MINDFULNESS MEDITATION AT WORK
"We are so busy watching out for what's ahead of us that we don't take time to enjoy where we are." Bill Watterson.
The mind is often ruminating about the past (depression) or anxious about something in the future, whether that be planning the day, the week or the month ahead. Rarely, does the mind experience the moment of Now.
Mindfulness is all about taking in the Now and noticing the world around us in that particular moment. Our thoughts or feelings needn’t be good or bad, happy or sad, but seeing them through our mind’s eye, without judgement just like we are watching a movie, allows us to remove ourselves from the situation and see our thoughts and feelings for what they are.
It is scientifically proven that Mindfulness meditation can help with:
- Reducing anxiety
- Reducing age and racial bias, which in layman terms means that people are more open minded and any previous unconsciously held stereotypes of people are reduced.
- Preventing and treating depression.
- Increasing your body satisfaction.
- Improving cognition.
- Reducing brain distraction.
The method of mindfulness meditation I teach is taught by an organisation called Mindfulness Now, which is approved by the British Psychological Society and combines both MBSR and MBCT approaches.
MBSR was created by professor Jon Kabat Zinn, who is credited as bringing Mindfulness to the western world. MBCT was created by professor Mark Williams, a clinical psychologist at Oxford University.
MBSR stands for Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction which is proven to reduce stress and anxiety as well as chronic pain. MBCT stands for Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy which is proven to prevent depression from taking hold or preventing depression from reoccurring.
Parliament’s report called Mindful Nation UK, recommends the transformational impact of mindfulness in the workplace. It said, “employers should promote the use of mindfulness and develop an understanding of good practice”.
Through one hour guided meditation workshops, themed courses, and ongoing mindfulness meditation sessions you can bring the benefits of mindfulness to your organisation. As a result, you will notice an improvement in your employees’ mental wellbeing as well as in their engagement and productivity, their creativity and overall happiness too.