‘Minding’ Your Business

Divya Kumar

Introducing Mindfulness at the workplace has many benefits. Mindfulness is defined as, ‘a state of being conscious or aware of the present moment.’

According to Harvard Business review, “Rapid, constant, and disruptive change is now the norm. The role of Managers, in short, is becoming that of a coach”. 

Equipping employees to adapt to constantly changing environments is linked to a higher level of overall success and productivity of the organization. Mindfulness in the workplace is becoming more necessary now than ever.

What are some benefits of Mindfulness?

Decrease in stress and anxiety

Mindfulness has been linked to lower stress levels and decreased overall anxiety. By being present and aware of the current situation, one can better analyze the stress triggers and patterns and address them.

Ability to regulate emotions

Being aware of the present moment also helps in regulating emotions without judgement. In place of reacting and being taken over by emotions, one can choose to process an emotion without judgement and respond to the situation and as a result, choose the emotion that will be the most productive for the situation.

Improved focus and concentration

Mindfulness empowers one with the ability to ‘slow down’. Multitasking is a skill required of many people in the current age and pace. However, multitasking is practically impossible because one cannot be at two different places at the same time. By recognizing what is the most important and by being able to prioritize what needs our attention the most, we can complete multiple tasks one at a time with utmost focus and attention.

What are some techniques for practicing mindfulness?

Breathing techniques

Focusing on breathing is an age-old method to improve concentration, motivation, and mindfulness. The very first indicator of stress is in our breathing. We typically tend to take shallow fast breaths when under stress. By following simple breathing exercises, the attention can be brought back to the pace of breathing. This simple action sends signals to our brain to slow down and refocus. As a result, we can channel our energies and equip ourselves to ‘respond’ vs. ‘react.’

Mindfulness meditation

While meditation has its own long list of benefits, one of the most important is finding moments of stillness and the ability to tune out as needed. A simple 5-minute meditation every day has proven to show large benefits in a person’s overall mental wellbeing. Once the ‘stillness’ is accessed, it is a lot easier to cultivate and prolong the stillness in other areas of our lives.

Observing thoughts and feelings without judgement

Emotions are what make us human. There are no right or wrong feelings. At any given moment, what we feel is true for that moment. Owning it takes away the judgement and helps us better understand the situation. Mindfulness practices give us the ability to observe and accept our thoughts and feelings without judgement and process them so we can slowly start to control them instead of being controlled by them.

Doing one thing at a time

While slowing down is a benefit of mindfulness, proactively focusing on doing only one thing at a time is a mindfulness practice as well. Organizing our thoughts, space and mind have some key benefits in kick starting our mindfulness practice. And with a regular consistent practice, doing one thing at a time becomes much easier. So, what came first, chicken or the egg?!

With greater focus on Mindfulness at the workplace, investing in virtual coaching programs for mental wellbeing of employees is becoming the new norm. 

Boon’s mission is to make mental well-being more attainable at the workplace. By offering coaching sessions with professional coaches as a perk to employees, organizations can take a step forward in introducing Mindfulness at the workplace. By partnering with a coaching platform, employees may be able to understand their stress triggers and patterns and set meaningful measurable goals to practice some techniques of mindfulness and alleviate overall stress.

Want to ‘mind’ your business?