Cultivating Mindfulness in the Workplace

Companies all across the world have begun providing bonuses to encourage employees to practice mindfulness, whether it is a meditation area at the workplace, discounted yoga sessions, or app subscriptions.

Cultivating Mindfulness in the Workplace

Our jobs keep the lights on, take up much of our waking hours, and sometimes even give our life purpose. Tight deadlines, long days, and uncomfortable talks may all be a big source of stress. Whatever your profession, working might cause worry. Being mindful is beneficial. 

Many businesses, including Google and General Mills, have started implementing mindfulness training in the workplace in recent years. There are easy ways to lessen the negative effects of job stress on your mind and body, whether or not your organization offers these benefits.

What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is a straightforward technique that anybody may use to pay attention to the present moment in an accepting, nonjudgmental way. According to research, it is also a proven way to lessen stress, even at work. Simply put, meditation is a method of mind training.

Most of the time, we are wondering, worrying, fantasizing, focusing on the past, or thinking about the future. By bringing us back to the present, meditation equips us with the skills to be less anxious, more at ease, and more compassionate toward ourselves and others.

Guidelines for Promoting Mindfulness at Work

1. Set an Example with the Leadership

The way many firms operate makes “slowing down” and “taking time to focus on wellbeing” counterproductive. You must demonstrate that spending time practicing mindfulness won’t result in negative consequences if you want people to prioritize it at work. Therefore, it is crucial that managers and leaders openly exhibit these behaviors.

2. Encourage Time offs

Taking a break from work can be quite helpful for finishing the task that needs to be done. Breaks enhance productivity and focus, which improves workers’ mental health and performance.

3. Inculcate Breaks Between Meetings

Meetings scheduled back to back are draining, and employees frequently experience burnout from being “on” all the time. So it can be beneficial for workers to slow down and reacquaint themselves with their sense of self if they get five or ten minutes to “disconnect” between meetings.

4. Add Mindfulness Methods

Teach brief, easy-to-implement mindfulness practices that staff members can use in their regular work. This can be as straightforward as resisting the urge to use a phone while in line or taking a “purposeful stop” to consider what it’s like to live in one’s body.

Conclusion

Like most things in life, there is no “one size fits all” method for practicing mindfulness. However, there are restrictions to mindfulness that you must keep in mind while building your programs, as much as we may want to enjoy all the advantages of a less stressed, more resilient, and productive staff. 

A workplace that is consistently overworked or stressed out cannot be remedied by mindfulness. If your employees are burned out, they may want additional support. But when properly implemented, mindfulness can have a profoundly positive impact on both individuals and the organizations they work for.

About the Author

BCjobs.ca is Western Canada’s largest job board, and host of “Innovators” a weekly podcast interviewing top recruiters in BC and across Canada. Check out our recent interview with Inga Jonsdottir, Engineering Manager at Wealthsimple (Podcast link) and DataDome’s Chief Marketing Officer, Aurelie Guerierri (Podcast link).