When was the last time you did completely nothing for ten minutes? No checking of
emails, no writing of reports, no use of gadgets—just simply taking in the here and now?
In an incredibly hectic corporate world, we are often compelled to deal with various tasks and engage with different kinds of people every day. These day-to-day activities demand a lot of ourselves, hence, we tend to forget how to slow down and enjoy the present moment. Sometimes, we feel overwhelmed or perhaps demotivated that even the act of getting up and reporting to work may already become a difficult task in itself.
Here at Omni, practicing mindfulness helps our team members move forward not only in their daily tasks but also in their personal lives. It is in the habit of stopping and finding a few moments of inner peace and calmness that they are able to recharge, destress, and rediscover their vitality and sense of purpose.
What Is Mindfulness?
Originally a Buddhist concept, the basic philosophy of mindfulness is self-awareness. It involves focusing intentionally on the present moment—your environment, thoughts, emotions—and accepting it without judgment.
Jon Kabat-Zinn, founder and former director of the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center and now considered the godfather of modern mindfulness, has demonstrated that practicing mindfulness can bring several psychological and physiological benefits. Here are some of them and how they can be extremely helpful in the workplace setting.
Reduces Stress and Anxiety
In 2019, Wrike’s United States Stress Statistics found that 94% of workers were experiencing work-related stress, 23% of which described their stress levels as high and 6% as unreasonably high. A shocking statistic, for sure; but nobody really is that surprised at the facts.
To help combat this ever-continuing problem as well as to promote employee engagement, prominent organizations like Google introduced formal mindfulness programs for their team members. Their most popular course, “Search Inside Yourself,” has had participants who reported being calmer and more able to manage stress and emotions.
However, could simply being mindful reduce stress and anxiety? Scientifically, practicing mindfulness can lower the body’s stress response by reducing activity in the amygdala—part of the brain associated with attention and emotion regulation. It takes you out of fight-or-flight mode and brings you into a relaxed state of mind, which helps build inner strength amidst stressful situations.
Fuels Creativity
Creativity pushes you to generate new, amazing ideas that drive change, inspire innovation, and create opportunities out of problems. However, in a world where conceiving great ideas is part of most people’s day-to-day jobs, experiencing a creative block is inevitable, and no doubt every creative thinker’s worst nightmare.
When distractions and negative thoughts start to hinder your ability to create, performing mindfulness meditation for a couple of minutes can help boost divergent thinking, or in other words, your capacity to think outside the box. This is essential in the creation process as it allows you to construct new ideas and explore various possible solutions in a spontaneous and free-flowing manner.
This practice, as argued by Danny Penman in his book, Mindfulness for Creativity, also helps nurture courage and resilience. Developing a strong foundation of these two qualities is extremely significant, especially in the face of uncertainties, failures, and setbacks that come with the creation process.
Increases Vitality
Every day, you bring a certain amount of energy to work. There are times when you’re full of vigor and enthusiasm, and other days when you just feel like running on empty. This energy you have when working and performing your tasks is also known as vitality.
Notice how you feel after taking a nap or spending leisure time with yourself. Don’t you feel recharged and invigorated? The effect of mindfulness meditation is the same. By simply slowing down for a couple of minutes, focusing on the present, and purposely entering a relaxed state of mind, you’ll feel more vital and mentally ready to take on new tasks.
This vitality is essential in accomplishing tasks and enjoying the work at the same time. It is a key element that influences intrinsic motivation to exert your best efforts, produce great results, and engage more with others. Incorporating mindfulness into your daily routine before or during work, even for a few moments, will strengthen your vitality and thus, enhance your efficiency.
Improves Communication
At one point, you’ve probably experienced preparing a response while the other person is talking, let personal judgments get in the way of listening, or jumped to conclusions even before hearing all the facts. All of these habits hinder effective communication, and they can be avoided with mindfulness and mental awareness.
By being truly present in the moment and with others, you are able to make conscious decisions and translate them into respectful words regardless of the situation, listen to another person with genuine curiosity and non-judgment, and become fully accepting of your true inner state.
From a macro perspective, mindful communication helps cultivate an environment with trust and harmony. When people make it a habit to give more thought to the present situation rather than acting impulsively, a workplace culture of respect and inclusion will foster
Boosts Level of Concentration
Have you ever found yourself just mindlessly going through the notions of a project because you’re too distracted by the number of other tasks on your plate? Usually, we deal with this kind of situation by doing them all at once. However, it isn’t really the most productive and effective method of completing things.
Multitasking isn’t the skill needed to sustain success, but rather the ability to focus and execute on one task, move on, and do it again and again. Practicing any form of meditation can help you achieve this, as mindfulness helps boost mental capability and concentration.
Possessing a high level of focus is essential, especially in a fast-paced environment like Omni. The ability to switch gears from all the external and mental distractions to the task at hand is an asset anyone can develop through mindfulness meditation.
In today’s work environment where everyone is required to move at a fast pace, slowing down and focusing on the present is essential to recharge, destress, and regain productivity. It may seem at odds with the corporate culture that values speed and efficiency, but it is only necessary for you to continue moving forward.
Omni Channel Solutions understands that promoting the practice of mindfulness, self-care, and acceptance is critical not only for the business but also for the team members’ well-being. As their second home, it is our responsibility to create and maintain an environment where their thoughts are heard and their talents are nurtured.
Here at Omni Channel Solutions, we don’t just simply do business. We also value all members of our workforce so they are constantly motivated in delivering excellent work and collaborating harmoniously with each other. Work with us today.
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