Mind over Mantra / Feb 2011 / Sunday Star Times >>

Mindful Leadership

read more >>

Stress and workplace

Today's workplace is under a constant onslaught of multiple deadlines, urgent tasks and rampant distractions which severely hinder our ability to focus and think clearly and produce effectively, frequently resulting in high levels of stress.

Stress has been labelled a "world wide epidemic" resulting in far reaching consequences for both individuals and workplace in general. Some of these include:

• poor performance
• escalating absenteeism
• high job turnover
• poor self-management
• dysfunctional work relationships
• general health and wellbeing deterioration

One of the main causes of stress is mental rumination, in other words mind’s incapacity to stay focused in present moment (for more detailed research on stress check www.stress.org).

In contrast, one of the greatest skills found in high performing individuals (such as top athletes and successful businnes executives) is their capacity to focus solely on the task at hand, in other words to focus on now. Imagine a workplace that would reflect these qualities.

Meditation is a simple and effective tool for achieving this. Meditation encompasses a variety of techniques which all help quieten the busy mind by keeping the attention focused in the present moment, thus making the mind clear, peaceful and focused.

Meditation and mindfulness are increasingly recognized by leading neuroscientists as most effective tools for developing and maintenance of neuroplasticity of the brain ( Neuroplasticity is brains capacity to make new connections and rewire existing ones). In modern workplace where thinking and creativity are becoming crucial skills, development and mastery of brain and mind are increasingly going to be regarded as essential.