9 Reasons mindlessness matters!

Yesterday we talked about mindfulness. The truth is, I am really good at its flip-side mindlessness. I can mind wander with the best of them [1]. And sometimes it is useful. I have knitted whole sweaters barely noticing I was doing it. I have sorted laundry while thoroughly enjoying a favorite streaming binge (OK sometimes the socks don't exactly match, but I like to think that makes a statement!)

But the fashion these days is for mindfulness. It may seem counter-intuitive, but there’s a growing movement to identify how useful mindlessness is in the workplace. This isn’t the same as being mindful, such as taking the time to ground oneself against potential stressors and remain present in the moment.So as a follow up to our previous article (here) we asked our network...

Why does mindlessness matter in the workplace?

Like mindfulness’ cousin, mindlessness is specifically the opposite of being present, which leaves many to wonder how it’s possibly beneficial in a working environment. But we were excited to see that some leaders EMBRACE mindlessness too. [2] Here are nine leaders who demonstrate how this practice also helps make for a stress-free environment.

• Removes Irrelevant Stimuli
• Reduces Over-Thinking
• Promotes Productivity
• Works for Low Skill Jobs
• Keeps Focus on the Bigger Picture
• Reserves Energy for the Complex Tasks
• Naturally Fosters Automation
• Helps to Think Outside the Box
• Avoids Overthinking and Saves Time

Removes Irrelevant Stimuli

Mindlessness can be of great value in the workplace during times of great stress. In these moments, even the most qualified of individuals can “choke under the pressure”, and not perform up to standards. This is because they’re so focused that they’re starting to notice irrelevant stimuli around them. Practicing mindlessness can remove the external stimuli from the situation and refocus them on the task at hand through basic muscle memory.

Gigi Ji , Head of Brand and Business Development, KOKOLU

Reduces Over-Thinking

Mindlessness can be helpful in the workplace for reducing over-thinking. Over-thinking about the process of a task, or giving it too much time, can negatively impact performance. Mindlessness, which is also referred to as “automaticity”, can save time on simple enough tasks that don’t necessarily require an employee’s full attention. Stamping envelopes, for example, doesn’t need someone’s full attention span, who can then multitask with another activity very easily without much risk of error.

Kevin Callahan , Co-Founder & CEO, Flatline Van Co.

Promotes Productivity

Mindlessness is important in the workplace because it’s a way to promote productivity. Although it sounds weird, it’s true; mindlessness in employees helps them work harder and not be distracted by outside factors. They're also less likely to do things that seem tough and complex from the outside. There’s a lot of evidence that people are more productive when engaged in mindless activities. This helps them focus on the task and not get distracted.

One study found that people who were given a mindless job for 30 minutes before starting their work were more than 20% more productive than those who just jumped right in. The study also found that people who did the same tasks without the distraction of a mindless activity were less successful at completing their tasks. Therefore, when some employees do their work without thinking about it too much and simply go through the motions, it makes them feel less stressed, which then has the chance of increasing their productivity.

Shaun Connell , Founder, Writing Tips Institute

Works for Low Skill Jobs

Mindlessness is fine for low-skill tasks that are essentially automated. These might include things like picking and packing at a warehouse, and ringing a cash register. These types of jobs don't really provide a lot of satisfaction beyond the gratitude a person might feel for having "a job" as opposed to a job they like. So, mindlessness enables them to spend the time doing things that may bring them joy.

In particular, they could socialize with their coworkers and customers while performing these mostly automated tasks, without too much loss in end-result quality. This could make the time feel like it's not completely wasted, as the worker gets value out of those social interactions. Just keep in mind, these automated jobs are going away. Codes, machine learning, and robots have already replaced much of the workforce when it comes to "mindless" work, and this will continue to increase.

Dennis Consorte , Digital Marketing & Leadership Consultant for Startups, Snackable Solutions

Keeps Focus on the Bigger Picture

In a fast-paced work environment, it’s easy to get caught up in the details and lose sight of the bigger picture. This can lead to decision-making that’s short-sighted and fails to take into account the long-term ramifications of the action. Mindlessness can help employees to step back from the situation and take a more objective view. It allows for people to slow down and consider all of the factors involved rather than just reacting impulsively.

