Our productivity at work is directly proportional to our mental health and mindfulness.
It is proven time and again that a stressed mind lacks productivity whereas; a relaxed and calmed mind is more productive. Stress is responsible for many negative things in your life; it also causes absenteeism, turnover, and low productivity.
And what beats stress? Not the frequent use of medication but yoga! Yoga practices are increasing across the country as companies and employers are starting to believe stress is the real culprit of unproductivity at work. Yoga practice helps you meditate physically as well as mentally. It alerts your mind which results in productivity in the end.
Stress in the workplace can lead to lost work days or an inability to work long hours. Evidence-based research is revealing what many companies have already discovered: meditation, mindfulness training, and yoga improve employee mental and physical health. In today’s increasingly competitive workplace, these programs support you to successfully face the daily challenges and demands of your positions.
These are some activities that you can do at work to increase mindfulness:
- Spend at least 5 minutes each day doing nothing.
- Get in touch with your senses by noticing the temperature of your skin and background sounds around you.
- Pay attention to your walking by slowing your pace and feeling the ground against your feet.
Here’s how some of the yoga practices can increase your productivity:
It Improves Your Focus
Research reflects that mindfulness at work affects the part of the brain responsible for self-regulation called the Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC). This enhanced capacity for self-regulation can help you avoid time and productivity bandits like email and web browsing. Meditation trains your brain to perform its functions in a more efficient way, increases your focus, lets you stay on tasks longer, and allows you fewer switches. These tips to help you overcome resistance to change, boost up your performance and also improves your memory.
Helps You Embrace Criticism
Constructive criticism is healthy for your career but it’s often looked down upon and not appreciated by most employees. It is quite difficult for some people to accept criticism professionally, and with grace. Negative feedback affects productivity faster you blind your eye. Which basically means, poorly delivered criticism and poorly received criticism can kill productivity at work place altogether.
Yoga and mindfulness allow you to accept criticism with grace and poise. It’s not as easy as it sounds because criticism prompts your inner fears and fills you with fright which shuts down your brains but with this simple protocol, you can quickly ground yourself and respond with presence. That’s a big deal. And it’s a skill many leaders need to cultivate.
By breathing, slowing down, listening, observing your response, and considering the information, you can overcome that fright and keep moving.
Helps You Become More Attentive
As humans, we prefer talking over listening. Everybody wants to be heard but only a few would like to listen as well instead of having another thing in mind. At work, this isn’t really ideal for your success or effectiveness depends on being attentive and taking the flow of information there and then. You need to be 100% attentive at work whether you’re on a sales call, a meeting, or in a middle of a discussion with a colleague.
Take yoga as a filter for your mind, it cleanses it and makes you more attentive. You strain out all the bad bits which aren’t helpful at work and purifies version of your attention. So when you’re listening to someone, the mindful yoga can help you meet that person fully and really absorb their meaning and intent. It will not only increase your attention but also make you understand your fellows a bit better.
Improves Your Interpersonal Skills
Meditation and yoga increase the gray matter in your hippocampus. This is the region of the brain that is associated with self-awareness, compassion, and introspection. You need these qualities in yourself for a balanced and successful work life and make them part of your overall life as well. These qualities are the foundation of productivity and creativity.
In this way, meditation is helpful for your interpersonal skills and work relationship. It helps you be attentive and observant to the world around you.
When your awareness is enhanced with meditation, you’re going to be a greater asset to your team. And you’re probably going to be a kinder more compassionate person to be around. It is true that stress is one of the biggest reasons for unproductivity at work. As mindful yoga meditation is the best way to fight with it as it is a proven way for many. It not only improves your productivity but also makes you more active, attentive, kind, compassionate, and overall healthy individual.
From: Sivana East
