Mindfulness in the workplace is highly important regardless of the industry the company belongs to. This is particularly true in the knowledge-based economy. Given that knowledge-based economies mainly utilise the worker’s cognitive skills, mindfulness is a huge factor that affects each individual’s productivity.
If managers and employees are not able to focus, it becomes a major issue as every negative behaviour or emotion affects each individual’s decision-making. Workplace mindfulness allows everyone to brush off irrelevant thoughts and focus on the present situations in the company.
If managers and workers are able to master mindfulness in the workplace, they are able to deliver quality work output and make profitable decisions.
Based on numerous studies, the human brain is malleable and can be rewired through several mindfulness practices. Managers and employees who are mindful are to recognize their own growth especially when it comes to their work relationship with their colleagues.
Workplace wellbeing initiatives such as mindfulness can be promoted in many different ways. These can include:
1. Group Meditation Sessions
One of the proven effective ways to practice mindfulness in general, not just in the workplace, is meditation. Managers can organise group meditation classes for employees to participate in.
Meditation is a body and mind practice that promotes calmness, improved physiological balance, and improved overall health.
Here are a few of the benefits of group meditation that promote mindfulness in the workplace.
- Work Relationships: Group meditation is an effective way of promoting unity and social interaction within the workplace. It is also proven to help boost an individual’s ability to make healthy relationships and foster a positive attitude and outlook.
- Stress Relief: Meditation is one of the easiest ways to relieve stress and diminish tension at work. A 10-minute meditation break will help employees relieve stress and have a clearer mind.
- Resiliency: Organising a group meditation class can help employers build a more resilient workforce. Meditation can help employees effectively deal with various emotional triggers within the workplace.
- Improved Decision-Making: Given that meditation helps in diminishing tension and stress, it can help improve a person’s decision-making, as a result.
- Improved Mental Health: Based on several studies, meditation can diminish negative feelings such as emotional exhaustion, depression, and anxiety. Organising a group meditation class will help employers improve their workforce’s stress levels and mood.
2. Introduce A Quiet Space
The hustle and bustle of a busy workplace can undermine the employees’ mental wellbeing. For this reason, having a designated quiet space in the workplace is necessary.
Many companies these days have discovered the noteworthy benefits of having a quiet space within the workplace. A quiet space will serve as employees’ “recharge room” where they can switch off and recollect for a brief period of time.
When creating a quiet space, it is ideal to choose an area that is free from noise and distraction. It is also recommended to have ambient lighting, a comfy couch, and lay out a rubber mat where people can do Yoga or meditation.
Moreover, listed below are the worthwhile benefits of having a designated quiet space in the workplace and how it fosters mindfulness.
- Improved Mood: A designated quiet space can help employees escape from the hectic pace of work and have some alone time to recharge and switch off. Getting away from the busy work for a few minutes will allow employees to feel less anxious thus improving their overall mood and attitude towards work.
- Better Work Performance: When employees are given enough time to get away and relax for a moment in a quiet room, their morale will be increased and they will feel a lot more motivated to work. As a result, employees deliver better performance and quality output.
- Reduced Stress and Tension: Probably the biggest benefit of a quiet room is for employees’ stress relief. Stress, if not addressed immediately, could lead to several health issues including heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, etc. By reducing stress and tension in the workplace, absenteeism due to illness is also reduced.
Check out these office spaces to boost employee wellbeing and mental health
3. Lead By Example
As an employer, you have to be what you want your employees to be. In other words, you must lead by example. When you, as the employer, lack mindfulness, it also depicts your lack of clarity in value. By practicing mindfulness in your company or team, you also attract your people to practice such value.
- Take Better Care of Yourself: Fitness and wellness are crucial for good leadership. In order to achieve mindfulness in the workplace, you need to have a healthy body and a sound mind as a leader.
- Be Patient: As a manager, you need to exercise patience when it comes to practicing mindfulness in the workplace. Each employee in your company requires different mindfulness needs.
- Take Work Stress Seriously: Given that stress can cause a number of unwanted consequences if not addressed appropriately, you as a leader should make an effort to create a stress-free work environment.
- Educate Your People About Mindfulness: Not everyone is aware of the importance of mindfulness in the workplace. As a leader, it is your role to start a conversation and educate your people about the advantages of workplace mindfulness.
Check out this list of CEO’s who meditate regularly to help them become better leaders.
4. Encourage Breaks to Practice Mindfulness
Taking breaks is essential in achieving mindfulness and improving wellbeing at work. Often times, employees will feel burnt out because of their hectic work schedules. As a result, their stress levels are increased and their creativity and productivity are undermined. For these reasons, imposing breaks to practice mindfulness is a must in the workplace.
Below is a list of the worthwhile benefits of taking breaks at work.
- Clear the Mind: A quick break can help employees switch off and clear their minds from any negative emotions such as stress and anxiety.
- Increase Productivity: Taking breaks allows employees to clear their minds; as a result, they make better decisions and their productivity rate is increased.
- Help the Body Relax and Recharge: Quick breaks in the workplace not only benefit the mind but also help the body to relax and re-energise.
- Lower Work Stress: Encouraging breaks at work can help your employees reduce the overall work stress they have.
- Increase Employee Engagement: Quick breaks allow your employees to engage with other employees and foster corporate relationships.