In addition to slowing down and impacting decision making, mindfulness can help people be more aware of their emotions and triggers so that they can respond to difficult situations in a calm and constructive manner. When staff are able to be more aware and present in their work, they’re more likely to make decisions that are in the best interests of both themselves and the company.

Jim Campbell , Founder, Wizve Digital Marketing

Reserves Energy for the Complex Tasks

Mindlessness at work isn't as bad as it sounds. This refers to “automaticity”, or a skill that becomes so practiced that it can be done with minimal attention, such as riding a bike. While being mindful at work is important, you want to be able to reach a certain level of automaticity in your most mundane tasks, so that you're better able to focus your brain power on more complex tasks. Becoming automatic with the menial means you'll expend your creative energy where it matters the most: keeping you from overexerting yourself on tasks that don't require it.

Overall, mindlessness will save you time and energy while improving your overall efficiency. It's not easy to become mindless in a task and still handle it expertly; it's a balancing act between knowing when you need to put in that bit of extra attention and when you can just let your skills do the walking. It's a matter of practice and a hard won ability, but it's certainly worth developing.

Soji James , 1AND1 Life Expert Certified Personal Trainer, 1AND1 Life

Naturally Fosters Automation

Mindlessness is attributed to drifting away and losing focus on the activities around you. This aspect is advantageous in encouraging autopilot activities. Mindlessness often hits harder when you get accustomed to a certain routine or task which becomes a habit due to repetitive undertakings. The mind capitalizes on these routines, regular patterns, and the environments of undertaking to create shortcuts.

This behavior leads your brain to go on autopilot and conserve energy since the outcome is predetermined. Mindlessness is considered positive when it comes to automating a routine habit like driving or flying since it ensures your safety and lets you focus on other things.

Yongming Song , CEO, Live Poll for Slides

Helps to Think Outside the Box

Mindlessness is an essential part of the creative process. When the mind is truly empty, creativity has a chance to flow. In the workplace, this means giving employees the freedom to do nothing. Meditation and mindfulness exercises are great ways to achieve a state of mindlessness. However, mindless tasks such as walking, dancing, or even eating can be just as effective.

Mindless activities give the brain a chance to reset, so it’s ready to tackle problems with a fresh perspective. This is a great way to think outside the box and come up with innovative solutions. Mindlessness is also essential for innovation because it allows us to see things from a new perspective. By fostering a culture of mindlessness, businesses can support the creative process and encourage innovation.

Luciano Colos , Founder & CEO, PitchGrade

Avoids Overthinking and Saves Time

Sometimes you need to think mindlessly to avoid the trap of analysis paralysis. Depending on how high the stakes are, it’s okay not to overthink when making certain decisions in the workplace. For example, suppose you’re coming up with a social media caption. In the grand scheme of things, you don’t need to take too long with this task.

After all, social media captions are usually pretty simple. Furthermore, you can easily edit your social media captions if you want to down the road. It can be worth it to push yourself to think mindlessly to save time, as long as you’re not setting yourself up for consequences that are too severe.

Nancy Eichler , Senior Vice President of Marketing & eCommerce, iwi life

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In addition to #projectmanagement , and #Linkedinlearning instructor, Ruth Pearce is a coach and speaker. Interested in working with her?

Book a chemistry call here: Ruth Pearce Calendar

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FOR PROJECT MANAGERS

If you are a?#projectmanager ?who wants to know more about practicing mindfulness, check out the?#LinkedInLearning ?course that is available FREE to all professional and corporate members of?LinkedIn . Access it here:

And look out for the updates to this course next year (2023) when we will explore when and how MINDLESSNESS works too.

Notes

[1] to read more about how we are wired to wander check out this article:

[2] to learn more about the joys of mindlessness read this article from?Scientific American