1. Mindful Meetings - Give yourself a few moments before a meeting to breathe, check that you’re not attending having already anticipated the ending, release all expectations of others, release all thoughts associated elsewhere while you are in the meeting and commit to being present, non-judgemental, curious and kind.
2. Take a Break – take a lunch break, no matter how short, to recalibrate refuel properly and get some fresh air, some space. Do this consciously not with the expectation of venting, ruminating or mulling something over. Do this with the intention of focusing on yourself with compassion and kindness, becoming aware of what you need in those moments.
3. Noticing Colleagues – use your emotional intelligence to notice how they appear during the day, be curious about what they are exhibiting through verbal communications and body language and be kind and non-judgemental in your interactions.
4. Communication – When you ask someone a question, be intentional, clear and purposeful in your request and be present for the answer. Ask someone how they are, and actually show through your presence that you want to hear an honest response.
5. Move – Consciously move through your office with purpose and notice how your body responds to the instruction of movement. Stretch when required and notice and acknowledge what’s needed to feel at your optimum.
Here are 5 things you can do now to experience Mindfulness at work:
Alison Callan, Mindfulness Consultant and Coach at
3C Coaching, specialises in Mindfulness Programs
and Coaching for individuals, Corporations and
Organisations looking to improve Culture,
Resilience and Leadership. You can connect with
Alison at [email protected] and visit her
website www.3ccoaching.co.nz
This is because they have seen the overall benefits, namely:
- Improved staff wellbeing, less stress, significantly reduced periods of sick leave
- Improved staff and team engagement ratings, reduced staff turnover.
- Increased resilience, resulting in better quality decision making
- Increased productivity and increased earnings.
- Brand awareness, becoming a sought after employer in your field as staff become your biggest ambassadors!
I mentioned before that Mindfulness starts from the inside out and it’s only fair to reiterate that. If you’re going to adopt a mindful culture in your place of work or Business, then you need to have bought into it and experienced the benefits for yourself. Don’t be fooled, it’s not a walk in the park retraining yourself to think, respond and reflect differently, it is time consuming but it is incredibly rewarding, in all aspects of your life.
63