By training you to be in the present, mindfulness can increase your focus in whatever you do and also reduce stress. One way to become more mindful at work is to check in with yourself regularly, such as every hour.

The idea is simple: Pause regularly throughout the day and notice what's happening in your mind and body. On the World of Psychology blog, mindfulness teacher Ed Halliwell says you can download mindfulness bells and have them chime every hour to remind yourself to take that break:

As one bell chimes, for instance, you might notice yourself rushing for no reason. (For many of us this has become our autopilot.) Just noticing that you're sprinting through your day can help you break out of the harried habit.

You can combine this with hourly desk stretches or other much-needed movement. In OS X, you can set an hourly announcement in the Date & Time settings, while Windows users can use Task Scheduler to set up a similar hourly reminder.