What is Mindfulness Meditation: How Can It Help Your Employees?

The best way to capture moments is to pay attention. This is how we cultivate mindfulness.
– Jon Kabat-Zinn

Meditation is a widely practiced therapeutic tool to ease stress, anxiety, depression, addiction, and chronic pain. Mindful Meditation today is one of the most efficient and effective ways to guide the mind against all odds. It helps build our lives so that we can easily counterbalance ill health, overwhelming thoughts, etc, and achieve a state of tranquillity.

There are nine types of meditation:

• Mindfulness meditation

• Spiritual meditation

• Focused meditation

• Movement meditation

• Mantra meditation

• Transcendental meditation

• Progressive relaxation

• Loving-kindness meditation

• Visualization meditation

What is Mindfulness Meditation?

Mindfulness meditation is a type of meditation that allows one to be present or mindful. The root of this meditation can be traced back to ancient Buddhist teaching or practices, which became more prevalent over the years.

Mindfulness meditation helps decelerate unwanted thoughts by relaxing and calming one’s mind. It allows the soul, body, and mind to discharge negativity, pitching in high vibrational energy.

It helps one pay attention to overall physical, mental, and spiritual health. Adding up more concentration with awareness; intensifying observational and listening skills.

The Importance of Mindfulness Meditation

Mindfulness meditation practices were revived to tackle problems of the 21st-century, be it personal or professional. In scientific terms, unmindfulness disrupts the break between inflows of stimuli. As a result, it impacts cognitive and health behaviors. Thus, helping counterbalance the physical, mental, and spiritual well-being challenges.

Performing mindfulness meditation at the workplace will help employees focus on- immediate tasks, manage stress and anxiety levels, control anger, overcome depression, and remain thoughtful throughout the day. It will also reduce burnout, increase leadership trust, and boost employee engagement.

Why to Practice?

Being mindful is essential to stay productive. It brings about positive physical and psychological changes required to lead a balanced life. And it helps transform socio-psychological functioning so that one can remain apprehensive. Mindfulness meditation aims to make you pay attention to details and avoid judgments, be it on yourself or others.

Here are 6 toxic habits that you need to fix today by practicing mindfulness meditation:

• Reduce Social media addiction

• Stressing about work

• Ignoring intellectual and spiritual wellness

• Denying self-care

• Unhealthy lifestyle choices

• Toxic substance Addiction

Also Read: 13 Mindfulness Meditation Exercises To Improve Your Employees Well-being

Seven accessible Mindfulness Meditation Practices to Start Today :

• Get yourself out in nature and focus on your breathing. Close your eyes. Inhale for 10 counts, then hold your breath for the same counts. Exhale slowly and repeat 8 times.

• Sit comfortably in a silent space. Slowly keep your arms at your side. Get your mind to remove all kinds of distractions, including phones. Close your eyes for 7 mins and indulge in mindfulness meditation.

• Take long breaths during and after work hours. This also helps the body and mind to relax. Pause, relax, and exhale at least five times a day or during work hours. Enjoy the positive mental and physical sensation.

• Try breathing awareness meditation. As you keep your eyes closed, observe your breath and its natural rhythm. Consider counting your breaths without trying to control it and notice the sensations. With this practice, you will cultivate a sense of relaxation and be more aware of your emotions.

• A 15 minutes of yoga 4 times a week will make your mind and body flexible and active. It will improve body posture and breathing patterns. You can also use meditation apps or listen to meditation podcasts to relax.

• Zazen, a Japanese mindfulness meditation technique, encourages you to calm your mind and focus on the present moment. Practice Zazen by sitting cross-legged and closing your eyes. Breath easily, and count your breaths in a quiet and serene environment. One can discover the joy of mindfulness and inner peace by practicing Zazen.

• Get yourself a corner with your favorite things like books or plants. (Preferably snake plants) Infuse into the room aromatic incense sticks or candles. Put on some slow music, and improve your posture. Take a deep breath and gently return to the moment.

Workplaces can arrange mindfulness meditation training sessions or workshops. They can also introduce "micro-practices" to keep employees rejuvenated throughout the week. An employee can practice mindfulness meditation sitting at a desk or even standing.

To know about Zen Practices at Office Read this article!

Why Encourage Mindfulness Meditation at Work?

Meditation is not about going somewhere – it is falling back into yourself. - Sadhguru

Keeping the employees motivated became the most significant challenge today at the organizational level. The pandemic infused dilemmas concerning overall health and well-being. Therefore, it becomes vital to keep your employees engaged and motivated throughout. And introducing mindfulness meditation into the workplace culture will help employees keep their home and work-life intact.

According to Petra Martin, who handles leadership development at Bosch Automotive Electronics, "mindfulness is an essential lever to shift from a culture of control to a culture of trust. Communication has changed since we introduced our mindfulness meditation to more than 1,000 leaders in the organization."

Here is the list of all the leading companies that encourage on-job meditation:

• Apple
• Prentice-Hall Publishing
• Google
• Nike
• AOL Time Warner
• McKinsey & Co
• Yahoo!
• Deutsche Bank
• Nike
• Procter and Gamble (P&G)

"For many managers, it has become the new normal to open meetings with short meditations," says Peter Bostelmann , the director of SAP's global mindfulness practice. SAP has incorporated it as an essential ingredient of their corporate life.

