Mindfulness at work: The practice and science of mindfulness for leaders, coaches and facilitators

Mindfulness is an ineffable practice where we are taken on a mind-body journey of discovery into our inner world. Mindfulness helps us to be curious again, to bring conscious intent into our lives, to be wiser and more compassionate, and to make new choices in the moment rather than repeat our same mistakes. It helps us be better human beings rather than “human doings”. The authors have adopted a strongly experiential perspective to provide readers with the evidence from over four decades of scientific research along with the experiences of our clients and others on how mindfulness is being translated from the world of mental health and wellbeing to the world of work. We hope that this combination of practice and science will help you to think about how you as a leader, a coach, or facilitator can integrate mindfulness approaches into your work and home life.

By definition, mindfulness is simply to be present in the moment. You don’t have to do anything. You don’t have to be anywhere; you simply must notice your experience in the moment. It is evident that for most of us, our minds wander for as much of 47% of the time. In order to maintain this moment by moment awareness and not resort to acting on automatic pilot, it requires us to train our brains, somewhat like going to the gym. The authors offer a multitude of different everyday exercises and meditations for the reader to experiment with, and they encourage readers to find a daily practice that works for them. With personal inquiry, you can reflect and gain insight, learning to master emotions and responses so that less reactivity is experienced and more meaning in everything is fundamentally attained.

Mindfulness at work is about being an active participant in your own life and the life of others around you. In general, people focus on what they can influence and how they respond to what happens by simply bringing non-judgmental, open awareness to our experience right here and now. The importance of how people focus their attention can make a monumental difference to how they feel, their quality of productivity, and their working and personal relationships. Conversely, not paying attention can be costly and detrimental to the quality of work as well as to the relationships that are vital for success at work and in our personal lives.

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