Mindfulness In The Workplace — Unlock 5 Powerful Ways Mindfulness Practice Will Benefit You
The term mindfulness isn’t a new one. The concept originated in ancient Eastern and Buddhist philosophy around 2500 years ago. Mindfulness practice is based on active, open attention to the present and can provide a welcome reset to an otherwise busy mind.
Whether you want to be a mindful leader or a freelancer looking for more balance in your life, regularly undertaking mindfulness exercises can be beneficial. Here are 5 powerful ways practising workplace mindfulness can benefit you.
The benefits of practising mindfulness in the workplace
Mindfulness practice allows us to sit with our thoughts, emotions, and feelings in a curious and non-judgmental way. It encourages us to be present in the moment, take note of and enjoy the small things in our day and bring our attention back to our bodies.
It might feel counterintuitive to stop and pause during a busy workday, but it’s well worth the time. Integrating mindfulness into the workplace can improve the quality of your work, attitude, and interactions.
Benefit #1: Stress Reduction
Workplace demands mean that many of us are often operating in a state of stress. Psychological scientists have found that mindfulness influences two different stress pathways in the brain. Practising mindfulness in the workplace can change the brain structure and activity in regions associated with attention and emotion regulation.
Being mindful helps us be more resilient to stress, allowing us to remain calm, productive and focused when stressful situations occur.
Benefit #2: Increased Focus
Hands up if your brain feels like a web browser with a million tabs open. For many of us, the busyness of our minds makes it hard to focus. Our productivity suffers, and we often suffer from burnout.
Incorporating mindfulness in the workplace allows you to stop the noise and intentionally focus on what is happening in the present moment. Pausing for mindfulness is like a reset button that closes off unnecessary thoughts and mental chatter. It allows you to return from your practice feeling refreshed and able to focus more intentionally on the task you are completing.
Benefit #3: Improved Mental Health
The folks at Harvard University are onto something when they say that a wandering mind isn’t a happy mind. Those who can better focus on the actions and feelings occurring in the present moment rather than thinking of the past or the future are the happiest. Once you start practising mindfulness, you’ll soon realise how challenging it is to be fully in the moment, but the more present we are, the happier we feel.
Being mindful may also reduce anxiety, depression, lower blood pressure, and improve sleep. All of which are beneficial to our mental health and sense of well-being.
Benefit #4: Better Decision Making
Practising mindfulness in the workplace allows you to understand better what is happening around you. Increased awareness and the ability to slow down and more thoughtfully work through the decision-making process reduces the likelihood of impulsivity.
When we practice mindfulness, we can break away from mindless decision-making and acting out of habit. It also helps us to look at situations more objectively and less personally – allowing us to make the right decision for our business, even if it stretches us or brings us a level of discomfort.
Benefit #5: Higher Quality Interactions
Hindsight is a beautiful thing, and when it comes to challenging conversations, we can often look back and wish that we had responded in a better way. Regular practice of mindfulness in the workplace teaches us that we can sit with thoughts, ideas, and emotions without them directly affecting us as a person.
The ability to pause and reflect before communicating allows us to respond to challenging conversations less emotionally. It also helps us be more empathetic and mindful in everyday interactions with clients, colleagues, and suppliers.
Getting Started With Mindfulness Practice
Mindfulness is based on the six key attitudes:
Being non-judging
Having patience
Being non-striving
Having a beginner’s mind
Acceptance
Letting go
Each of the attitudes is interconnected. Practising one area, will lead to improving another. Feel free to start your practice with an attitude that resonates with you most. If you’re starting out, set aside 5 minutes for mindfulness exercises such as meditation, mindful walking, or quiet reflection. Build from there as you gain confidence and discover what type of mindful practice suits you most.
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