Encouraging Mindfulness in the Office
Everyone receives notifications from their devices dailyโitโs become a helpful tool in keeping you updated on the latest news, rising trends, urgent messages, and more. However, as modern technology becomes more sophisticated, and the more that businesses rely on it to manage their operations, the tinny sound of a notification starts to evolve from a simple ping on your phone into an unpleasant psychological trigger.
For some, the workplace can be a minefield of emotional triggers. The combination of deadlines, expectations, and problems may be too much to handle. This sometimes leads to low productivity, repeated mistakes, and damaged professional relationships.
ย Oftentimes, oneโs lack of self-awareness causes them to be controlled by their emotions, leading to effects not only in their work performance but also with their colleagues. This is where mindfulness comes in.
ย Benefits of Encouraging Mindfulness
Mindfulness matters, especially in an environment where stress levels are high. Negative emotions affect each person differently, but it ultimately distracts them from whatโs important and causes them to divert their energy away from productive activities.
ย Mindfulness counteracts these negative emotions and instead causes one to be in control of their feelings and learn how they can handle them in healthier, more efficient ways.
ย Cultivating Mindfulness in the Workplace
Cultivating mindfulness in your team members is one of the most effective leadership strategies to boost the morale of the whole team. Encouraging them to be mindful of their emotions and to channel them in a healthy way not only enhances their emotional intelligence but also transforms the office into a safe and productive space.
ย Mindfulness can be difficult to teach your team members, as itโs not something you can make a PowerPoint about and send out in an email. If you want to effectively encourage mindfulness in the office, have a look at some of these strategies:
ยทย ย ย ย Start with Yourself
You canโt teach something that you donโt have. In order to cultivate mindfulness in others, you must first assess yourself, what you lack and what you need. Leading by exampleโs a great way to attract your team members into doing the same, without it seeming forced.
ย ยทย ย ย ย Take Time to Breathe
Having every minute of each workday dedicated to just performing work tasks can be suffocating. Sometimes, having your team members do nothing is the best way to boost employee morale.
ย Everybody needs a second to breathe and recollect. Instead of demanding all of their time to work, give them a moment to themselves. A mental break promotes a positive mindset.
ย ยทย ย ย ย View Things from a Different Perspective
Donโt get absorbed by your own thoughts and feelingsโperforming tasks when riddled with self-doubt or anxiety only makes things worse. Before doing anything else, let go of your negative emotions and try to see things from a different point of view.
ย This will put things in perspective, and you may realize that youโre not doing as poorly as you think, or it turns out there are areas you need to improve on.
ย ยทย ย ย ย Start a Conversation
It all begins with a conversationโtalk to your team members about mindfulness. This may be a challenge to some, as being in touch with oneโs emotions isnโt something that everyone does.
ย Discussing each otherโs struggles helps determine which mindfulness tools will be the most effective for each individual, and what kind of coaching can boost the morale of the whole team.
ย ย ย Challenge Your Team
No one learns the easy wayโdonโt hesitate to ask your team questions that challenge their thinking. The right kind of questions will call them to act, think, and improve as a group.
ย Putting It All Together
Cultivating mindfulness in the workplace isnโt as easy or quick as replacing office chairs, but itโs worth all the effort in the long run. Not only does being mindful drastically change your workplace for the better, but your employees also improve on a personal level.
ย IT Executive and Entrepreneur
Raghu Chittimalla is an IT executive and successful entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience. I provide the right guidance to help your company thrive even in difficult times. I help organizations with successful entrepreneurship, including navigating hiring trends and business strategy. Contact me today to find out how I can help you grow!
