We lead extremely hectic and busy lives, and today the ‘always on’ culture is common place. During the day we balance work and our digital lives with the lives with our family and friends, and it can be exhausting.
So in these hectic lives that we lead, how do we take a moment to restore calm and balance, to either take a break from work, the digital world, or to reset to make the most of the time with our family and friends?
In this post I’ll be explaining several benefits of mindfulness at work that you can employ to get the most out of your day.
What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness means different things to different people, however a general definition from mindful.org is:
“Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us.”
Taking a moment to be mindful or actively participating in mindful meditation allows us to take time out of our everyday lives to be present in the here and now.
How can mindfulness be a benefit at work?
Mindfulness has many benefits in the work place as it requires us to focus on the moment, our feelings and how we might be reacting to different things around us.
Increases social interaction and awareness
When we actively think about what we are doing in the present we become more self aware of our emotions and our actions. As a result it can help us think about how we are interacting with the people around us.
Increases concentration and motivation
When practicing mindfulness, we are in essence making an effort to focus and concentrate on the present. Whether through meditation or an activity such as yoga or sport, we limit our interaction with the world around us.
Practicing mindfulness trains the brain to better concentrate on the task at hand.
Increases productivity
Mindfulness not only allows us to concentrate on the task at hand, but also to be more productive in general. Whether it’s making decisions, planning or moving from one task to the next with a clear head.
Increases confidence
Mindfulness helps us steady our thoughts and think about what may be causing them. It helps us to address the negative and sometimes destructive thoughts that can lead us to feeling insecure or unsettled, and to think about replacing them with positive thoughts instead.
Reduce stress and anxiety
The fight of flight response has helped animals deal with predators and danger for all of time. A neurological response that triggers physiological reactions in the body; such as an increase in adrenaline and increased blood flow, all things that would have helped us run or fight. However, anxiety occurs when the brain triggers these physiological responses in the absence of danger, or the feeling does not abate.
Anxiety can be a terrifying thing, and sometimes, we either don’t want to confront those feelings or we don’t know how to. Mindfulness can be a great tool to think about the triggers that cause our anxiety or to work towards embracing them rather than fearing them.
Whether you are looking to create more balance in your life, or looking to hone your concentration and focus. Mindfulness can be a huge benefit in the workplace.
To find out how you could put mindfulness to work contact me here!