Over the past year, many business leaders have taken on a new role: mindfulness coach. Mindfulness in the workplace allows business leaders and team members to focus on the here and now. Many of us have learned that mindfulness is presence: sentient, deliberate presence within the moment. Research shows that a workplace of mindful individuals is less stressful, more productive, and happier. You can help foster this positivity with five easy-to-apply steps:

  1. Good beginnings – Pause before you begin the workday or just before you start on a project. In that moment of self-awareness, commit to being mindful as you concentrate on the task that lies ahead.
  2. The long and short – Mindfulness does not require a set sequence nor a chunk of your time. You can have a session as long as 30 minutes or as brief as 30 seconds.
  3. Un-multitask – The prime advantage of a mindful individual is focus. That laser-like ability to concentrate on a single task has been proven to be far more productive than a multitasking approach.
  4. Repeat to renew – Our minds inevitably drift when we work, and the phenomenon occurs virtually undetected by the conscious mind. Break that pattern by setting reminders to be mindful through the day.
  5. Wrap-up – Come full circle at the end of the day, revisiting the moments of mindfulness that helped you achieve goals small and large. Appreciate the success and use it as motivation to persist tomorrow.

You will notice that each of these five steps is rooted in an inner dialog. It is a conversation with the self to work towards your goals, and you then reap the rewards of the conscious efforts that it energizes.

Perhaps the bigger challenge is inspiring team members who would benefit from a mindful approach to implement the process themselves. By following these suggestions, engaging interest is easier than it may seem.

  1. Talk about it – The most ardent proponents of mindfulness are those who try it and discover its magic. Simply convey to others the benefits that you enjoy and they may be intrigued enough to try.
  2. Display your practice – It does not have to include any fanfare; you can, for example, just shut your eyes for a few moments before a meeting. Reveal to your audience that you are doing so to be able to give them your best. They will appreciate it.
  3. Challenge them – Sometimes, this can work where subtlety does not. Ask if their attempts at improving personal productivity with other methods have worked. Challenge them to try mindfulness instead.

Would you like to learn more about how practicing mindfulness can impact your ability to be an effective leader? Contact me today!