Life can be overwhelming. Our minds fill with chatter, our view of the world becomes tainted and distorted, and our ability to be present is lost - missing out on both what we’re doing and how we’re feeling.
Mindfulness is a mental state achieved by consciously focusing our mind on the present moment. The goal is to establish a heightened sense of awareness, to notice and accept our thoughts and feelings without judgement in as many moments of our lives as possible.
We are constantly looking for ways to cope with complications and ambiguity in our lives, and how we control and channel our emotions has a powerful impact on this. Negative emotions have the ability to cause stress and divert energy away from productive activities or behaviours. By practicing mindfulness we can all be better equipped to recognise negative emotions and handle them in healthier, less stressful ways.
This yields self-awareness, greater empathy for self, energy management, better listening skills, improved concentration, strong engagement with others and adaptation to change among many other benefits. At all times, mindfulness helps us choose to adjust and remain calm so that the right action can be taken. It allows us to heed that small inner voice that is often diluted by feelings and opinions and ultimately grow, and live a more compassionate, fulfilling life.
In the ever-changing world, innovators are increasingly turning towards mindfulness and meditation to cope with the demanding work environment and as a result are seeing an incredible impact on employees. Being able to dial in on the present moment and focus on one task at a time can help you feel connected to your work and keep productivity high. The goal isn’t to empty the mind of thoughts, but to become more aware of our surroundings and how we feel in the moment, without judging ourselves or making assumptions.
Here at LKC we have decided to implement ‘Mindful Mondays’, following the lead of other large corporations like Google, Apple and Nike. We’re off to a great start and are excited to see where this takes us! Our goal is to start every Monday with a smile on our face, feeling calm and motivated. Firstly we use 10 minutes in the morning to set the tone and intentions for the work week, helping us feel less frazzled and more in control of what lies ahead. We encourage each other to take a few personal moments throughout the day to get some fresh air, have a meal, or simply a mental break to relieve any potential stress. Lastly we’re in the process of creating a peaceful place in our office where we can go to quietly recharge when needed.
There is a power and beauty in being mindful, observing things as they are without our thoughts taking us elsewhere. It helps us center our mind, bringing more clarity into our life and opening us up to all of the amazing things that used to go right over our heads. You simply become aware of how amazing life is. There is nothing to lose with mindfulness. You only gain some and more.