Meditation For Work Stress (Breathing Techniques For Mindfulness At Work)

Mindfulness In The Workplace:

Firstly, meditation should be a practice that changes your being. Meditation for work stress [NIH] is the ability to get away with stress easily, giving complete attention to one thing and not multitasking. Sleeping well and practicing digital disconnectedness for short spells are other key points.

Meditation in the workplace is gaining interest among many corporate giants. According to research, organizations that have instituted a meditation program in their work environment, have seen a significant fall in employee stress resulting in a sub-increase in productivity and a decrease in employee absenteeism. Some of the prominent Fortune 500 companies that have launched Meditation programs are Procter & Gamble, Google, Nike, General Mills, Comcast, etc.

Meditation For Work Stress:

Meditation is believed to have many health benefits and can drastically improve our lifestyle. Many neuroscientists believe the best way to fight stress is through meditation. It has now become simple and scientific, and it will soon go mainstream. As personalized knowledge of pranayama grows deeper in a practitioner, one will come to see that its effects are pervasive indeed.

Meditation causes neurobiological changes in a person is an empirically proven fact. There is evidence that the human mind influences both susceptibility to and resistance to disease. Mental and physical processes constantly interact and influence one another. Some major universities have recognized the value of contemplative practices, which have therapeutic effects.

1. Belly breathing / Abdominal breathing: Reduce anxiety.
2. Alternate Nostril Breathing / Nadi Shodhana Pranayama: For the best mental balance.
3. Chanting / Bija mantra pranayama: Cleans your thoughts and helps concentrate on the present.

 Any Pranayama practice must consider the following points:

1. The posture used during pranayama. Relax and sit comfortably. In a work environment, you can sit in the chair foot crossed, and relaxed.
2. Right method.
3. Make sure you practice for 3 minutes.

Benefits Of Mindfulness In The Workplace:

Meditation is an exercise for the mind, making it remain focused on a single object. The mind is a subtle and powerful human faculty that drives individual effort and achievement.

Work-related stress has become a major cause of concern in many organizations due to the ever-increasing pressures on people to perform. Increasing demands on the mind and emotions can often be overwhelming for all. That is why, meditation can be a very helpful tool in strengthening people at the workplace, emotionally and mentally. Meditation benefits have been backed by many studies and one of the prominent ones is where Harvard Scientists have found in their research that, meditation conclusively and positively changes one’s brain structure.

Let’s take a look at some of the powerful benefits of practicing meditation at the workplace and how it can create a positive impact on the workplace.

Reduces Stress Levels:

When stress is left untreated, it can lead to many issues such as cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, anxiety, and even depression. Meditation, when done regularly, creates inner calmness and reduces irritability, helping in lowering stress levels. It also helps to increase the sense of control in one’s life.

Improves Concentration & Decreases Distraction:

Practicing meditation consistently increases our ability to sustain attention and decreases distractions externally or internally. Researchers from Harvard medical school found that, while meditation led to changes in the brain structure, it also brought some positive changes in the brain regions of learning and working memory capacity. This is very significant, as working memory is responsible for reasoning and crucial in guiding our behavior at the workplace. In fact, those who work in high-stress work environments and practice meditation could remain more attentive, stay focused on a task longer, manage their time effectively, and perform their tasks efficiently.

Improves Creativity & Decision Making:

Mental clarity is very crucial for everyone but it is even more essential for those who are entrusted with making difficult strategic decisions that can impact their organizations. Research conducted at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands found that there is a link between regular meditation and creativity, which results in increasing the ability of our problem-solving skills. Practicing meditation teaches the brain to attain clarity and analyze situations with less cognitive rigidity, which in turn helps in making more rational decisions.

Positive & Vibrant Environment

Social interaction and work relationships are important aspects of creating a work environment that is positive, healthy, and lively. Meditation helps in making people more emotionally intelligent, which makes relations more positive, natural, and easy. In fact, meditation makes people more adjustable towards each other and creates an amicable work environment.

Promotes Positive & Impactful Leadership:

Many of the world’s most successful and inspiring leaders meditate every morning before they start their day such as Oprah Winfrey, Bill Ford, Marc Benioff, Rupert Murdoch, Russell Simmons, etc. Meditation can help leaders feel relaxed; have better coping mechanisms when faced with a stressful situation. Meditating every day can result in helping an individual interact better and perform more effectively in their role.

It is imperative for organizations to also implement a meditation program at the workplace in order to facilitate people to experience the benefits of meditation. Yoga helps people individually but when done collectively it adds ups to achieving collective goals.