What is Mindfulness and how can it help our daily lives

Have you ever driven your car somewhere and arrived at your destination only to realise you remember nothing about your journey, this is mindlessness, often referred to as being on autopilot. Mindfulness is the opposite of mindlessness. It means waking up out of autopilot and ‘taking the steering wheel’ of your mind again. 

We can engage mindfulness thinking by maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, sensations and the surrounding environment.

Mindfulness is a non-judgmental state of mind, meaning that we pay attention to our thoughts and feelings with the attitude of an impartial witness, without believing them or taking them personally.Mindfulness is by no means a new concept, but it's one that has gained resonance in our modern world of constant connectivity and distractions. 

Each day at work and during our leisure time we are bombarded by texts, emails, chat messages, phone calls, social media notifications and advertisements and that is all on top of the hundreds of thoughts racing through our minds at any given time. It can be difficult to tune those things out and devote our full attention to the situation, conversation or task at hand, especially in the workplace, but being present and mindful means being more focused and being present. 

If you want to decrease your stress and increase thoughtfulness among your colleagues and friends encourage them to practice mindfulness. Here are my 7 top tips to help, one for each day of the week:

1.  Remember to Breathe

People react out of urgency in our full-on world and throw words out every second without really thinking about what they are saying. Egos and the desire to say something often get in the way of human kindness. We all need to press the talking pause button and start breathing. Breathe as you sit in your conference room, think about the lives before you and speak mindfully with human-centred intention. 

2.  Notice The Little Things Around You

Until recently my daily routine was full with back-to-back meetings, I had little control over my schedule. Now I try to practice mindfulness throughout my day, as I walk to a meeting I focus on how each part of my foot felt touching the ground as I approach the meeting room. When I wash my hands, I'd notice the water temperature and feel of the soap, I actually take time to allow my hands to dry properly. Even taking a few minutes throughout your day can make a difference, take a short walk at a break time, even walking round the office and saying “Hi” to someone you’ve not spoken to for a while. Comment on the weather to a stranger in the lift, you’d be surprised that both of you will probably come out of the life with a smile.

3.  Listen and Make Emotional Connection

Really listening to people around you will make a massive difference in connecting with colleagues and friends and getting the best out of you and them. You have to be emotionally present, especially when people are facing their fears or demons. To really understand the struggles and emotional reality for you and people around you its important to create an emotional alliance in order to help them overcome their challenges, address their emotional blocks and reconnect the team together. Without this, you and the team around you will not perform to the best of their abilities. 

4. Look At Your Response From Another's Point of View

Went under pressure don’t rush into a reactive response, take your time. When in doubt, don't send that curt email reply, make that call or start a meeting until you feel "C3" Clear, Calm and Collected. There's nothing worse than responding with attitude and paying the price later with self-doubt, guilt or anxiety. Reflect, think of your actions from another's point of view and take their perspective into consideration. This action alone can go a long way toward creating a mindful workplace. 

5.  Take a Break - Allow Gap Time Between Meetings

Most workplaces have back-to-back meetings, where people race from one meeting to the next without a moment to breathe or think. People are either late to the next meeting or check out of their prior meeting early, mentally or physically. This is true for virtual meetings, as well.  This practice also creates a lack of respect and trust between colleagues, they will know you’re not paying attention and being present, how would you feel in their shoes. Allowing five to 10 minutes between meetings increases focus, productivity and wellbeing for everyone. Taking a break makes a shift in both mental and physical activity creates a space for rest and rejuvenation.

6.  Incorporate Mindfulness Into Meetings

Many companies nowadays have Health & Safety Moments at the start of meetings. Why not use this opportunity and to take a few minutes at the beginning of a meeting to meditate, set intentions and take a few breaths. I have found that this allows for mindfulness to be an action item, it then plays a positive role in meetings and eventually incorporated into the culture of your organisation or workplace, it shows the importance of it in all aspects of life.

7. Stimulate the Mind - Ask Challenging Questions

Great leaders ask great questions, but why can’t everyone. Its not just the leader who wants to inspire the team to think bigger, everyone, no matter the role they play, should ask questions to challenge the thinking of their team. Questions encourage people to act and think. Each week, everyone in the team can ask their colleagues questions about how to improve what they are doing, and watch the ideas, suggestions and comments lead to greater engagement, teamwork, productivity and breakthroughs.