Mindfulness - Enhancing Effectiveness at Work

• In 2008/09 an estimated 415,000 workers in Britain believed that they were experiencing work-related stress at a level that was making them ill.
• The 2009 Psychosocial Working Conditions (PWC) survey indicated that around 16.7% of all working individuals thought their job was very or extremely stressful.
• Estimates indicate that self-reported work-related stress, depression or anxiety accounted for an estimated 11.4 million lost working days in Britain in 2008/09.

So what is Mindfulness and how could it help both the individual and the employer?

Jon Kabat-Zinn, founding director of the Stress Reduction Clinic and the Center for Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, defines mindfulness as “paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally.” Mindfulness helps people to see their situation, thoughts and feelings in a non-judgmental way so they can stop themselves from reacting impulsively. It gives them time and space to consider a new way of acting, to break a negative cycle of thinking and doing, and to feel more in control of their actions.

How do you begin to practice mindfulness in a corporate or office environment?  In an atmosphere where you may be easily distracted, habitually shuttling between the past, future and multiple projects, mindfulness may seem impossible. However, mindfulness need only consist of easy to do breathing exercises and an awareness of how you are sitting. This may initially feel uncomfortable, but the benefits are immense. Mindfulness enables us to more effectively listen deeply, make informed decisions, handle stress and innovate.

A research paper by  Donald W. McCormick examines the effects mindfulness has on people's work lives. It suggests that persons who practice mindfulness may:

• have more external awareness at work
• be more accepting of their work situation
• have more modest, realistic work goals
• be more selfless
• be less concerned with material acquisition and wealth
• have a more internal locus of evaluation
• be more likely to derive meaning in life from more sources than just work
• be better able to cope and remain calm in difficult work situations
• be more likely to experience work difficulties as challenges than threats
• enjoy their work more
• be more adaptable at work
• and have more positive interpersonal relations at work.

Just imagine how much better our working lives could be, and with less everyday stress, the benefit to every part of our lives.