Thursday, June 11, 2020

5 ways to be more mindful at work Hult Blog

This article was written by Megan Reitz and originally published on May 5, 2015 on  www.ashridge.org.uk/insights There is much about mindfulness in the media, GPs are prescribing the practice, it’s on the Government’s agenda and a plethora of benefits are being extolled by a range of experts for people’s professional as well as personal lives. The Lancet medical journal recently reported that mindfulness-based therapy could offer a ‘new choice for millions of people’ with recurrent depression, The Financial Times has described mindfulness as a ‘quiet revolution†¦gripping the City of London’, claiming that ‘fast-paced financiers are turning to â€Å"mindfulness†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢. A Mindfulness All-Party Parliamentary group is working to increase awareness of how mindfulness can benefit society and the workplace, and the meditative practice with Buddhist roots has already been adopted by big business, including KPMG, Google and GlaxoSmithKline. Previous research, although still limited in work contexts, suggests that people who practise mindfulness at work report an improved ability to communicate clearly and a better ability to handle workplace conflict; they respond more appropriately to stressful situations, show greater self-awareness and perhaps operate more creatively. So what is mindfulness? Jon Kabat-Zinn, ‘The Godfather’ of secular mindfulness training who first developed Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Clinic (MBSR) at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, defines it as ‘a way of paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and non- judgementally.’ It’s about being in the moment, aware of yourself, others and the world around you. People who are more mindful know what their body is sensing, and they know what they are thinking and feeling. It is also about being kinder to ourselves, about recognising that negative internal chatter can be observed, and then changing that for the better. It’s increasingly accepted that being hyper-busy isn’t necessarily aligned with being efficient and productive at work. Forget multi-tasking focusing on one task at a time improves your productivity and accuracy. Everyone has responded to an email while being on a conference call, or sitting in a meeting, more concerned about another project with a tight deadline than the topic being intently discussed. But this inevitably impacts on your ability to focus, absorb information and really relate to people. Here are five ways to make mindfulness part of your working life: 1. Undertake a daily mindfulness practice. Research has shown that daily meditation practice actually changes the structure of the brain. But don’t expect to achieve these encouraging results if you don’t practice. A useful daily practice is to find a quiet place, and set aside at least 10 minutes. Start by becoming aware of your body and sense how every part feels, moving slowly from your feet up to your head. Is there any tension in the body? Often being aware of the tension is enough to help you relax and adapt your posture to release stress. As you do this exercise, acknowledge thoughts as they come up without judging them one way or another and then return your focus back to your breath and body. When your mind wanders, notice where it goes (for example, a looming deadline, a difficult meeting) and then bring your attention back to your breath. Don’t wrestle your mind’s natural urge to wander, but train it to return to the present. There’s no point in fighting with your own mind – that just makes things worse. Understand that thoughts come and go; that is just part of being human. For some guided meditations to help you get started see Michael Chaskalson’s recordings. 2. Take a regular mindful minute. Count the number of breaths you take when you are relaxed in one minute. Then, when you feel under pressure, pause, focus in and replicate this number of breaths at the same pace. Breathing can help focus your awareness on the present. The breath is a mindfulness tool that you have on hand at all times. Pay particularly close attention to your breathing before an important meeting or when you’re feeling intense emotions. For example, if you are under pressure and you feel your stress levels rising, and you’re just about to respond to a curt email with a similarly, abrupt, brusque retort, don’t press ‘send’. Instead, stop for just a minute and pay attention, on purpose, to your breath. 3. Commit to doing one regular activity mindfully a day. This could be waiting for the train, making your first cup of tea at work, routine filing or photocopying. While you are doing that take the opportunity to notice your thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment. Be present. 