Written by: Alex Bravo, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
I'm on a mission of spreading mindfulness practice benefits for both, individuals and organizations. This article initiates the "Mindfulness at the workplace" saga.
I will be sharing some of the benefits that the participants of "The 8 Week Mindfulness Program" ‒ which I facilitate ‒ have reported as well as my own experience leading CX, operations, innovation and transformation teams for +20 years.
It’s not a secret that companies like Google, Mckinsey, Apple, EY, P&G, Nike, Goldman Sachs, Intel, Deutsche Bank, etc., are deploying Mindfulness programs across their organizations.
For the benefit of the readers that are not really related to the Mindfulness practice, I would like to recall what the Mindfulness practice looks like and the discipline that it requires.
Mindfulness is the practice of maintaining a nonjudgemental state of heightened or Complete awareness of our own thoughts, emotions, ideas, sensations or experiences on a moment-to-moment basis.
Disciplined meditation is the path to Mindfulness. It requires to find a comfortable position ‒ normally sited ‒ and start focusing your attention on your breath, surrounding sounds or body sensations with great curiosity, without any judgement. At some point your mind will start wandering. This is completely normal. It is the way our mind works. The key is to note when this wandering is happening and to bring gently your attention back to the breath, surrounding sounds or body sensations with kindness and self-care. If you have to bring your attention back to 50 teams, that is ok. This does not determine whether you are a good or bad mediator. This is what the meditation practice is all about.
There is plenty of scientific research that shows that practicing meditation for at least 15 minutes per day can have a great positive impact.
Different surveys have reported that whenever a meditator explains why they meditate, these are the results:
84% say that it helps to reduce stress and anxiety
53% say improves concentration and memory
52% say improves performance at work or school
39% say it helps them to increase energy
30% say it helps to improve general health and wellness
And they are right. It's fascinating what happens with the body of a meditator. Meditators report such benefits given that different things happen physiologically:
Levels of dopamine and serotonin may increase stimulating regions of the brain associated with happiness and positivism.
Cortisol and adrenalin may decrease generating a relaxation mode in which breath rhythm, blood pressure, pulse rate and metabolism decreases.
DHEA may increase preventing premature aging, reducing inflammation and cellular metabolism.
Alpha, Delta, and Theta brain waves synchronize enabling creativity, relaxation and concentration.
It may increase the cortical folding process on the brain promoting an increase of speed processing information.
In addition, Mindfulness helps us to shut down the auto-pilot mode in which we normally operate, overreacting, wandering, not being present, not enjoying small details.
The way we deal with our inner world defines everything. Mindfulness helps us to deal with our inner world in a way in which we are in control of our emotions and not our emotions controlling us.
This has a huge impact on the way we relate to ourselves, on the way we interact with others, on the way we lead a team, on the way we serve customers, on the way we love.
One of the frequently asked questions that I receive is what mindfulness can bring to the workplace.
Given the benefits that Mindfulness delivers to individuals, organizations can expect an increase on:
Employee engagement
Employee focus
Collaboration among employees
Productivity
Communication
Emotional intelligence
Creativity
Adaptability
Problem-solving skills
And a decrease on:
Stress among employees
Absenteeism
Health care costs
Conflict among employees
Burnout
During the next articles, I'll elaborate on the benefits that disciplined mediators have reported working on 7 competencies that Gallup has defined to be key for a successful leader.
There is definitely a difference between the auto-pilot and the mindful mode whenever a leader is dealing with these 7 competencies:
Build Relationships
Develop People
Lead Change
Inspire Others
Think Critically
Communicate Clearly
Create accountability
Stay tuned to understand some of the benefits that Mindfulness brings to the workplace.
Follow me on LinkedIn for more info!
Alex Bravo, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Alex Bravo combines 22 years' experience as Sr Director leading CX, Innovation, Transformation and large Operations teams mainly within the Financial Services Industry with 15 years' experience as Sr Executive Coach and Mindfulness Teacher. Given his struggle with anxiety and depression at some point of his career, his purpose is to instill the importance of assessing mental health in the corporate arena and recall to his colleagues that the way they deal with their inner world defines the way they show to themselves, how they interact with others, how they lead and how they love. He is a Harvard Business School Grad and holds a BSc in industrial and Systems Engineering and a MSc in Quality and Productivity.
