Mindfulness in the workplace
Are you a HR manager looking for ways in which you can reduce absenteeism and promote staff satisfaction, productivity and focus? Then read on…
Steve Jobs was a pioneer in many ways and not just in his revolution of the world of technology. Jobs was also amongst the first CEOs to recognise and embrace the power of meditation, using it as a formidable tool in his phenomenal success. His ability to be calm, concentrated and focused in the midst of chaos was one of the things that made him such a great leader. Though far from perfect, Job’s focus, insight and creativity set him- and Apple- apart from the competition.
What was a fringe movement when Jobs first set out is now an increasingly popular practice in businesses, governments and educational institutions across the world.
Mindfulness, in simple terms is ‘the ability to see what’s going on in our heads, without getting carried away with it. It’s the capacity to feel sensations-even painful ones-without letting them control us. Mindfulness means being aware of our experiences, observing them without judgement and responding from a place of clarity and compassion, rather than fear, insecurity or greed’ (Gelles 2015).
The most established way of cultivating mindfulness is through meditation. Research consistently shows clear benefits associated with mindfulness; it strengthens the immune system, promotes focus and concentration and actually re-wires the brain as shown on MRI imaging, the latter of particular importance to thinking out side of the box and the ability to shift perspective. Through mindfulness, professionals are becoming more effective and more focused and in the process getting better at their jobs. Across the workforce, a practice of mindfulness sees employees making less emotional decisions and feeling happier in all aspects of life, which in turn translates into a competitive edge in the workplace.
Stress is arguably one of the main threats to workplace wellbeing and can have devastating effects on the individual and the organisation. Stress is defined as a mismatch between our expectation of how things should be and the way things are and is the result of us not being able to control our own thoughts (Gelles 2015). Almost 40% of all work related illnesses are as a result of work related distress, depression or anxiety, which equates to over 11 million lost working days. This has a staggering impact on the UK economy with the potential to wreak havoc, especially across small to medium organisations when you consider that 23 days is the average number of sick days taken by somebody suffering from depression or anxiety.
Despite seemingly never-ending demands and an increasingly fast pace across society as a whole, stress doesn’t have to be inevitable. This may sound rather simplistic, but stress isn’t something imposed on us-it’s something we impose on ourselves or in other words, stress isn’t what’s happening, its our reaction to it. Mindfulness gives us the ability to free ourselves from stress. If stress is the result of out of control thinking, it makes sense that the solution rests in learning how to control our thoughts or at least not let them control us. Mindfulness empowers us to choose one experience over another and to focus on positive or at least neutral experiences rather than negative ones. Take that a step further and there’s even more power in choosing how we respond to the thoughts and situations that arise. Those knee-jerk responses as a result of learned behaviour and habits and fixed perceptions can be changed as a result of mindfulness resulting in a more positive outcome for all concerned.
In short, mindfulness is an empowering tool with great advantages within the workplace. A workplace mindfulness programme can reduce absenteeism through increased immunity and a reduction in stress. It can build resilience and promote productivity, focus and creativity. Rather then being a fluffy, nice to have add-on, mindfulness is an integral part of a strategic approach to workplace wellbeing. It reaps many benefits with the ability to create an edge over the competition.
If you would like to know more about mindfulness and how it may be integrated into the workplace setting, do come along to the Wellbeing4Life Workplace Wellbeing Seminar ‘Mindfulness: The key to a present, focused and effective workforce’ on Thursday 14th December 07.30-09.30 at Burleigh Court, Loughborough.
You can find more information and book your place here.