How to De-escalate Your Heightened Emotions at Work

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average worker spends more than 1,800 hours yearly at work. Some reports put that at over 2,000 hours.¹

Two Scottish entrepreneurs, devoted to mindfulness meditation and one training to become a psychologist, created a health business called Buddhify. Rohan Gunatillake, author of Modern Mindfulness,² together with Lucy Gunatillake, created The Work Mindfulness Deck.³

Calling for a redesign of mindfulness, Rohan Gunatillake writes, “A growing base of scientific research is providing substantial evidence for its benefits and effects. Leading companies teach it to employees to manage stress. Elite athletes use it to stay calm and perform under pressure. Celebrities take it on as a must-have lifestyle accessory…” Despite the endorsements, most who profess an interest in mindfulness are held back by a perceived lack of time, rejection of spirituality, and the belief that they cannot unplug digitally long enough to be mindful.

Indeed, research published by the National Institutes of Health dovetails with this, as anxiety, stress, and depression are among the top reasons why people use meditation. Yet fewer than 35 percent disclose the use of this practice to health providers.⁴

The research goes on to report a paucity of knowledge. Work put forth by these authors and researchers helps to lessen the gap.

Mindfulness vs. Meditation

Rohan Gunatillake shared his frustrations commuting to and from work on the London tube. He first decided that too many physical sensations got in the way of mindfulness, until he realized he could focus less on breathwork, close his eyes, and be aware of whatever was tangible—carriage vibrations, accelerating and decelerating, and other sounds.

Modern Mindfulness explains that meditation uses techniques to direct attention and train us in concentration, clarity of awareness, and acceptance. It's formally done in a sitting posture, or more dynamically, during daily activities. Mindfulness means being aware of what’s happening in one’s experience at any given time. Mindfulness is essential to meditation, yet Gunatillake admits people use the two words interchangeably.

Why Focus on Workplace Mindfulness?

Let’s face it: Statistics point to a problem. Given increased pressure due to AI or federal/corporate cutbacks to do and be seen more, the numbers don't reflect significant overtime. Many work well beyond 40 hours per week.

Thus, people’s stress lingers in a work environment and mindset, making many feel trapped, unable to escape the pressures. While all the techniques can be used in other environs, people feel a compelling need to "keep it together" while at work.

The Work Mindfulness Deck breaks proven techniques into five categories: focus to get things done; break to recharge and refresh; balance to soften challenges; thrive with key mindfulness practices supporting freedom; and connect through enriching work relationships. The following are a few gems:

• Focus: The sooner you become aware of a workplace distraction, the less it can take hold. Even before you catch scrolling or going down an internet rabbit hole, catch your hand moving out of your pocket before it touches the keyboard or mobile phone. Also, in boring meetings, use your senses. Feel the contact of the floor beneath your feet. Observe what arises in the mind. Listen intently. If you envy those who appear more focused, mirror their tone, their organized workspace. Procrastinators would do well to tackle tasks that take a minute or less to complete. Creating excuses equals mental gymnastics. Do difficult things and see how true your excuses really were.
• Break: At lunch, give yourself some outdoor air and a change of scenery. Changing where we are changes how we are. It switches our perspectives. Take deliberate bites of food, sinking attention into flavors and textures. Classic grounding has us look at five things we see, four we touch, three we hear, two we smell, and one we can taste. Breaks provide perfect practice.
• Balance: Over time, bodies develop patterns in stress response—a tight jaw, chest or stomach tension, the balling of hands. These may be different at work than at home. Identify your stress signature with a one to five rating. It’s powerful to catch and take a few deep breaths to reset. Also, without quality sleep, work performance declines. Unburdening ourselves with our heads on pillows, as we aim for restorative sleep, resets our rhythms.
• Thrive: Starting the workday, set your intention—one word or affirmative phrase like “I’ll be creative,” “I’ll remain steady,” “My energy will go toward…” or “I am not my work.” Write this down. Refer to it often in the complex web of meetings, technology, people’s chaos, or when boundaries get blurred between work and private life. Reboot once home with: “Work is over. I am home.”
• Connect: Despite the grind, always consider the human at the end of an email and what body language conveys. In fact, online or in-person, shift these powerful tools of your posture, voice, or expression periodically.

Listening is hard. When people push buttons or disagree, step back from reactivity and the places your mind goes on autopilot. When you resist urges to interrupt or act negatively, that space is a gift. Connect through kindness. Celebrate small wins of colleagues and close out days with gratitude, thanking others for their contributions.

© 2026 by Loriann Oberlin, MS, LCPC