4. Practise mindful relating. Pick a conversation and practise being really ‘present’ with the other person. How many of us have spent time with someone but have been thinking about what we need to do in the future? Or thinking about what we want to say next, instead of really listening to that person? Instead, focus on the person in front of you right now. Notice your thoughts, feelings and sensations whilst you listen – you may realise that you connect and empathise so much more with the other person which they are likely to really appreciate. This practice can be particularly useful when engaging in challenging or potentially emotional conversations at work. All workplaces are characterised by high-pressure and tensions sometimes – empathising through mindfulness can help staff feel valued, promote rebound and release stress. 5. Take a walk outside without your phone to give yourself ‘headspace’ and help de-clutter your mind. Getting up and moving around can encourage you to become more focused and mindful of the present. If possible, take a break in a park or other natural surroundings. Pay attention to your walking by slowing your pace more than usual, and really feel the ground against your feet. Take the time to focus to how you feel and how your body is moving. Although you should leave your phone for this exercise, technology can also be invaluable in helping you to make mindfulness practice easier as there are a number of apps designed to help you with your mindfulness practice, see below for examples. Megan Reitz researches, teaches and consults in the areas of leadership, organisational change and personal development. She is a member of the Ashridge Open Programme Management Team and leads The Leadership Experience: Leading on the Edge and Leading on Purpose; Mindful leadership for a Complex World programmes. Grow your leadership capabilities with an MBA in international business at Hult. To learn more, take a look at our blog Why every leader needs a growth mindset, or give your career a boost with our Masters in International Business. Download a brochure or get in touch today to find out how Hult can help you to learn about the business world, the future, and yourself. Related posts Academics Beyond (narrow) business concepts: â€Å"Soft† skills turn out to be critical skills News Building success: Dual Degree students win at USASBE Community How going beyond business at Hult helped me launch my company Admissions Accepted Students Weekend: A weekend to remember Careers Career mapping: How to become an executive in the next 5 years 0 Thought leadership How to prepare for an uncertain future in a world of AI Instagram Hult Rotation offers you a chance to study in a truly global way. Our rotation program allows you to study and be immersed in some of the finest cities in the world. 📠¸: @jasminmanzano . Hult Rotation offers you a chance to study in a truly global way. Our rotation program allows you to study and be immersed in some of the finest cities in the world. 📠¸: @jasminmanzano . Each year, Hult seeks to enroll a talented and ambitious incoming class from all over the world. We look for diverse students with a wide range of experiences, perspectives, and interests—students who will thrive in our unique educational atmosphere. Are you ready for a truly global experience? 📠¸: @iambrunadiniz . Each year, Hult seeks to enroll a talented and ambitious incoming class from all over the world. We look for diverse students with a wide range of experiences, perspectives, and interests—students who will thrive in our unique educational atmosphere. Are you ready for a truly global experience? 📠¸: @iambrunadiniz . We’re excited to start 2020 on a ranking high! Hult is proud to have been placed #28 in Poets Quants 2020 rankings for Best Undergraduate Business Schools in the US. Taking a huge leap of 32 places from our 2019 position, we’re also very happy to have secured top positions in key categories like: life-changing experience, practicality of the degree, and global immersion. . With five global campuses, a student body of over 130 nationalities, and a learn-by-doing approach—Hult offers a student experience like no other. . We’re excited to start 2020 on a ranking high! Hult is proud to have been placed #28 in Poets Quants 2020 rankings for Best Undergraduate Business Schools in the US. Taking a huge leap of 32 places from our 2019 position, we’re also very happy to have secured top positions in key categories like: life-changing experience, practicality of the degree, and global immersion. . With five global campuses, a student body of over 130 nationalities, and a learn-by-doing approach—Hult offers a student experience like no other. . â€Å"I’m from an engineering background and needed a whole new skill set for the industry I wanted to switch to. I learned a lot about myself and how I deal with being out of my comfort zone. I learned both soft and hard skills, from how to work in very diverse teams to key accounting metrics and strategy. I was surprised by how weak I was at certain tasks in English or how strong I actually was in other areas. Hult gave me opportunities to try new things and