Mindfulness is the word for stress reduction these days. Though yoga has also been credited with reducing stress, it isn’t possible to launch into a downward dog or triangle in the middle of the office when stress arise. After all, stress comes from the mind and interacts closely with the body. Even though stretching out the nervous system reduces stress, it is still only taking care of the body if the mind is not involved in the practice of yoga. Mindfulness provides the insight into how your mind works and this is especially useful for workplace mindfulness. Understanding how the mind functions allow managers and teams alike to see opportunities and problems from other angles. Mindfulness is a tool of transformation and here are 5 benefits of workplace mindfulness.
1. Transforming Stress
The biggest mental factor affecting people in the workplace is stress. Stress from the demands of managers. For managers, the stress in managing a team in fulfilling objectives and targets. There is also the stress in managing investors’ expectations if you are in the top management. In today’s time, we are all stressed by the uncertainty of the economy brought about by climate change and the pandemic.
Mindfulness practice consists of training the mind to recognize the origin of stress. How the mind and body are so closely connected that they are not separate. For example, when your mind is not busy thinking of a hundred things you are able to watch how thoughts in your mind affect the body and vice-versa. Being able to watch the interaction between the mind and body gives you the power to have control over what you choose to pay attention to. It also allows you to change your perception of the signals you receive in your body. In this way, stress becomes a friend rather than an enemy you hope to get away from. As we all know, stress can be damaging on our health in the long term if not managed.
2. The Ability to Adapt
If you have a routine which you follow daily and that routine gets changed, how does that affect your mind and your body? If the computer breaks down and obstructs you from completing a deadline, how will you react? In short, how do you approach changes in life? They can range from not having your coffee made the way you want to being soaked in the rain due to an unexpected heavy rainfall while you are dressed up for a big meeting.
Mindfulness helps you look into your mind and see how it reacts to the changes you are not accustomed to. It also opens your mind to accept changes and find ways around a problem without getting you down. Despite us caring a lot about our appearances, in the end, it is our attitude of being light-hearted while working towards our goals amidst problems that endear us to those we work with.
3. Workplace Mindfulness Boosts Energy
Another benefit of mindfulness is the boosted energy you feel when you practice. When you succeed in being able to identify in moments how stress originates in your mind and body, you will be able to let go of negative states more easily. Since mindfulness comes with an awareness of how you use your attention, it naturally saves you energy from adding on unnecessary tasks. Not being bogged down by negative energy (through recognition of the choice you make) also gives you the extra energy you need for the day.
Where to Learn Workplace Mindfulness
Mindful Breath specializes in teaching Mindfulness-Based Strategic Awareness Training (MBSAT) for the workplace. We run a full 8-week MBSAT course as it takes 2 months to change the mind’s habit. Or if you are only curious about our course, you can try our 2-hour workshop as well. Get in touch with us to learn more about our courses.
