Ashwani Deswal – Best Corporate Trainer | Life Coach and Well-being Expert
Why should we incorporate Mindfulness at work
The concept of mindfulness at the workplace is expanding and has gained importance over the last few years. It is gaining so much importance because it has been proven effective by many scientific researches. That is why many prominent, world-famous organizations have formal mindfulness programs for their employees. They know that employees are the real asset of their organization and they are investing in them because they have witnessed the positive outcomes and are willing to promote the growth of their employees.
- What is mindfulness?
Let’s first understand what is mindfulness and we will then proceed to what benefits it brings not just to our work but also in our lives.
Mindfulness is just the opposite of mind-fullness. It is about being in the present moment, not getting entangled in the thoughts which pop up in our minds. It is the moment of awareness when one is just aware of his surroundings and not getting attached to them. Every situation starts becoming haze-free. We are able to witness them without judging and without reacting.
So, who wouldn’t like to be mindful? There is so much commotion at our workplace, so many clients, co-workers, tasks, and goals to deal with. If we are getting overwhelmed by it, which is, the majority of them, everything becomes haywire; and that in turn, becomes the very reason for our misery and the gloomy face that we take back home from the work. Employee disengagement and absenteeism hinder the productivity and growth of the organization. These are some serious issues that need to be addressed as soon as possible.
Employers want a workforce that is energetic, engaged, and enthusiastic but if employees are feeling otherwise, all expectations go downhill. Then leave aside getting new ideas and being innovative, the already existing ones become dull. No one wants this, right? If one wants to change the things that are happening, then it is wise to change our method of operating; because we can not expect different results doing the same thing.
Incorporating mindfulness at work is the first step. Mindful employees make the workplace a place where they put in their efforts happily from a toxic environment. here mindfulness comes to the rescue. There are numerous benefits, which are discussed below.
- Streamlines Focus
For a focused mind, one needs to eliminate unnecessary emotions and declutter thoughts. If we are being pulled by our thoughts in million directions, our focus will flicker and no work will be done efficiently. Mindfulness streamlines our focus, helps us prepare for the daily tasks, it provides us with an ability to decide what needs to be done, and what needs to be dropped, what is urgent, and what can be delayed.
- Understanding Other’s Perspective
Employees work in teams, and it is natural to have different point-of-views arising which sometimes may lead to conflicts. If one is mindful, he will not react immediately. He will listen to others, what they have to say, understand their perspective, and then act accordingly. Mindfulness gives a person a buffer zone which is necessary to make some decisions. It will also increase empathy for others.
- Enhances Innovation
Yes, who knew that mindfulness can act as a magical tool, fostering and facilitating innovation. Because it gives a new perspective, and if people think differently, automatically new ideas will come to them naturally. It gives space for creativity which would expand the horizons of one’s thinking capability. New ideas bring liveliness to our workplace, boosting our morale and creating a positive feedback loop, and an abundance of new ideas will flow through.
- Balancing Work and Personal Lives
Okay, this is the major issue that every single person faces. If we are mindful, we know where we are and what we ought to do at the moment. We will not stress over what our boss said to us in the office and ruin the mood of loved ones around us. If we are at work, it is better to pay attention to the work, do it with full dedication and involvement than to think anything else. If we achieve this balance and separate the chaff from the wheat i.e. separating unnecessary noise in our mind from relevant information, we will see that we are happier and healthier than before.
- Problem Solving
Untying the nodes of a problem is something where we get stuck the most. Instead of looking at how big are these problems and stressing about them is of no use. But mindfulness shifts our focus from the problems to the solutions. It helps us improve our concentration, freeing us from a variety of distractions, and reflect on them from another angle. This is a different and a better perspective to look at the situation. We get into the mode of problem solver and not the problem stressor.
- Vibrant and Lively workplace
Imagine a situation where everyone at the work, including the employees and employers, is mindful, everyone is in here and now, calmy carrying out their assigned tasks and simultaneously enjoying what they are doing, they are happy inside out. This atmosphere can be brought to reality from our imagination if we want to. Everyone is energetic and cognizant of their goals and aspirations.
- Increases Future Learning
Mindfulness provides us space for growth, personally and professionally. If we accept that there is a possibility of learning new things, if we accept there is so much out there to know, we tend to become open to new vistas. Mindfulness refocuses our minds and helps in developing new skills and possibilities.
So it is necessary to bring attention and awareness to our everyday lives. It will change our lives.