meet people from places I never thought I would have friends. . My internship experiences gave me the chance to broaden my view of different cultures and different companies. I had the opportunity to work and live with people whose values differed from people in my home country. I thought that this would be difficult, but it gave me the chance to reflect on my own values and assess if they were a result of my home country environment or if they were intrinsically mine. . Diederick ter Kulve (@diederick.terkulve) Netherlands Masters in International Business . â€Å"I’m from an engineering background and needed a whole new skill set for the industry I wanted to switch to. I learned a lot about myself and how I deal with being out of my comfort zone. I learned both soft and hard skills, from how to work in very diverse teams to key accounting metrics and strategy. I was surprised by how weak I was at certain tasks in English or how strong I actually was in other areas. Hult gave me opportunities to try new things and meet people from places I never thought I would have friends. . My internship experiences gave me the chance to broaden my view of different cultures and different companies. I had the opportunity to work and live with people whose values differed from people in my home country. I thought that this would be difficult, but it gave me the chance to reflect on my own values and assess if they were a result of my home country environment or if they were intrinsically mine. . Diederick ter Kulve (@diederick.terkulve) Netherlands Masters in International Business . Say a big hello to our Bachelor of Business Administration program cover star, Elisa Orus Plana âÅ" ¨ . â€Å"I’m excited for the future—especially that I cant predict whats going to happen. Maybe Ill end up in Mexico working for a trading company or maybe in Africa, developing my own business. Everything is possible, and the options are constantly changing. I love the idea that Im never going to be stuck doing the same job until the end of my life if I dont want it to be like this. . Hult really supports me and my ambitions and truly believes that we deserve to be considered as professionals as well as students. Here, I get to express not just my opinions but all elements of myself. From my creative side with the Fashion Society to my finance and business sides in Trading Club and the Management Consulting Club. We get a different type of learning here. Not just essential knowledge and theory, but practical skills and mindset. The school is always evolving. We’re encouraged to innovate and to always look for new ways of doing traditional things. We learn how to be more confident and become aware of how we can impact our environment. The school aims to help you become a better version of yourself and to stand out from the crowd.â€Å" . Elisa Orus Plana French Bachelor of Business Administration Class of 2021 Say a big hello to our Bachelor of Business Administration program cover star, Elisa Orus Plana âÅ" ¨ . â€Å"I’m excited for the future—especially that I cant predict whats going to happen. Maybe Ill end up in Mexico working for a trading company or maybe in Africa, developing my own business. Everything is possible, and the options are constantly changing. I love the idea that Im never going to be stuck doing the same job until the end of my life if I dont want it to be like this. . Hult really supports me and my ambitions and truly believes that we deserve to be considered as professionals as well as students. Here, I get to express not just my opinions but all elements of myself. From my creative side with the Fashion Society to my finance and business sides in Trading Club and the Management Consulting Club. We get a different type of learning here. Not just essential knowledge and theory, but practical skills and mindset. The school is always evolving. We’re encouraged to innovate and to always look for new ways of doing traditional things. We learn how to be more confident and become aware of how we can impact our environment. The school aims to help you become a better version of yourself and to stand out from the crowd.â€Å" . Elisa Orus Plana French Bachelor of Business Administration Class of 2021"> During the final days of 2019, you probably reflected on what you’ve accomplished this year—and even this decade—and what you’d like to achieve in 2020. Let us know in the comments below. During the final days of 2019, you probably reflected on what you’ve accomplished this year—and even this decade—and what you’d like to achieve in 2020. Let us know in the comments below. â€Å"The first time we did group work on the program, I went head-to-head with a colleague. It taught me a lot about how I see people, how people see me, and how conflict can be resolved in a kind and productive way. The best feedback you get, when delivered constructively, is the most critical because it really feeds into how you lead. I’ve completely reversed my leadership style—the result is so much richer