In the 2022 mindful leadership summit The Future is Mindful, business leaders and mindfulness experts gathered to discuss mindfulness in the workplace, mindful leadership, and more. One of the leaders who joined was author, mentor, and product marketing expert Div Manickam, who touched on how mindfulness helps improve focus and being in the present moment. The concept of mindful leadership has garnered increased attention as it has shown to be an effective tool in improving overall workplace performance.
Mind Over Matter: Conquering Distractions and Finding the Key to Focus
One of the key topics that Div touches on is how mindfulness helps improve focus. Like many people, Div experienced this benefit when practicing mindfulness and found it to be significant. “When I realized that I could be fully present with my team, when I realized that I could actually focus and get one thing done well, it changed my life forever,” she said.
Mindfulness has been shown to improve focus by training individuals to cultivate awareness of their thoughts and emotions so they can identify distractions and learn to redirect their attention to the present moment, but there are also more indirect ways in which mindfulness helps improve focus. Throughout the mindful leadership summit, another theme emerged around how mindfulness also helps people remain calm and composed in high-pressure situations, allowing them to approach tasks with greater clarity and focus.
Here and Now: Staying Present at Work with Mindfulness
During her panel at the mindful leadership summit, Div also mentions the importance of being in the present instead of spending too much time worrying about the past or future. When we become too focused on past mistakes or future uncertainties, it’s easy to lose sight of the present moment, which could even lead to missed opportunities for growth and development. By cultivating mindfulness and staying grounded in the present, individuals can enhance their ability to make clear and informed decisions, connect more deeply with others, and lead more effectively.
It’s no surprise that when a team is fully present in the moment and focused on the task at hand, they can collaborate more effectively and achieve better results. If team members are preoccupied with past failures or spending too much time being anxious about potential roadblocks that could slow down their success, it’s hard for them to be fully engaged in the creative process and operate at their full potential. However, if the team cultivates mindfulness and stays present in the moment, they can bring their full attention to brainstorming new ideas, addressing project roadblocks, coming up with creative solutions, and executing. This concept became clear through more than one conversation during the mindful leadership summit, as more organizations are seeing the clear benefits of bringing mindfulness into the workplace.
Opening the Door to Mindfulness - An Inclusive Practice Available to All
The best part is that you don’t need to have a massive budget, attend every mindful leadership summit out there, or have staff with spare time to start bringing mindfulness into your workplace. It can start with something as simple as a deep intentional breath you take before getting on that next zoom call, or a 1 minute meditation on your lunch break. And if you are interested in bringing mindfulness to your organization or a team, or would like to be involved in our next mindful leadership summit, get in touch with us to learn how we can help.
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