- Improved Mental Health: Because breaks can help diminish the stress and anxiety of your employees, their overall mental health is restored, as a result.
These big companies encourage their team to take time out to practise mindfulness
5. Incorporate Mindfulness at the Start of Every Meeting
Meetings are often times rushed and people race from one task to another task and meeting to another meeting. If you want to change it up and exercise mindfulness in the workplace, you should start by incorporating such practice in essential company tasks such as meetings.
Here are a number of ways you can practise mindfulness at the start of your meetings.
- Encourage a quick pause for meditation: Instead of rushing through the main agenda of your meeting, try to have a few minutes to allow you and your team to pause and maybe practice meditation.
- Breathing exercises: Apart from meditation, breathing exercises are also a great one to incorporate at the start of your team meetings.
- Check-in with your team: Checking in with every member of your team is an unpopular practice that leads to mindfulness in the workplace. Genuinely ask your employees how they are feeling and what they are looking forward to.
- Ask every employee to share something they are grateful for: Another way to light up the mood in the meeting room is to ask every member to share something they are grateful for. It can involve personal or professional matters, depending on which ones they feel comfortable sharing.
6. Start Talking About Mindfulness
As an employer, it is your role to spark conversations about mindfulness within your company. By informing your team about the importance and the advantages mindfulness can give, you are going to encourage them to strive and achieve it individually and as a team.
When talking about mindfulness with your team, it is crucial that you dedicate a designated time where they can digest the essential pieces of information surrounding this topic. It is also helpful to ask your team for suggestions about plausible ways to achieve mindfulness in the workplace.
Starting a conversation about mindfulness not only encourages your team to take part in achieving the goal but also shows that you value their mental wellbeing.
Lastly, when having a conversation about corporate mindfulness, remember to take each employee’s needs into consideration.
7. Create Mini Reminders for Staff to Practice
Your employees should be reminded to be mindful even in their busy schedules at work. Consider these mini reminders for your team to practice in the workplace.
- Ask your team to set a goal at the beginning of the day at work. This will help them focus and eventually achieve a successful day.
- Encourage your team to make their work meaningful by finding purpose and joy in what they do.
- Ask your team to learn how to be present regardless of the type of work environment they are in. Whenever they find themselves drifting away, they must take a break to recollect and check in with their surroundings.
- Encourage your team to work on one task at a time. When employees juggle multiple tasks at the same time, the output is most likely not the best because they are overwhelmed.
- Inspire your team to practice having a growth mindset as it is one of the keys to achieving success in any field of work. In order to exercise a growth mindset, ask your team to set small goals for themselves.
- Remind your team to stretch every once in a while because mindfulness is not just about the mind but the physical body as well.
Check out this article on mindfulness training tips to help you find consistency with your practice.
8. Introduce Mindfulness Courses
Mindfulness courses will help your team reap the benefits of having workplace mindfulness. You can choose between the different forms of mindfulness programs listed below.
- Mindfulness-Based Programs: You can find a number of mindfulness-based programs online that are targeted towards people facing different sorts of challenges. These programs may touch on mental health, parenting, eating habits, and other forms of mental challenges people face on a regular basis.
- Apps: Nowadays, numerous mindfulness apps are already available for people to download and use on their mobile devices.
- Online Course: There is a wide array of mindfulness courses you can find on the web to date. Choose ones that best fit your work environment and your employees’ needs.
- Meditation Centres: If you want your team to get the best benefits of meditation, then you should introduce them to a meditation centre. These centres offer professional meditation guidance from experienced and certified meditation instructors.
9. Free Meditation App Subscriptions for Employees
If you don’t have the budget to spare, you can choose from a wide array of free-to-use meditation app subscriptions available to date.
Here are a few tips to help you pick out the best free meditation app for your team.
- Search the Web for Recommendations: The web is the best place to see the numerous meditation apps available. You can check a list of free apps on app directory sites, blogs, or an app store on your mobile device.
- See The App’s Customer Ratings: To see if the apps you are looking into are any good, you should check its customer reviews and ratings on the app store. This will help you evaluate if a specific app is the best one to give to your employees or if you should look for another one.
- Look Into The Apps Features: Once you have a couple of prospective meditation apps to download, don’t forget to look into their features and inclusions first before hitting the download button. Choose the app that comes with the most useful features that your team will surely benefit from.
Meditation apps such as Headspace offer various subscriptions for businesses.
10. Mindful Walking Sessions
Walking sessions are great ways to help your employees exercise mentally and physically. Set some time where your employees can have a break to go for a walk outside your office.
Here are a few tips on how to go for a mindful walk.
- Start by standing still looking ahead with a soft gaze
- Notice the sites and sounds around you. Take a moment to do this before your walk.
- Slowly bring one foot out and place it out in front of you noticing the sensation of your foot landing on the floor
- Continue to walk slowly bringing your focus on the sensation of your feet on the ground
- If your mind wanders off then gently bring your attention back to your feet on the floor
- A ten minute mindful walk can help you to calm the mind and to reset yourself for the day ahead
The more you practise mindful walking the more you will want to practise it on a regular basis. It is a great way to disconnect from your phone and to connect with nature.
Conclusion
There you have it – Those are a few of the noteworthy ways to foster mindfulness in the workplace.