and more powerful when you lead from behind and lead with strength. . Studying in tandem with working, whilst challenging, gave me the perfect platform to directly apply learning concepts into my business environment, the competitive landscape, and the real-estate industry as a whole. When I started the program, I was very happy in my corporate role. But my courage and aspirations grew to the point that I took on a whole new direction. Having my career coach, Joanna, as a sounding board allowed me to really be strategic and get to know myself. She coached me thro ugh all the interviews, the research, and the questions. It went in parallel with what I was doing academically and after six months everything just clicked. . I went into the EMBA knowing I had nothing to lose and I’ve come out with everything. Great strength, global friends, amazing learning, mentors from professors, a job I love, and the knowledge that I can set my mind to achieve anything and with the right support and resources I’ll get there.† . Kashani Wijetunga British, New Zealand Sri Lankan Associate Director Senior Strategy Consultant CBRE EMBA Class of 2019 . â€Å"The first time we did group work on the program, I went head-to-head with a colleague. It taught me a lot about how I see people, how people see me, and how conflict can be resolved in a kind and productive way. The best feedback you get, when delivered constructively, is the most critical because it really feeds into how you lead. I’ve completely reversed my leadership style—the result is so much richer and more powerful when you lead from behind and lead with strength. . Studying in tandem with working, whilst challenging, gave me the perfect platform to directly apply learning concepts into my business environment, the competitive landscape, and the real-estate industry as a whole. When I started the program, I was very happy in my corporate role. But my courage and aspirations grew to the point that I took on a whole new direction. Having my career coach, Joanna, as a sounding board allowed me to really be strategic and get to know myself. She coached me thro ugh all the interviews, the research, and the questions. It went in parallel with what I was doing academically and after six months everything just clicked. . I went into the EMBA knowing I had nothing to lose and I’ve come out with everything. Great strength, global friends, amazing learning, mentors from professors, a job I love, and the knowledge that I can set my mind to achieve anything and with the right support and resources I’ll get there.† . Kashani Wijetunga British, New Zealand Sri Lankan Associate Director Senior Strategy Consultant CBRE EMBA Class of 2019 . â€Å"It was now or never. I knew that I’d have likely stayed in my neighborhood for years to come if I didn’t take this opportunity. I’d not lived or studied outside of the U.S. before. So I left my job as a global strategist at an advertising agency and moved halfway around the world. I’ve come back a more culturally aware, well-versed person. I’ve realized that everything is a learning experience and an opportunity for growth. Ill definitely carry this mindset with me into the future. Technology and social media allow us to be different people in several places at once. Im excited to see how I can establish myself in whatever city Ill be lucky enough to call home and still maintain deep connections with people all over the world. I’m inspired by my classmates every day. Hearing some of their life stories and how getting this degree fits into their greater mission has been very humbling. My biggest challenge has been finding the ‘right’ path for me. There have been rooms Ive felt like I shouldnt be in, but now Im proud to feel as though I truly belong, wherever I am.† . Dwayne Logan, Jnr. American MBA Class of 2019 . â€Å"It was now or never. I knew that I’d have likely stayed in my neighborhood for years to come if I didn’t take this opportunity. I’d not lived or studied outside of the U.S. before. So I left my job as a global strategist at an advertising agency and moved halfway around the world. I’ve come back a more culturally aware, well-versed person. I’ve realized that everything is a learning experience and an opportunity for growth. Ill definitely carry this mindset with me into the future. Technology and social media allow us to be different people in several places at once. Im excited to see how I can establish myself in whatever city Ill be lucky enough to call home and still maintain deep connections with people all over the world. I’m inspired by my classmates every day. Hearing some of their life stories and how getting this degree fits into their greater mission has been very humbling. My biggest challenge has been finding the ‘right’ path for me. There have been rooms Ive felt like I shouldnt be in, but now Im proud to feel as though I truly belong, wherever I am.† . Dwayne Logan, Jnr. American MBA Class of 2019 . Happy New Year, Hultians! . Happy New Year, Hultians! .