Is cleanliness next to mindfulness?
I noticed recently that 7th October is National Bathtub Day and it got me thinking about how long it’s been since I took one. Now please don’t think that I’m in any way whiffy!! It’s just that the usual routine is to jump in the shower and get out again as fast as possible in the midst of the morning rush.
A bath however, is a very different scenario.
You plan it out. Running the water, picking out the bubbles, salts or fragranced oils, deciding if you want some background music, pondering whether to take a glass of wine with you and selecting what you’re going to read as you relax.
It’s a time thing. Bathing is a slow process and something I really should do more of!
It also got me to thinking about taking time at work to step back and clear my mind. Mindfulness in the workplace is becoming more and more popular and relevant. In the last few years it has moved away from being the preserve of hippies and bedsheet clad monks, and into the corporate world. A growing number of businesses are recognising what mindfulness can offer, including Transport for London (TfL), Google, GlaxoSmithKline, the Home Office, the Cabinet Office, KPMG, and PricewaterhouseCoopers.
But what on earth is Mindfulness? Jon Kbtao ‐Zinn says that it is “Paying attention on in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally”. In other words it is training your mind to focus attention on thoughts emotions, and body sensations simply observing them as they arise and pass away without judgment. Yoga and meditation are ideal ways to practice and you can find a lot of different plans and courses online to guide you through the process.
Benefits from its practice come in a range of psychological/cognitive ways such as:
- Reduced psychological symptoms (stress /depression / anxiety)
- Reduced emotional reactivity/enhanced behavioural regulation
- Enhanced attention and concentration skills
- Increase in emotional intelligence
In addition to all these, it helps improve your general health, which can only be a good thing?
I’ve also heard recently of some senior executive and managers who block out “thinking time” in their diaries, which in its own way is a form of practicing mindfulness. Taking time away from the phone and the screens that we are constantly in front of, and scheduling time to reflect on the week behind them, thinking about plans for the week to come and ruminating about how things might pan out over the coming weeks or months. This can allow quiet time to contemplate something that might have been troubling them, and coming to a considered decision.
But can it make you a better leader – well some of its most famous followers are Richard Branson and Ariana Huffington; A lot of brand new tech startups have a space for meditation and relaxation so there must be something in it, right?
Various studies have shown that it can reduce cortisol levels - responsible for inducing stress - and thicken grey matter in the brain, improving the ability to process information. It can also trigger the release of serotonin and endorphins, two of the cocktail of hormones that help with focus and motivation.
The problem is, where do you get the time in a working day to sit quietly by yourself and just breathe? Plus how do you convince the powers that be (unless you are one!) that it’s a good thing?
Get started on your own time: getting up 30 minutes earlier is one way. The quiet of the early morning, before everyone else starts to wake up is often a favourite of those doing Yoga or to get some quiet me-time. Once you've established if it works for you then you can suggest it for the workplace, and see how it's received!
Or you could run a bath….
Talk to me about becoming a more mindful leader Glenda Nelson, LHH NI glenda.nelson@lhh.com www.lhh-uk.com
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