Mindfulness is a philosophy of life that gives people greater well-being and a much more adaptive and productive way of behaving; That’s why it has become fashionable these days.
And we currently live in this busy world almost without stopping for a single moment to live in the present moment, or to connect with ourselves. We spend the entire day ruminating and judging ourselves negatively when things don’t go our way (whether our beliefs are realistic or not). We live on autopilot and this affects our happiness.
In this article We will focus on Mindfulness and what its benefits are in the work environment
For those people who are familiar with Psychology, it is no longer strange to hear about Mindfulness, and this is one of the important paradigms of recent times in the science of behavior (although its origin is ancestral). Mindfulness or full attention is applied in many areas: school, psychological therapy consultations (mainly with MBSR or MBCT), in the world of sports and also the work environment.
Research makes it clear that Mindfulness provides benefits at an individual level (which you can see in the article “Mindfulness: 8 benefits of full attention”), but does it also work for companies? Obviously, yes. Well, the practice of mindfulness benefits a company’s human capital and its well-being, and therefore its productivity and the performance of its workers.
Now, what are the benefits of mindfulness in the workplace? Below you can find the answer to this question.
1. Improve leadership ability
Mindfulness is positive for middle and senior positions in a company because it helps them to be more conscious, more emotionally intelligent, it helps them relate better to subordinates, inspire them with a shared vision and enjoy greater self-confidence.
This is what AD Amar and his colleagues at the University of Westminster found, who measured the self-perception of leadership skills of a group of senior managers in the London area before and after they attended a mindfulness program during 12 weeks.
2. Improves employee well-being
Employee well-being is closely related to the success of the company. That is to say, if workers feel happier and enjoy greater satisfaction in the organization they are in, they perform more.
There is much research that has found that Mindfulness improves employee well-being because it helps them have a more positive attitude towards problems and helps them resolve both internal and external conflicts.
3. Reduce stress
And stress is closely linked to the well-being and satisfaction of workers, and we could say that they are extreme poles. In the work environment, many studies have concluded that MBSR (Mindfulness based stress reduction program) is extremely effective for reduce anxiety and stress level of workers
In fact, a study published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine that sought to find out if this program was effective in a group of workers from the American multinational Dow Chemical Company demonstrated this, as the employees became more resistant to stress and improved their job satisfaction.
Greater productivity, more sales, better handling of difficult situations, greater self-knowledge, better communication or better customer service are some of the benefits that Emotional Intelligence contributes to the field of work and organizations Well, Mindfulness has shown that it improves emotional intelligence and, therefore, provides all these benefits.
5. Improves concentration and attention span
Several researchers have found that mindfulness training can help increase the ability to pay attention and concentrate. This is what appears in the conclusions of a study led by Amishi Jha, professor of Psychology and Director of Contemplative Neuroscience at the University of Miami. These conclusions were drawn after applying a Mindfulness program for eight weeks to a group of students.
6. Improves memory
The previous study also found that mindfulness improves memory, and another study conducted in 2013 by the University of California, Santa Barbara found that a two-week mindfulness course improved the scores of a group of students at the university. and increased their working memory through reduction of distraction and intrusive thoughts.
7. Improve communication
Practicing mindfulness improves communication skills such as active listening. There are many studies that have verified this and according to Javier García Campayo director of the Master in Mindfulness at the University of Zaragoza, “Mindfulness improves internal communication in organizations because it helps us to be more aware and express ourselves more efficiently.”
8. Improve relationships with co-workers
Mindfulness helps us to be focused on the present moment with a non-judgmental mentality, which means that we relate better to other people and improve communication with them. Mindfulness helps reduce the frequency of conflicts and promotes group cohesion so necessary for teamwork.
9. Improve creativity
“Mindfulness is not only useful for improving well-being, because thanks to meditation we can be more relaxed, with a calm mind, which helps create a space to generate new ideas,” says psychologist Aron Alma, expert in Team Building. in the Human Resources consultancy TeamLogics.
10. Improve productivity
All these previous benefits make companies perform more and better, because when human capital is happy with the workplace where you are and the company you are in, the company notices it. Betting on the workers is betting on the organization.
Mindfulness for companies: Psicotools, experts in building teams
If you want your company to have specialized training in Mindfulness to be able to experience first-hand the benefits and effects of Mindfulness, or for your work team to improve their well-being, Psychotools Barcelona is the most recognized center in Spain. Thanks to this, you will be able to delve deeper into the most common Mindfulness-based meditation techniques, so that you and your team can improve your attention span and emotional balance.
These Mindfulness trainings and sessions are led by Ferran García de Palau García-Faria, one of the professionals with the greatest experience and recognition in Europe.
I’m Emily Williams Jones, a psychologist specializing in mental health with a focus on cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness. With a Ph.D. in Psychology, my career has spanned research, clinical practice and private counseling. I’m dedicated to helping individuals overcome anxiety, depression and trauma by offering a personalized, evidence-based approach that combines the latest research with compassionate care.
