Making Shift Happen New Year's Resolution Series: Mindfulness for Increased Productivity in 2024

Welcome to the Making Shift Happen New Year's Resolution Series! The New Year brings new possibilities and promise, not just for personal growth, but for the flourishing success of your business. Join us in this series where we unravel strategies, insights, and resolutions for organisational success in 2024. In this article, we take a look at mindfulness in the workplace and how we can foster well-being for increased productivity.

In a fast-paced and demanding work environment, cultivating mindfulness can significantly contribute to employee well-being and overall productivity (American Psychological Association) . This article explores the benefits of integrating mindfulness practices in the workplace and offers practical strategies for professionals to enhance their mental well-being and performance.

Understanding Mindfulness

Originating from the Buddhist concept of “Sati”, which relates to the “moment-to-moment awareness of present events”, mindfulness involves cultivating present-moment awareness and non-judgmental attention to thoughts, emotions, and sensations. In other words, mindfulness is a specific way of paying attention to the present moment. Chade-Meng Tan, the innovator behind the highly successful Search Inside Yourself mindfulness programme at Google, harnesses the power of mindfulness to boost employee happiness, creativity and resilience, reduce stress, and make better leaders (World Economic Forum) .

Benefits of Mindfulness at Work

Scientific research supports the positive impact that mindfulness has on the brain and overall well-being. A 2011 Harvard study found that practicing mindfulness increased the amount of grey matter in the brain. This growth occurred in areas linked to learning, memory, regulating emotions, understanding oneself, and seeing things from different perspectives. Neuroscientist Richard Davidson found that mindfulness enhanced cognitive flexibility, creativity, well-being, emotional regulation, empathy, and attention (UNC Executive Development).

Other well-being benefits of mindfulness include lowering blood pressure, boosting the immune system, and enhancing sleep quality. A meta-analysis conducted by Johns Hopkins further supports the idea that mindfulness is associated with decreased levels of anxiety, depression, and pain (UNC Executive Development).

Looking more specifically at work, research has shown that engaging in mindfulness can improve performance and productivity by:

• Contributing to cortical thickening in areas of the brain associated with sustained concentration, thus improving people’s ability to attend to tasks
• Creating a healthy learning environment (by cultivating an attitude of attention and acceptance)
• Reducing cortisol levels, therefore decreasing stress and enhancing focus
• Enhancing innovation and creativity

(Shapiro et al., 2015; Lazar et al., 2005)

Practical Mindfulness Techniques for Professionals:

Try out these simple mindfulness exercises and see if they help you feel more present, regulated and productive at work.

Actively listen: When others are speaking to you, try being fully present and mindful of what they are saying. Learn to quiet the internal chatter in your head and the anticipation of what you’re going to say next. This will help you create space and openness to process what your coworkers are trying to tell you and might even strengthen your relationships

Avoid multitasking: You might think multitasking is helping your productivity; however, a study from Ohio State University found that when students multitasked, they felt more productive — but in reality, they were less productive. Practice one-pointed mindfulness by focusing on one task at a time.

Get moving: Take regular breaks to stretch and move, aiming for at least once an hour.

Take 5: If you start to feel frazzled or overwhelmed, find a quiet space to centre yourself. Take 10 deep breaths, focusing on the region of your heart.

Box breathing: Whenever you start to feel stressed during the workday, take a minute to focus on your inhalation and exhalation, feeling yourself starting to relax. Incorporate mindful breathing exercises such as box breathing into your routine.

(Deepak Chopra ; Headspace )

Fostering mindfulness in the workplace can be a powerful strategy for promoting well-being and boosting overall productivity. By integrating practical mindfulness techniques into daily routines, professionals can create a conducive environment for sustained focus, creativity, and resilience in the fast-paced world of work.

Thank you to my Making Shift Happen colleague Louise Coombes for her help in creating this article series. Thanks also to you, the reader, for tuning in.

Will you try any of these mindfulness tips? Do you have any mindfulness tips of your own? Let us know in the comments!