You've probably heard a lot about mindfulness. We're here to tell you all about this huge new trend in the world of corporate team building.
Mindfulness is taking the time to stop and pay more attention to the present. We rush through life, thinking about the past and future rather than focusing on the present moment. Taking steps to combat this can improve your mental wellbeing, by making you more aware of what is happening in the here and now. It's all about paying attention, concentrating on what's important, and adopting a more positive approach.
If you're not happy in your current state, you won't be happy at work, which in turn means you won't work to your full capacity. Feeling overwhelmed by stress will kill your productivity. Once upon a time, being mindful was regarding as something just for hippies. Those days are gone. It's super important for good mental and physical health. The healthier and happier you are, the better you work.
The Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC) in your brain directly affects the ability to sustain focus and attention. Good mindfulness will mean you have a highly functioning ACC, which helps you become better at decision making and learning from your mistakes.
If your team are feeling the pressure, we offer some calming new team events.
These activities will teach you practical techniques that will help you be more mindful and achieve a better work-life balance.
The demons of your past need to be ignored, and we know that's easier said than done. Start by taking 3-5 minutes to yourself, and focus on your current thoughts and feelings. When you are fully aware of them, you can work out how to fully engage with people and the world around you rather than just react in a knee-jerk or negative way.
As we go about our daily lives, we notice all kinds of sensations, from the food we eat to the air moving past the body as we walk. These are tiny things, but they have the power to make a huge impact in giving us new perspectives on life.
Identify the thoughts you have, and start a habit of giving them clear labels. When you're feeling nervous about submitting a piece of work, highlight this in your mind, and you'll start to notice that all nervous moments evoke the same emotional response.
With this knowledge, you can then start to think of these emotions as buses that pull into a station, as Professor Mark Williams, former director of the Oxford Mindfulness Centre, theorised. They are there, but you don't have to get on these ‘thought buses.' This can be very hard at first, but possible with gentle persistence.
Like going to the gym for most of us, the first time you work out makes it difficult to keep a regular schedule. You feel uncomfortable, making you reluctant to do it again. This is a crucial tipping point that you've got to overcome. Whether it's going for a mindful walk at lunchtime, or taking some time out on your commute home, find some space where you can meditate on a daily basis.
Interested in learning more about the fantastic mindfulness events we run? Take a look at everything we offer! Get in touch on sales@actiondays.co.uk, or call us 01773 766050.
