We have all had the experience of feeling scattered and perhaps a little overwhelmed or overwhelmed at work. Having an endless number of projects on the table or feeling a sense of demotivation when completing tasks is something that all employees have gone through. What can the Department of People or Human Resources do to solve these types of situations and change the feeling?
Studies show that training in mindfulness, a concept directly linked to motivation in the workplace, increases confidence, attention, intelligence and concentration at work, which leads to greater well being of the team in general.
It’s about the ability to stay focused but flexible and it’s a way to reprogram the mind to think in a healthier and less stressful way. However, it is not uncommon for mindfulness to be lost progressively when there is stress in the work environment, for example, due to tight deadlines, or also for personal reasons.
How Can You Practice Mindfulness At Work?
According to experts:
- It is necessary to streamline the focus on the work of employees to facilitate optimum efficiency. This can be achieved by preparing daily tasks, knowing what calls and / or meetings you have scheduled for the day and what project should be completed during the day.
- Guided mindfulness meditation must be applied through applications such as Headspace, taking up small spaces throughout the day to keep the mind away from worries and regain focus.
- It is convenient to perform “work intervals”, that is, after executing a task or project for a prolonged period of time, it is recommended to take 10 minutes of rest to reset the mind. Through this practice, thought is refocused to return to the project with renewed forces.
We have just listed some tangible examples of different ways in which you can practice mindfulness in the office, implementing mindfulness, as we are doing in masvoz, where we want our team to work in the right conditions to maintain mental balance, tranquility, joy and calm.
After this little introduction on mindfulness, we will focus on its benefits in the work environment, not just the staff.
What Are the Main Benefits Of Mindfulness At Work?
1.- Stress Reduction
Mindfulness in the office is a hot topic among companies as a way to help reduce stress, a dominant cause of employee disconnection that can also hinder productivity. According to a study by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, more than half of the 550 million working days lost each year due to absenteeism are related to stress. In addition, 80% of employees report that they feel stress at work and need help learning to manage it. In this case, mindfulness is an essential strategy to combat work-related stress.
2.- Absorption Of New Information
Given the daily hustle and bustle in the workplace, how can companies help employees create space for their mind to absorb new information? Scientific studies have shown that when people allow their brain to take a break in solving problems or developing new skills, this helps increase the chances of learning and creativity.
It is important that supervisors prevent employees from skipping or refusing to take breaks, as this can lead to increased stress, exhaustion and feeling mentally stagnant. These types of situations occur especially when projects or tasks are carried out that require an extended period of focus.
3.- Adaptability
Being able to adapt quickly and efficiently in the workplace is essential. Why? Because that means that the person can quickly acclimatize to new situations and handle multiple demands on the part of his roommates. Therefore, the more employees practice and are directly exposed to different ways of doing things, learning and gaining confidence in uncertainty, the more adaptable they will be.
Therefore, adaptability plays a leading role in leadership performance and is generally present in leaders who can handle changing priorities and are in favor of adjusting their perceptions and beliefs. Having an open mind is another benefit of the practice of mindfulness.
4.- Problem Solving Ability
Problem solving is the ability to eliminate the disorder of the untrained mind (not accustomed to the practice of mindfulness), helping to improve concentration.
Another way that mindfulness can help employees solve problems is by freeing the mind from distractions and encouraging it to reflect. When a person is in the middle of challenge and practices mindfulness, he may be able to process the information in a new and different way. Precisely what you need to reach a resolution.
5.- Facilitate Creativity
A central aspect of creativity is divergent thinking, which refers to the ability to generate a lot of new ideas. Practicing mindfulness to improve creativity in the workplace motivates employees to think in a more innovative way than usual. Mindfulness helps free the brain from distractions. This increases the ability to look at things around from a new perspective. Fundamentally, creativity is only the result of adopting a different approach through a new perspective.
6.- Promotes Vitality
Every day, employees bring a certain amount of energy to work. Some days may have a lot of energy, and others may feel that they are running empty. For scientists who study the motivation of people at work, this is known as vitality, which is nothing more than the use of physical power to invest in actions and other people in the environment.
Vitality is essential to perform tasks while simultaneously enjoying the work being done. It is likely that continuing to be focused and attentive will have a positive effect on vitality, as it is a factor that helps you keep abreast of aspirations and goals. If the objectives are clear, it is more likely to work towards them when the vitality is high.
7.- Increase Empathy For Others
We are all familiar with the saying: “walk in someone else’s shoes”, both personally and at work when a certain situation arises. Empathy plays an essential role in allowing others to understand the minds and resonate emotionally with those states. Therefore, practicing mindfulness in the workplace allows employees to empathize with others.
In masvoz we try to put mindfulness into practice through sessions and trainings that take place in all departments of the company. Our goal is that people who are part of our team feel motivated, clothed, free, energetic, vital, eager to grow professionally, to continue learning and, above all, to continue working on a project that makes us all that we are part of him fully happy.