Mental Health Awareness Month at Boku: How can meditation impact your work?

October is Mental Health Awareness Month, and we have been busy working on ways to support our mental health ???????

After reflecting on how mindfulness and meditation contribute to better performance, we put the words into practice with stretching and breathing workshops as well as 20-minute guided meditation sessions for better focus conducted by Maria Lapushkina .?

We wanted to share her knowledge on the topic with everyone in the hope of encouraging people to?put what we know deep down into practice. Keep reading to discover Maria’s journey into breathing and meditation techniques, and what impact it has on her life and other people’s lives.

What do you do at Boku? What are your hobbies outside of work??

At Boku, I work as Partner Relations Director in the Enablement team within the Commercial department, we manage the day-to-day partner relationships and ensure connections perform best –which is beneficial to our merchants, Boku and of course, connections themselves.

Outside of work, I have been an avid meditator and yoga practitioner for many years. Besides that, I really enjoy long walks and spending time in nature, going to the theater and art galleries.

When did your interest in meditation and stress management start??

It started many years ago. In 2009, one of my friends shared with me that she attended a course on breathing and meditation and that her mind stopped wandering for some time, she had a completely “empty” and relaxed mind. That impressed me and sparked my curiosity because of how much I had been in my thoughts, especially back then. I could not believe it was possible to quiet my mind and have no thoughts at all for a while.

In 2010, I finally attended one of the workshops from the Art of Living Foundation. It was a phenomenal experience. Before that, I had read so many books that stressed how important it was to be in the present moment, but I didn’t understand how to do it. During the course, I found the answer to how to be in the present moment and have a calm and peaceful state of mind. ?

That impressed me a lot and, since then, I have become a volunteer with Art of Living. It's an international humanitarian organization present in more than 160 countries, guided by the philosophy that everyone has the birthright of a disease-free body, quiver-free breath, confusion-free mind, trauma-free memory, inhibition-free intellect, an ego that includes all, and a soul free from sorrow. ?

That’s how I got into meditation and breathing practice. ?

How long have you been working on these skills??

My practice started in 2010. It’s been 14 years since then.?

In 2012 I became a teacher of the Breathing and Stress Management Programs with the Art of Living Foundation, and then I became a meditation teacher as well.?

Practicing on my own and teaching courses allows me to go even deeper in my practice but there is still a vast amount to learn.?

How do you put these skills into practice??

I have seen how much it has helped me to combat a lot of the fears I used to have. Now I am a lot more courageous and less worried. While practising mindfulness, meditation or breathing techniques doesn’t make your problems disappear, it helps you to bounce back quickly to a peaceful state of mind that allows you to tackle the problems.?

Even when I get angry about something, these skills allow me to stop brewing emotions –I simply acknowledge them and come back to myself to be able to handle the issues.?

It has also brought me a better connection to myself. Questions like “What is the purpose of life?”, “What do I want from life?” or “How can you connect with yourself?” were answered with time in these practices. I feel connected to myself and know exactly what I want. ?

As I mentioned I am also a volunteering teacher with the Art of Living. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing people smile and be more relaxed and less worried after our sessions. ?

What role does self-care play in your productivity and focus at work??

First and foremost, we must remember that the quality of our lives depends on the quality of our minds. We can’t be successful or achieve anything when we are too tired, grumpy, unhappy and can’t manage our minds.?

Financial management, time management, people management... these are skills we are presented with early in life, but neither in schools nor in universities do they teach us how to manage our minds. Saying to ourselves “Be calm” or “Don’t stress” isn’t mind management because it just does not work?

To properly manage our thoughts, we must be taught specific skills that help to relax the mind, such as breathing and meditation.?

Creativity, task prioritization, decision-making, and problem-solving are at best when one has a calm mind. Breathing and meditation help you come back to your center and be effective in your work.?

A little amount of stress is good and important. Like salt in our food, it keeps us on our toes and helps us to manage deadlines and be active. But like salt, too much of it will spoil the meal. Frustration, tiredness, burnout... can all lead to negative effects on our minds and bodies, and, consequently, on the quality of our work.?

The simplified definition of stress is having too much to do, with too little time and no energy. Tasks only keep coming, and time cannot be increased as we all have 24 hours a day. But you can increase your energy, and meditation is the fastest way. Although you won’t have more time or fewer tasks, your approach to them will be different.?

Do you see mental health becoming increasingly important today??

Of course. The amount of information an average person processes today, in one day, is similar to the amount of information a person in the Middle Ages had to process during their lifetime. And, with certain events happening leading to isolation, like the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health issues skyrocket.?

Other factors such as social media lead us to engage in comparison, feelings of frustration due to high expectations that aren’t met, and pressure on us.?

How do you see mental and physical health connect and compare to each other?

Mental health is an integral and essential component of health.

As the WHO constitution states: “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”

Mental health is more than the absence of mental disorders or disabilities: It’s the state of well-being in which an individual can realize their own abilities, cope with the normal stresses of life, work productively and is able to contribute to the community.

Physical, mental and social well-being are all connected and important to the general concept of health.

What are your fundamental pillars to maintain good mental health??

Diet, sleep, necessary physical activity, breathing and meditation. If these pillars are taken care of, your mental health should be in harmony and also ready to confront physical challenges and the general issues of everyday life. A balanced diet, enough hours of sleep – at the correct times, ideally starting before 11 p.m.– proper breathing to deliver the optimal amount of oxygen to our cells, and regular meditations to reduce stress, increase attention span, decrease blood pressure, and so on.?

Any advice you would like to share with people working in fast-paced environments, fintech, startups, or office jobs??

Establish a routine to have a healthy diet, regular breaks and rest in daily life. Occasionally, we all prioritize work, but it shouldn’t be a norm that you skip lunches or don’t take small breaks during the day.

Having breathing, meditation, stretching or eye gymnastics as a mental hygiene routine, just like we do with brushing our teeth, should be at the top of the mind to maintain good mental health and avoid stress and burnout.

How can we support each other better in managing stress and mental health challenges at work and encourage more open conversations about mental health??

First, I’d say that communication is the key. If you are struggling with something, but don’t show it, people won’t know you are struggling.

Secondly, it’s important to be friendly with colleagues, even when we are communicating via email or on a Zoom call.

Last, but certainly not least, is to take care of yourself. Because you will only be able to support someone else when you are in the right mindset yourself.

Organizing events related to mindfulness, breathing and meditation is the first step to encourage open communication around the mental health topic.

The most important is to put into practice the theory.

What are the main mental health perks of working at Boku, in your experience??

Having a solid business and product definitely contributes to having good mental health in relation to work, as you see your work making an impact. But there’s no doubt that working surrounded by good and positive people influences your overall health. ?

Boku people are the main asset of the company. We have amazing professionals working here: They are not only good at their jobs, but they are good people too! Everyone agrees on this!

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Ready to work surrounded by the best people and professionals in the industry? Join Boku: https://www.boku.com/careers??