Relieving Corporate Stress…
The Buddhist Way

by Al White

Many of us, for one reason or another, find ourselves working in the corporate world. This environment can be, to say the least, very stressful. Three Buddhist practices have helped me cope with the daily stresses of corporate America: detachment, mindfulness, and meditation.

Detachment means many things to many people. Simply put, detachment is the act of ridding ourselves of clinging and craving for something or someone. For those of us in the corporate world, we know that world is full of clinging and craving: clinging to old ways of doing things, craving recognition or promotion, clinging to the belief that our proposals are the best, craving to be part of the “in crowd” or even craving the boss’s approval…the list can go on and on. What makes matters worse is that many times these cravings and clingings can be contradictory! We want our proposals to win approval, but what if our boss wants us to make changes? We want to network and make connections, but what if that lands us in the middle of an ego-conflict between two co-workers? These conflicts and cravings are all based on one thing: ego. By practicing the Buddhist technique of detachment, we can let go of these cravings and, according to Buddhist traditions, let go of suffering and, consequently, stress. I know a woman who is wrapped up in the “samsara of the workplace” — she constantly networks and tries to get ahead, frequently travels and works hard to maintain her position. To many, this is called climbing the corporate ladder; but to her body and her psyche this is called suicide. This woman hardly sees her children and husband, is on several medications to treat high blood pressure and depression and often misses 2-3 days of work at a time because she is home in bed too stressed to get up or is in the hospital with a stress-related illness. Is her success worth the price she pays? As is often the case, it is not. The practice of detachment can bring calm and peace of mind to an otherwise stressful environment.

Another practice that benefits me is mindfulness. As I type this, I concentrate on the words and typing, although many other thoughts try to creep into my mind. The same with the work day. How often are we trying to focus on the task at hand when other thoughts invade our otherwise focused attention? What’s more, how often do these thoughts distract us from what we are doing and even create additional stress? Mark Twain once said “I’ve worried about many things in my life, few of which actually happened.” Let these negative thoughts come, but then let them go as quickly as they came. Do not let them take hold. By being mindful and focused, we can ward off negative thoughts. Something else you can do is to take a walk. I often take an afternoon walk in what I refer to a, “walking meditation” — focusing on my breath and body as it performs that particular function. The end result is a more productive, creative, and relatively stress-free afternoon. Getting outside for at least short periods of time is also very helpful — a walk around the building or lunch at a local park can allow you to get away from the stress of coworkers and enclosed cubicles and enjoy a little bit of mindfulness in the real world of sun, trees and wildlife. 

A final practice that helps me get through the day is meditation. Yes, you can do this at work — even if you have to go sit out in your car or sit in the restroom. Yes, I admit it: the men’s room is my sanctuary. Where else can one go in an office building and not be bothered? It is quiet and relatively peaceful. I have found meditation — either traditional meditation or the walking meditation described above — to be a great way to get back on track. No matter how much we practice detachment or mindfulness, our ego creeps in and tries to ruin our peacefulness. Meditation is a great way to get hold of your psyche once again and “reset” yourself spiritually. There are many ways to meditate and whatever method you’ve found works the best for you should be followed at work — except that I would caution against saying mantras aloud in the restroom or burning incense in your car — that might give others the wrong impression.

Working in Corporate America can be very challenging and very stressful, but by practicing these three Buddhist techniques, you don’t have to check your little piece of nirvana at the front desk.