Being Mindful  (An excerpt from Rethinking Your Work: Getting to the Heart of What Matters)

 

We frequently go through our day-to-day actions on autopilot. Not thinking. Not being aware of what is happening around us. Zoning out or not paying attention. Shutting down the inputs because we have reached our capacity.

 

We often lose the present moment because we are thinking about the future or worrying about something that happened in the past. In doing so, we miss the gifts of the present - a smile, the beauty of a flower, the warmth of a touch or the gift of kindness.
 
When we are caught up in thoughts or worries, we are effectively absent from our body. No one is home. We might be walking by a beautiful garden, but we cannot see the flowers. We can be served a delicious meal, but we do not taste it. Our loved ones may be sending us strong cues, but we do not hear them. We are preoccupied. But by shifting our attention to the present moment - to our breathing, walking and surroundings - we come back into our body and become aware.
 
Mindfulness is about paying attention on purpose. Noticing in a non-judgmental way. Being present. Living in the moment. Being aware. Giving 100 percent attention to what we are doing. It is about tasting the food we eat, smelling the scents of the out-of-doors, seeing the beauty in the everyday. It is about being present with our customers, clients, colleagues, friends and family members. Being in touch with their needs.
 
Being mindful involves quieting the mind and practicing stillness in order to create space for a deeper way of knowing, and increasing awareness of self and what matters. Thus, to be mindful is to observe self or as Wayne Dyer calls it, to witness one's life. As we become an observer, we gain clarity about our unique purpose.
 
Being mindful is a way to access our own resources for growing, healing and self-compassion. Mindfulness provides access to the inner wisdom required to create the kind of life we wish to lead. Moreover, it is a practical way to get in touch with our authentic self. It involves self-observation and self-inquiry.
 
So, we want to shift our attention to the present moment and the nuances around us. We want to use all our senses, taking time to taste and smell, hear and see, touch and feel. We want to take the time to feel our connectedness with all things.

A Mindfulness Reflection  

 

In what ways have you been mindful? Examples might include paying attention to the taste and texture of the foods you eat, being present and fully listening to a colleague or friend as they talk, or thinking carefully before speaking so that your message will be heard. Maybe it is listening to sounds, smelling smells and seeing the sights around you. We've all experienced mindfulness. Take a moment to remind yourself how it felt to be present, open and aware. What could you do to be more mindful?

Can mindfulness training protect us from high-stress, challenging work situations

  

When it comes to wellbeing and work performance, we all know about the value of physical fitness, but what about fitness of the mind? University of Pennsylvania researchers tested the effectiveness of a mindfulness program with a U.S. military group preparing for deployment to Iraq. They found a positive link between mindfulness training and improvements in mood and working memory.  Sounds like something we can all benefit from.

 

The aim of the eight-week program was to cultivate greater psychological resilience by bolstering mindfulness - the ability to be aware and attentive of the present moment without emotional volatility. 

 

Covering topics relevant to the Marines, the program blended mindfulness skills training with concrete applications for their operational environment.  It emphasized integrating regular mindfulness exercises, like focused attention on the breath and mindful movement.

 

The study, published in the journal Emotion, found that the more time participants spent engaging in daily mindfulness exercises the better their mood and ability to engage in complex thought processes, problem solving and manage their emotions (something they call working memory). The study also suggests that sufficient mindfulness practice may protect against becoming ill due to high-stress, challenging situations.

 

Given the high rate of post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental-health disturbances suffered by those returning from war, providing such training prior to deployment may buffer against potential lifelong psychological illness by bolstering mood and working memory capacity. But employees in the military are not the only ones who can benefit.

 

Amishi Jha, cognitive neuroscientist and lead researcher, Department of Psychology and Center for Cognitive Neuroscience at Penn said,

"Our findings suggest that, just as daily physical exercise leads to physical fitness, engaging in mindfulness exercises on a regular basis may improve mind-fitness. Building mind-fitness with mindfulness training may help anyone who must maintain peak performance in the face of extremely stressful circumstances, from first responders, relief workers and trauma surgeons, to professional and Olympic athletes."

And I would add: social workers, teachers, health care workers, public servants  . . .

How does Mindfulness Meditation Impact the Brain? 

 

Increasingly, meditation is shown to go beyond reducing stress and making us feel better. Research is pointing to physiological benefits to the body and brain. For example, recent studies have shown that mindfulness meditation may bolster the immune system, improve blood pressure, improve emotional wellbeing, as well as act as an antidote to insomnia.

 

The most recent research, however, is demonstrating how meditation affects the brain. Not only can meditation positively affect areas of the brain that can suppress fear or anxiety, it can stimulate regions that involve compassion. This latest research supports the notion that the entire brain can change and develop over time - something that is called "neuroplasticity" - rather than remaining fixed as previously thought. In short, meditation can promote the growth of the mind! Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks?

 

Study results have showed several positive benefits for patients who received meditation training. But what about the nurses who care for the patients? Nurse leaders participating in mindfulness meditation training over a four week period, experienced decreases in stress, anxiety and depression. Some saw their high cortisol levels - indicators of chronic stress - reduced to normal levels.

 

Now that is worth taking note of.

Just Start with Three Minutes
 

Being mindful can start with three minutes of focused breathing. With training, we can develop a longer practice and learn to use mindful meditation to calm ourselves on the spot.  

 

Dr. Judith Orloff, medical doctor, assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at UCLA and author of Positive Energy, has shown that three minutes of meditation a day can reduce the stress hormones responsible for tense muscles and constricted blood vessels.

 

Who doesn't have three minutes? Given that we seem so pressed for time, maybe these quick time-outs, spread throughout the day, are the way to get many of us started. Obviously, the more often or longer we practice, the more benefits will accrue. But our focus at the moment is to begin.

 

Want to try it? Here are the instructions from my book - Rethinking Your Work: Getting to the Heart of What Matters - for a basic meditation that we can use to quiet our minds. Set the timer for three minutes and begin to practice some deep, focused belly breathing. Observe how you feel after just three minutes. 

Quiet the Mind
 

Choose a place where you will not be interrupted. Again, if you are doing this at work or if you are a single parent, that might have to be the washroom.

1. Sit down and take a couple of deep, cleansing breaths - in through your nose, out through your mouth.

2. As you release your last cleansing breath, observe your belly fill up with air. Then let it out slowly. Go at your own pace. Do not try to control your breath or force it.

 

3. Begin to listen to your breath and observe the rise and fall of your chest. That is it. When thoughts enter your mind, just let them pass. If you like, imagine them encased in a cloud and watch them float away, or imagine them as birds flying overhead.

4. After three to five minutes, gently open your eyes and come back to the room feeling refreshed and ready for the task before you.