Mindfulness has been recognised to be helpful to employees within the workplace for several years, and there are now numerous studies that support the benefits of mindfulness within the workplace. But, as with anything new, there are questions which employers have. In this article, I will be answering some of the most common questions employers ask us about mindfulness.
What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness means living in the present moment, tuning out your thoughts of “what I should have done yesterday” and “what am I going to do tomorrow” and just focusing on “what am I doing right now”.
What are the benefits of mindfulness in the workplace?
There are numerous studies on the benefits of mindfulness to both the employee and the employer.
For the employee
- less likely to suffer from burnout,
- builds resilience
- enables better focus
- increases empathy
- improves teamwork and staff relationships by reducing conflict
- better decision making
- higher productivity and creativity.
Most importantly a happier employee.
The employer also benefits with
- reduced conflicts within teams
- better workplace relations
- improved work performance & productivity
- employees can be more innovative
- have greater leadership skills
- less absenteeism and lower staff turnover
- an improvement in the company culture.
This all makes a happier employer.
Remember, mindfulness isn’t emptying the mind of thoughts, it is focusing the mind on the “here and now”, and what needs to be done at this moment in time. It helps people to concentrate on one task at a time, keeping a constant flow going, with less errors made and less stress for the employee.
Will I need to spend money getting a specialist trainer in for my staff?
You can spend a lot of money getting in specialist trainers etc, but in reality, there are some very simple exercises that everyone can do which helps to focus the mind.
I recommend that you lead by example and learn to practice mindfulness yourself, either with your employees or ahead of them so you can guide them. It is important that you understand how it can be used and implemented in your business.
It would be worth speaking to your staff and sharing your intention to introduce the practice of mindfulness into the workplace. Ask if anyone has any experience of mindfulness, you may be surprised to find staff who already practice.
So, how do we “do it”?
Try to focus on one task at a time, and give each task your full attention. There is now evidence that multi-tasking can be a less productive way to work and by concentrating on a single task at a time, efficiency, quality and productivity can be boosted along with better decision making.
If you start to feel stressed at any time, take a minute for yourself. Sit quietly, close your eyes and focus on your breath. Follow your breath on the inhale, notice how the warm air enters your nose, how it feels travelling down to your lungs. Then feel how the warm air travels up from your lungs and exits your mouth. Just keep your focus following your breath cycle and if you feel your mind wander, just bring it back to the breath cycle as that is your anchor to the present.
Actively listen, this means being fully present in the conversation. Not automatically nodding and living inside the chatter within your mind until it is your turn to talk. It means fully listening to the person speaking. Along with using your ears, use your eyes to focus on the speaker, this shows you are actively listening.
There are several Apps which are free to download on your phone that can also help you and your staff with a mindfulness practice e.g., Headspace, Calm or Breathe.
