practice mindfulness

Mindfulness in the Workplace

How your business performs and prospers is directly influenced by the health and well-being of your employees. Introducing mindfulness to your workplace can help to develop healthier employees, physically, emotionally and mentally. The practice of mindfulness in the workplace can  increase productivity and profits by decreasing stress and negative attitudes. On-the-job attendance, behaviour, attitude and productivity are directly influenced by the workplace environment, which is largely created by the people who work there.

Mindfulness is a practice derived from Buddhist traditions. It was pioneered by Jon Kabat-Zinn, founder of the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, in the late 1970’s. Since then, the practice of mindfulness has been adopted by conventional psychology, medicine, educational and sports institutions, and increasingly is being incorporated into the workplace.

Jon Kabat-Zinn describes mindfulness as:
“Paying focused attention,
on purpose, without judgment,
to the experience of the present moment.”

Mindfulness helps us to take the time to respond rather than habitually react to everyday events and stressors. For employers, this can result in improved relations among staff and with customers.

The practice of mindfulness can:

  • Enhance controlled focus and attention
  • Strengthen cognitive effectiveness
  • Increase awareness of self and others
  • Improve levels of emotional intelligence
  • Increase resilience and reduce stress

The practices I teach enables people to:

  • Listen attentively,
  • communicate more clearly,
  • empathise more readily,
  • calmly get on with the tasks at hand
  • in a professional and courteous manner.

Researchers at the University of Westminster found that the more mindful the supervisor/manager, the lower the rates of employee exhaustion and the higher their job satisfaction.¹ Practicing mindfulness for just a few minutes a day has also been shown to boost performance in fast-paced, ever-changing work environments. People who are more adept at working with their minds and mental states perform better. That benefits their teams, their colleagues, clients, customers and all other stakeholders.

Mindfulness helps us to be less self-critical and more curious, which promotes strategic thinking and creative problem-solving.

Put mindfulness to work for you

I can develop a coherent mindfulness and well-being programme that addresses the needs of your company. Involving employees in the design of the programme can yield better results by securing employee engagement from the start.

Programmes can be implemented in a number of ways, including:

  • Mindfulness coaching for your management team with a focus on self-management, resilience, emotional intelligence and strategic thinking.
  • Mindfulness-based stress management programme for all employees.
  • Mindful nutrition and well-being workshops.

I can tailor a mindfulness workplace programme to your specific needs, whether you are a SME or self-employed. Individual consultations and one-to-one coaching are also available.

People are the heart and soul of any successful enterprise, investing in human capitol is vital in keeping your business healthy.

(1) http://proceedings.aom.org/content/2014/1/14282.short
For more studies on the effectiveness of a mindfulness practice: click here.