Perhaps it’s time to pay your mind a little attention in the way of mindfulness. In recent years, mindfulness meditation has become a hot topic, especially in the corporate world. There’s a good reason for it too. Research proves again and again that the benefits of mindfulness are undeniable. Especially when it comes to your career and stress reduction in the workplace.
Mindfulness is instrumental in the treatment of anxiety, depression, pain, and stress while also having the ability to improve cognitive ability. And whilst improved cognition is obviously beneficial for executives, the real value is in being able to manage yourself through the stress and anxiety of your hectic business life.
What science says about the benefits of mindfulness
Several studies have found that mindfulness affects many aspects of our psychological well-being—improved mood, increased positive feelings, and decreased anxiety. JAMA Internal Medicine analyzed 47 randomized clinical trials featuring active controls and found that mindfulness helps with anxiety, depression, pain, and stress.
While science is fluid and ever-changing, these findings indicate that with mindfulness, you can take charge of your own career destiny.
Mindfulness reduces anxiety
A major study by Massachusetts General Hospital observed 93 people with generalized anxiety disorder. Participants in the group that practiced mindfulness-based reduction had a significant reduction in anxiety when compared to the control group.
It may prevent and treat depression
In the working world, it’s easy to get stuck in a rut. Feeling as if you have nothing to look forward to can send you on a downward spiral into depression. By utilizing mindfulness practices, you can climb out of that pit of negativity. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) helps to prevent the recurrence of depression as effectively as medications but in a natural way.
Meditation of mindfulness improves cognition
For corporate executives, time is already spread too thin. However, you don’t need to spend tons of time doing mindfulness training to get positive results, especially with improving cognitive ability. A recent study found participants in mindfulness meditation training not only had an improved mood but also had reduced anxiety and fatigue while showing an increase in mindfulness when compared to the control group.
It helps reduce distractions
The world is always spinning around us, and for executives, it seems to be churning ever faster with every turn. Thus, it can be difficult to focus when your mind is being pulled in many different directions all at once. A Harvard study reported that after participants underwent an eight-week mindfulness training program, they were able to make faster and more attention-based decisions than the participants in the control group.
Alleviate anxiety in the workplace
Even when you bring your whole self to work each day, anxiety has a way of popping up. Those looming deadlines, big client meetings, trying to keep to a budget, and managing a team all weigh heavily on your mind. It’s natural for anxiety to crop up here and there, but letting it overwhelm you can affect your performance.
By engaging in mindfulness, you can recenter yourself and your energy levels. It will improve the way you work as well as your personal life. Even if you have minimal time to spare, by investing in yourself through mindfulness at work, you can achieve greater things and feel more like yourself again.
Why is mindfulness instrumental in business leadership?
Mindfulness is all about being fully aware and engaged in the present moment. It’s a skill you’ll want to cultivate in the corporate world because you can take that moment to breathe and shine in your leadership.
It is, in essence, a tool for becoming a more calm and clear role model and leader. Meditation helps you to train your attention, and in doing so, it allows you to become a better listener, solve problems with creativity, and bring a positive influence to your corporate culture.
In choosing mindfulness, you become that calm within the storm. Remember, there are always bumps in the road ahead in business. How you solve those problems and navigate these roads is what matters, and with mindfulness, you can train your brain to think rationally about these things.
Final thoughts on the benefits of mindfulness in the office
Mindfulness is a fantastic tool for managing anxiety and stress in the workplace. It can also help you think more clearly, allowing you to make better decisions that can improve your standing in the office.
Just like other good habits such as eating healthy and exercising, mindfulness takes practice. Each day, commit to just a few short minutes. Gradually, you can extend the time you take to practice. And remember, there is no one way to be mindful. Some people like to lie down while others prefer sitting. Some like to be mindful with music while others prefer silence. Doing what works for you is the way to realise the benefits of mindfulness in your workplace, and in your life.
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