In recent years, the pace of work is sometimes so intense that many people end up burning out, and their mental wellbeing can suffer immensely. This can affect the both health of managers and employees, and the economy of the company . Currently, due to the situation generated by COVID-19, many people, both employers and employees, are suffering the consequences of very intense stress. So mindfulness can be a perfect tool to help manage critical moments like this.
What is corporate mindfulness?
Mindfulness involves training the concentration of your mind to get greater clarity over stressful situations. This can be a fantastic tool to apply in the corporate world and in any workplace, as it can allow for a broader perspective when facing different work situations, where workers will have more flexibility in the face of change and will increase their ability to regulate their emotions.
How to apply mindfulness to the workplace.
- Deal with frustration and stress
- Lean on your team
- Disconnect from distractions
- Use mindful management techniques
Through the application of mindfulness you can train the mind so that, when a stressful situation like this happens , you have internal resources of self-observation and self-regulation that will allow you to face and overcome stress automatically.
You will learn to stop, pause and respond in a much more adaptive way, deactivating the chain that is generated in a stress situation. This training will allow you to develop a higher level of consciousness and to be able to accept the reality that you live in the present moment. With which you can deactivate the “autopilot” and respond more consciously and effectively.
Deal with frustration and stress.
The work stress that is being suffered during these days, can lead to diseases that, in the long run, become serious and can pose a severe cost to health. The accompanying feeling of frustration can be especially accentuated during the course of the workday. Not being able to change things that are not in your hands is something that you do not easily get used to, and your head is focused on trying to control this situation in any possible way.
A good practice is to differentiate what we can change from what we cannot. With this difference, you can try to influence or do what you can to resolve a specific situation. Once you have done what is in your hands, simply let go of what is out of your control.
You can keep these tips in mind so you can manage stress and frustration in your corporate environment:
- Allow yourself to be wrong. You are a person and as such, you make mistakes, try to fix them and, if you cannot, ask for help. You must be compassionate with yourself.
- Don't take challenges that are far beyond your means. Be aware at all times of what you can do and what you still need to learn.
- Develop your empathy. Listening to your peers and putting yourself in their place can avoid more than one misunderstanding.
- Don't be persistent with something that doesn't work out for you. You will be wasting time and your frustration will increase. Leave it and do something else, possibly at another time you have a clearer mind and find the solution.
- Use your stress and frustration to propel yourself. There are times when a pinch of stress comes in handy, so if you can get it right, it can be a source of motivation.
You are not alone: lean on your team.
Stress and frustration in the work environment sometimes cause you to isolate yourself from the rest of your colleagues and want to solve only all the workload that causes it.
Knowing how to lead a team is difficult in a situation like this , but you should not forget that you are also part of the team. They will be there to help you just as you are when they need you. Asking for help doesn't mean saying you don't want to or don't know, it just shows that you're stuck in a situation and need your team to fix it.
The practice of mindfulness promotes group cohesion, which will allow you to better relate to the other members of your team and ensure that communication is fluid.
Disconnection: key to success.
Disconnecting doesn't just mean going to sleep or a spiritual retreat, as you may be thinking. During your workday it is difficult to disconnect from the job itself, but there are certain things you can do to help
Mindfulness promotes abstaining from media and technology. In most work environments this is not possible. However, to do small things like having the mobile phone, both personal and professional, kept out of sight until it rings. Continuously checking your phone can generate a lot of stress and in most cases it is not necessary to have it in front of you all the time.
Inside the workplace (or in your home workplace!) it is good to find places to disconnect, such as a small garden nearby or an unused room. In your moments of rest you can go to these places to clear your mind and meditate.
Use mindfulness in management
To manage critical moments during the execution of the working day, it is interesting that you take these mindfulness techniques into account:
- Set priorities and plan your time. Managing your time from the beginning is the best tool to avoid stress at critical moments. Spend a few minutes at the beginning of the day to organise your tasks and establish priorities
- Become aware of the present. When you see that critical moment approaching, stop! And meditate. You only need a minute. Focus on the breath, this will decrease thoughts and regulate emotions
- Listen to your team actively. Focus on the conversation you are listening to. While a person is speaking, do not start looking for an answer or evaluating their words. Decreasing that internal dialogue and focusing on what the other person is saying can help you evaluate this conversation and respond more appropriately. When your colleagues express themselves and the message reaches everyone correctly, teamwork is encouraged and uncomfortable situations are avoided. This will also promote company engagement
- Delegate. Trust others. Being on top of every task that your team members do causes you to generate more stress and get frustrated, since it takes your time and sometimes you cannot supervise absolutely everything. Take your time and breathe, then meditate. Once you become mindful, assess what tasks you really need to supervise. The success of your work does not depend only on what you do
- Listen to your body. Meditating is one of the most important practices of mindfulness. Through this technique, little by little, you will become aware of your body and this will decrease the internal dialogue that causes so much stress. As a consequence, you will be able to better regulate emotions and feel a sense of well-being with which you will be able to face even the worst situations
Stress generates great costs both in the health of employees and in the economy of the company. Therefore, investing in mindfulness learning programs can save big costs. In addition to improving the quality of life for employees, it will also increase their motivation and loyalty.
What are you waiting for? Start applying mindfulness in your company and you will soon see the results.
