Anne Hamarsnes

Recently The Huffington Post voted mind­fulness as one of the main trends that will shape our lives in 2014. And it is not only on a personal level that mindfulness and mindful living is taking off – even workplaces and business schools are now using mindfulness to help create less stressful and more creative work environments. Google, KPMG and Transport of London are all offering mindfulness training to their staff while major business schools have embraced mindful leadership programmes.

So what is mindfulness and why is it gaining such popularity in the corporate world?

Globalisation and technological advancements are steadily changing both personal and working life. Each day is becoming increasingly fragmented due to the bombardment of e-mails, phone calls, Twitter feeds and Facebook messages. We live and work in a partly virtual world and more often than before do so in isolation, with internet and phones as our main communication channels. We juggle multiple tasks simultaneously and respond to requests and questions at a fast speed.

Such frequent communication and large masses of information to process take their toll on our mental and physical well-being. In fact, research shows that work-related stress is on the rise, with information overload being one of the main catalysts. This is costing companies millions.

Stress can manifest itself in tense shoulders and headaches, but it also causes attention and memory problems, sleep difficulties and anxiety. Too much stress means that you are no longer functioning at an optimal level. It leads to decreased efficiency and potential burnout.

So how can we become more resilient?

Mindfulness training offers the right set of skills. The concept and practice of mindfulness has its origins in Buddhist traditions, but it has today become a self-development method and a way to train the mind. In its westernised form it is no longer just a spiritual path, but has also developed into a way to improve your health, well-being and cognitive functions.

Mindfulness is practised through meditation and other mindful exercises which teach you to become more aware of the present moment and to learn how to switch off your autopilot.

From the moment you wake up in the morning until you go to sleep, you are more or less aware of yourself and your surroundings. You are awake, but that doesn’t always mean that you are fully aware of what you’re doing, what your mind is up to and where your attention is. For instance, have you ever been at a work meeting and suddenly realised that your mind had wandered off and you had no idea of what was being said? That is your autopilot. Like most people, you spend a lot of time on autopilot. You respond to thoughts, ideas, plans, e-mails and tasks that continue to pop up on your conscious radar, often automatically and without actually choosing to do so.

When you practise mindfulness you learn to become more aware of the here and now. This includes an increased awareness of your body, emotions, thoughts, and surroundings. With this increased awareness you can more easily step out of the fragmented autopilot mode and refocus your mind.

Today’s fast work environments require flexible and adaptable employees. On a cognitive level, this involves the ability to multi-task and learn new skills. But effective multi-tasking doesn’t just mean doing more things at once and storing more information in your head. Rather, research shows that we perform much better when we manage to stay focused on one task at a time. To do this you need to be consciously aware of when you’re switching between tasks – you need good attentional control. Mindfulness training directly improves this skill. Instead of being a slave to your autopilot you become more aware of what you are attending to each moment.

Attentional control is therefore incredibly important for both resilience and high performance. It protects your mind from becoming scattered and fragmented and improves your ability to stay focused and work strategically. You learn to observe your mind, to be less judgmental towards its content and to think more creatively.

High levels of stress often lead to erratic and impulsive behaviour. With mindfulness and awareness of the present moment, you improve your ability to respond rather than to react automatically in challenging situations. It teaches you to accept yourself for who you are, but also to more easily guide your behaviour in a desired direction. You learn to check in on your own experience on a regular basis and to choose how to respond and behave. This increased self-awareness leads to better self-management and social awareness.

So perhaps The Huffington Post is right and mindfulness may very well be the antidote to the rush of our modern lives. And who doesn’t want to learn how to keep their head cool and focused, even in a storm? All it takes is a little practice.

Anne Hamarsnes is a clinical psychologist and mindfulness instructor. For more information about mindfulness training at work visit www.mindfulnessmalta.com.

Live the moment

Regular mindfulness meditation helps you to:

• Improve attention, memory, learning and perspective-taking

• Improve emotional regulation, compassion and empathy

• Boost your immune system

• Improve medical conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, asthma and chronic pain

• Improve psychological conditions such as stress, anxiety, ODC, PTSD, depression, ADHD and insomnia

Attentional control helps you to:

• Eliminate distractions

• Focus better when multi-tasking

• Plan, decide and solve problems

• Think strategically

• Be creative