A recent HBR article provides practical techniques to weave mindfulness practices throughout the workday. The practices enhance self-awareness and help to reset how one wants to ‘be’ in the next moment.
Research demonstrates that regular and consistent meditation improves the quality of one’s decision-making, connections with others, and emotional intelligence. Another beneficial ‘side effect’ is improved stress management so that one responds instead of reacting to all the micro- irritations and stressors that occur throughout the day, resulting in being a better leader, friend, parent, and partner.
What we often hear, and what the author notes in the HRR article, is complaints or excuses that executives, managers, and employees do not have the time for meditation. Like other behavior change attempts, carving out time when not sure of the benefit in doing so can be daunting.
Some have good intentions to adopt a new behavior like meditation, but don’t even try to find the time. Another typical scenario is starting the behavior but stopping when there are road blocks, sacrificing the time when things get busy. The suggested ‘micro-mindfulness’ techniques and reminder triggers are simple and quick to implement in just a few moments regardless of obstacles during our day.
An additional technique that we often teach and was first introduced by Jon Kabat Zinn in his Mindfulness Based Stressreduction program is ‘STOP.’ Simply,
- Stop or pause
- Take a deep breath and turn your attention inward
- Observe your breath and thoughts for a few seconds
- Proceed in the way you want to be in the next moments with awareness, kindness, and compassion
Mindfulness is essential for well-being, safe behaviors, a Safe and Sound workplace, and leadership skills. Research from Search Inside Yourself at Google found that taking micro-mindfulness breaks during one’s day to be beneficial. No one, not even the busiest complainer should be too busy for these breaks!
Please take a moment to contact us regarding offering mindfulness sessions as part of your leadership development and safe and sound initiatives. It is time well spent!
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