What is common in all CEOs?

In the modern context, they use the term ‘Mindfulness’; it is generally related to a person’s calmness focus, and health aspects. But what does it mean to be mindful these days really, and can this concept in its slew of ‘hip’ interpretations make a difference in our lives? Listen to the podcast by Staying Indian- The NRI Podcast with guest Mrs Pavi Theva to get more insights on this topic.

The Core of Mindfulness:

Indeed it can be argued that mindfulness is the act of being consciously aware of what is happening around and within you at present. It means the awareness of different thoughts, moods, and environments without any form of bias. This does not mean trying to stop thinking or to stop the activity of the mind – but it means watching the mind without getting involved with it.

The concept of mindfulness lies in Buddhism, but this concept has been modified and adopted into the modern world. It has attracted much attention in the fields of psychology and neuroscience. Potential benefits associated with practice include decreasing stress, augmentation of attention, and promoting the quality of well-being.

Doing Is Different from Being:

According to the psychology of work activity, in a corporation or an enterprise, we are most of the time in the “doing” state, aiming to find the solutions for the issues we face, envisioning the possible scenarios for the development of a company, and trying to achieve the set objectives. Although it is needed for success, it implies that we are in the mode of doing it all the time, which could easily lead to stress breakdown. Mindfulness, on the other hand, is in what I like to call ‘being’ mode’ –you focus only on the current moment and experience it, with no agenda to change anything.

It is not about pausing productivity but it is about integrating the doing and the being. Through mindfulness, we can develop a gap between the stimulus and the response and therefore we can act instead of reacting.

Here are some practical ways to bring mindfulness into your daily life: Here are some practical ways to bring mindfulness into your daily life:

• Mindful Breathing: It takes only 2-5 minutes a day, spend some of those minutes and just pay attention to your breathing. Pay attention to the feelings of the air inv under and over your skin. A simple breathing exercise can change your mindset even if it is only for one minute.

• Body Scans: Pause at various intervals during the day and assess how your body feels. Do you hear people sometimes having tension in their shoulders or they are clenching their jaw? A quick body scan may also be used to discharge some of the physical tension and or make one more sensitive to how the body feels.
• Mindful Listening: When with the other parties whether face to face or through a phone call, avoid pre-empting their speeches. It can improve interaction and develop deeper, more profoun relationships.

• Mindful Breaks: Take a break from your work whether in the form of a brief walk or to stand in front of a window. Just look around without any purpose on what you are going to scan. It helps to energize attention, and this is as simple as getting up and taking a walk around the office.

Mrs Pavi focuses on the first reason, which involves the need to address the question of why MindfulnessMatters in jobs. This means that in practice mindfulness is not a method to improve the individual’s health, it is an asset to the company. Research has indicated that when leaders apply mindfulness in the course of their operations, they are capable of withstanding pressure and thus making the right decision while at the same time leading the organization effectively. It also avails leadership and emotional intelligence which are so vital in creating a healthy work environment and fostering healthy organizational cultures.  Because mindfulness can lower levels of stress in the workplace and encourage employees to be more innovative. Mindfulness at work therefore has the potential to enhance the wellness of everyone in the organization as well as the organizational performance.

Final Thoughts:

These are only some of the basic misconceptions people have about what mindfulness is all about, it is not about a ‘perfect’ state or about attempting to regulate the mind. It’s about being present in a sense with each moment that is given and being curious about it. In a busy society and ever-hectic world, mindfulness gives people solutions to manage themselves and find a balance that creates a healthy productivity-oriented mindset toward difficult situations.

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