In a world where multitasking and information overload are the norm, an old idea, Mindfulness, is becoming increasingly appealing to organizations who are effectively applying it to their businesses. Mindfulness is training the mind to focus. Our ability to concentrate is seriously compromised the more we multitask. And technology, though useful to us in so many ways has actually impeded our ability to concentrate or to be mindful of what matters moment by moment. If you would like to investigate further for your organization or for yourself, Psychology Today has an overview of the practice
(http://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/mindfulness) on their website.
Many Fortune 500 and other organizations are embracing and promoting mindfulness for their workforce. Business schools are beginning to teach mindfulness and it is included in many MBA programs. In the workplace, mindfulness is a skill that aids concentration, clarity and equanimity. Present moment awareness keeps your mind from dwelling on the past or obsessing on the future. Becoming more aware of what is going on around you allows us to be fully focused on the task at hand and more likely to spot opportunities. Mindfulness also makes us more conscious of what is going on within us, helping to identify and remove subconscious thinking that can be obstacles to success. Mindfulness also enhances creativity, innovation, and improves the brain’s ability to process information. So it is not surprising that more and more corporations are embracing mindfulness as a business practice.
To be mindful is to be awake, to be conscious, to be aware and to appreciate the impact of one’s actions. Mindfulness is a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly witnessing one’s thoughts and feelings without judgment. Mindfulness is a 2,500 year old tradition of Eastern Cultures that now is considered a science of the mind. Many consider mindfulness to have its origins Buddhism; however, it can be traced back more than 2,500 years ago, when Hindus practiced a range of meditations, which included mindfulness.
It may be time to consider mindfulness, as a business skill. Extensive research has been done over the last 15 years that show mindfulness is linked to psychological and physical, health. It decreases blood pressure, regulates the heart, increases the immune function, and enhances memory. It essentially, rewires our brain. The idea that increasing mindfulness may lead to better decision-making deserves attention.
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