specific guidelines on how to develop a meditation space, there are several ways remote workers can create their personal meditation space.

How can a meditation space impact your work?

For most people, work can become a chaotic and stressful mess, which is one of the reasons why so many people result in multitasking. Situations like that cause them to run on autopilot to get their work done on time. However, when a person manages to train themselves to be mindful while working, they learn how to be entirely present and take care of a single task at a time.

That helps them feel less overwhelmed, stressed and remain focused on their work. As a matter of fact, one study has shown that practicing ten days of mindfulness and meditation practice can potentially diminish stress by 14%. Another study reveals that nurses who practiced mindfulness for thirty days were showing signs of significant improvement in job satisfaction. Hence, encouraging your remote employees to set up a space for meditation and mindfulness working can provide them some immense benefits for job performance and how content they are while working.

Furthermore, when a person’s home becomes their office, separating their professional life from their personal life can become quite challenging. Getting out of bed a few minutes before you have to start working and spending the entire day in your sleep way can sound convenient and enticing in theory. However, overtime starts to occur, and the lines blur between work and home, which leads to inefficiency, reduced productivity, heightened stress, and burnout.

That’s why setting up a meditation space can be useful for maintaining a robust representation between work and home life. Even if the workspace is only a few feet away from the bedroom, blending some aspect of mindfulness into it can assist your remote employee in staying grounded in the present moment and concentrate on the task at hand no matter what they are doing. Plus, it can also assist the employee to enjoy their time far more when they are not working, by training their mind to remain in the present and engaged when it is time to step away from work.

Creating meditation space

Creating a space for meditation in mind doesn’t require you to use up a sizable amount of physical space. If you have an office space with enough room, then it can be doubled as a meditation space. However, if you don’t or merely need to get away from anything that reminds you of work, then areas like walk-in closets, a nook, an unused corner, or even a set at the kitchen table should be enough space. Don’t waste time trying to find the perfect spot. The idea here is to choose a post and stick with it as long as possible to maintain consistency.

Here what you should be aware of when setting up a space that encourages being calm and comfortable.

Prioritize privacy

The first thing that needs to be done is choosing a spot where disruption is less likely to occur. It should be a spot where you can’t lose your meditative state regularly, so the place should be somewhere where minimal distraction occurs, including kids, devices, and intrusive noises. If that’s not entirely possible, then consider getting yourself a pair of noise-canceling headphones to block out any outside noise.

Make sure the spot you chose is also clean enough not to distract you. Dealing with a messy and dirty area will cause your mind to become distracted. Minimizing as much distraction as you can is key. Just make sure the spot you have chosen is tidy enough to not distract from your meditation session.  

Make it comfortable

Meditation doesn't require the person to place themselves in uncomfortable positions. These meditation practices can be done in any place that can be sat comfortably, such as a cushion,  chair,  couch, or even a bed. Using a cushion or set of blankets to elevate your hips higher than your knees is far better than sitting on the cold hard floor. Doing so will allow you to take the pressure off your knees and provide space for your hips. If a chair is being used, then make sure it has a property backrest or cushion. Meditation requires that the person is as comfortable as possible to achieve the mindfulness they need.

Proper lighting for comfort

Light has quite a significant effect on a person’s mood, so you should consider what type of light allows you to remain focused best. Natural lighting is the best choice, so choosing a spot where you can face the sun is ideal. If your schedule allows it, take advantage of the excellent dawn or dusk light. However, if you prefer dimmed lights, then consider choosing a space that blocks out the sunlight and uses candles as your lighting source. Best of all, you can make use of scented candles to provide you both with the lighting you need and fill the room with a pleasant aroma that helps you relax.

Include aroma

There are specific aromas out there that are capable of helping a person relax. Essential oils are one of the many items you can acquire to help you in relaxing. You could also burn some sage or other herbs to assist with cleansing the meditation space. Lavender and bergamot are known for having some of the most effective calming effects, while peppermint, lemon tend, and sweet orange are energizing.  The ritual of setting up your areas with these scents can also help your body and mind get into the right mindset needed for your meditation session.

Creating a ritual out of lightening candles, setting up the mat or cushion, or burning some sage becomes a signifier that you are about to meditate. The act of preparing your meditation space helps your mind and body prepare for the practice. Plants are also an excellent choice for fragrance, making your meditation spot smell fresh, green, and earthy.

Minimizing background noise

Chances are, most of your remote workers are living in a city or a place that has tons of background noise within the household. To minimize the amount of background noise, try playing some soothing music that can assist in diffusing distractions. Of course, everyone is distracted differently. Some people are more sensitive to noise, while others get easily distracted by visuals or movements. Try creating a space that can block out as much of that background noise as possible.

Introduce nature

Studies have shown that nature plays a role in soothing and healing a person. Introducing some aspects of nature into your meditation space can assist with these sessions. It can be anything nature-related that makes you feel comfortable, such as the crackling of a fireplace. It doesn’t have to be anything complicated, simply introducing something like a plant or vase of cut flowers can be enough to help get in the mood. The sounds of nature can also assist in these meditation practices. Listening to audio recordings of calming nature sounds can help you get into a meditative state and enhance the experience.

Conclusion

Meditation has benefits that can ensure your remote workers remain relatively well throughout their days. While not a cure for everything that ails them, it does provide them a healthy way to diminish the problems that have been steadily grown over time. Finding healthy ways to reduce things like stress, anxiety, depression, and loneliness is something that every organization needs to become concerned with, especially when it comes to their remote workers. Hence, make sure you take the time to help your remote employees learn how to properly create a personal space that will get them in the mood to meditate on a daily.