More than 6,000 employees have taken mindfulness meditation courses. Results showed increased well-being and creativity among the employees. Along with that, it enhances behavioral health, resilience and promotes healthier brain functioning.

Let's discuss the Benefits for Employees:

1. It makes employees better performers at work

Mindfulness meditation acts as a guide to the brain by adding more steadiness to one's thoughts and actions. It adds consistency and discipline to your work. With that, employees become more productive at work.

2. Improves cognition

Mindfulness meditation strengthens one's problem-solving and decision-making capabilities. It enhances critical thinking abilities and improves crisis management skills. Thus, enabling employees to improve their cognitive skills at the workplace.

Related: 7 Most Critical HR Skills and Competencies

3. Emotional Validation

The mindfulness meditation process help understand, express, and accept other person's emotions, helping develop emotional agility at work.

By developing it, a person can acknowledge each other's opinions better. It also encourages them to validate self-worth and nurture positive emotions along with holistic wellness.

4. Group meditation at work

Through group meditation sessions, everyone at work can refine their mindfulness. Infact, this will lead to better team collaboration and understanding by improving the work environment and culture.

Besides, every office must create a green space or relaxing corners for their employees to rest in between a hectic schedule.

Read more about creating such a space: Improving Employee Wellbeing with a Biophilic Design

5. Intellectual wellness

Employees need to be creative, innovative and remain up-to-date with knowledge. Mindfulness meditation fortifies intellectual wellness. An intellectually thriving individual withholds the ability to be curious, discover new skills, and become more proficient as time at work progresses.

Also Read: 12 Brilliant Benefits of Reading on Employee Wellness and Performance at work

6. Emotional resilience

Emotional resilience s about calming the mind after the turbulence of a negative experience. Employees must adapt to emotional stability at work to learn from the toughest task quicker. Being mindful makes employees more conscious of their words, actions, and thoughts.

7. Positive thinking at work

Mindfulness programs or meditation sessions can amplify positive thinking at work. Positive thinking eliminates unhealthy thoughts. It only brings optimism among co-workers and helps them become better performers at work.

8. Empathy

Employers need to encourage empathy in the workplace. Workplace empathy regenerates compassion and goodwill among teammates. A mindful workplace always appreciates, empathizes, and believes in healthy work culture and practices.

9. Eliminates social challenges at the workplace

An ethical workplace celebrates and promotes unity in diversity. It aims to ignite feelings of togetherness by removing social challenges in the workplace.

The very essence of corporate ethics and values is about developing trust and adherence among employees. And to eliminate differences that can cause hindrances in achieving growth and a successful future both ways.

10. Other Benefits

Along with the above benefits of cultivating mindfulness at the office, the advantages are never-ending. Likewise, it improves employee retention reduces absenteeism and presenteeism at work, allow employees remain intent and resourceful at work.

Also Read: How Employers Can Promote Mindfulness In The Workplace

Meditation is so powerful that it transforms our lives and allows us to find tranquillity amidst the chaos. Along with combating stress and anxiety, it is an effective way to guide our minds and promote well-being.

In this journey of mindfulness and wellness, it is essential to have support and access to resources along the way. Imagine a content library that caters to the users and guides them on the path of practicing mindfulness.

Well, Vantage Fit does just that! It offers a library of resources filled with podcasts, blogs, and videos with the intention of providing insightful information and expert advice on various aspects of well-being.

The rich content library by expert partners and in-house writers raises awareness and informs readers about meditation, mindfulness, spiritual wellness, and healthy living.

You'll find something for everyone in Vantage Fit's content library inside the app, whether you're a beginner or an experienced practitioner looking for fresh insights. Let Vantage Fit accompany you on every step of your journey as you set to explore the benefits of mindfulness and meditation.

Conclusion

The health and well-being of the employees are the lifeblood for thriving workplaces. Creating an environment that feeds healthy minds and fuels wellness will retain talents for years to come.

When teams are placed under high amounts of stress, they must be encouraged to perform mindfulness meditation. It will also enhance the employees' lifestyle and mental, behavioral, and spiritual wellness at it's best.

FAQ

What is mindfulness meditation?

Paying attention to the present moment without judgment is the essence of mindfulness meditation. The focus may be on your breath, your body sensations, or your thoughts and emotions.

Can anyone practice mindfulness meditation?

It is possible for anyone to practice mindfulness meditation. People of all ages and backgrounds can benefit from this simple and accessible practice.

What should I do if my mind wanders during meditation?

It's normal for your mind to wander. When you notice your attention has wandered, gently bring it back to your breath or the object you were focusing on. Continue to practice, and don't get discouraged.

How can I practice mindfulness meditation in the workplace?

You can practice mindfulness meditation at work by finding a quiet place and taking a few minutes to focus on your breath or a particular object, and setting a timer. Joining a workplace meditation group or using a guided meditation app can also be helpful.