Why It Can Be Your Business’s Secret Weapon
No matter your sector or industry, it’s safe to say that our business lives have become more complicated. Things like increasing globalization and the rise of digital technologies have made the business world significantly more competitive. It can feel like we’re constantly trying to stay upright ourselves in an intense whirlwind—and this doesn’t even account for our obligations outside of work.
The good news? There is a practice that can help you and your colleagues better handle stress, reduce burnout, maximize their performance at work, and help your company generate more profits. This method should be something to consider for your triple bottom line
Mindfulness Defined
Whether or not you have already heard of mindfulness, it’s helpful to share a simple definition. As with any new idea or term, the dictionary is a great place to start. According to Merriam-Webster, mindfulness is “the practice of maintaining a nonjudgmental state of heightened or complete awareness of one’s thoughts, emotions, or experiences on a moment-to-moment basis.”
Importantly, mindfulness is not an absence of negative emotions or being unfazed in any type of situation. Instead, it is about noticing the thoughts and moods that occur throughout your day. You can think of it like accepting what comes into your mind, picturing it as a cloud, and then seeing it move away.
How Mindfulness Can Help Your Business and Employees
Mindfulness takes practice. It doesn’t happen because you want it to happen. That being said, training has been shown to literally change your brain. Mindfulness puts us in the driver’s seat in our minds, letting us have more control over our thoughts, words, and actions.
Ultimately, there are several key benefits of mindfulness for you, your colleagues, and your business as a whole.
First, there is reduced stress and burnout. The proof is in the data. According to a review of eight studies of mindfulness and burnout, six of those studies showed statistically significant decreases in job burnout after employees participated in mindfulness training. Everything from mindful breathing and so-called “body scans” to mindful eating can go a long way in helping you and your colleagues reduce persistent stress. Mindfulness lets you notice those stressful or negative feelings, accepting them for what they are, and making more conscious choices when facing similar situations in the future.
From reducing stress and burnout, mindfulness can improve your team’s productivity. Once again, it pays to look at the research. One study from the University of California revealed that only two weeks of mindfulness training helped students reduce mind wandering, improve their focus, and increase their GRE test scores. Improved focus and the ability to put distractions to the side can increase your team’s output on any given day.
Mindfulness can also improve your decision-making skills. Since humans make their most important decisions in their prefrontal cortexes, mindfulness—which enlarges our prefrontal cortexes—makes it easier for us to engage in rational decision-making. From entry-level employees to business owners like you, all of us can leverage mindfulness to make better business decisions and get that much closer to our professional goals.
Next, mindfulness can help you and your team members become more empathetic. By developing a regular mindfulness practice, you and your employees can be more compassionate toward each other and customers. It creates a more positive and more inclusive working environment, empowering everyone to do their best possible work.
Finally, it can reduce expenses and increase profits. It can reduce the amount of time that employees take for medical leave. Moreover, your employees are happier and create substantially more value for your customers. All of these benefits mean a larger addition to your company’s bottom line.
Get Started Today
Mindfulness is something that can benefit everyone. From the CEO who is facing a rough patch in their professional journey to the entry-level employee who is eager to start their work life, a regular mindfulness practice can pay off in spades.
Better yet, it is easy to get started. You can get started right now. Think about implementing a quick attention scan or learn a practice where you follow an anchor. While these are small steps, they can be extremely beneficial as you and your colleagues begin to embrace a new way of working.
Contact us today! relax@naplab.life
