Mindfulness for the Workplace
October 10th is World Mental Health Day which provides an opportunity to raise awareness of mental health issues and to mobilize efforts in support of mental health.
At glo, we have been supporting people at work through a range of mobile wellbeing services designed for the office environment for over 10 years.
This blog which has been prepared in collaboration with glo’s mindfulness trainer Tony O’Shea-Poon provides information on how mindfulness training can support a positive state of mind, help create a productive working environment, and improve working relationships. We have also prepared 5 top tips for being mindful at work to help us cultivate a calm, positive, and happy perspective every day.
In recent years, employers of all shapes and sizes have recognised the benefits of looking after their teams’ mental health and promoting wellbeing at work, helping employees to manage stress levels, stay focused and increase cooperation and workplace loyalty.
As a practice, Mindfulness is relatively easy to learn. It involves paying attention to sensations that arise from moment to moment, while holding certain attitudes, such as patience and non-judging, in mind.
Even a single workshop can have immediate benefits for people, positively impacting them both at work and in their personal lives. People that undertake a course are much more likely to commit to ongoing practice which will enable the benefits of being mindful in all aspects of their lives.
Some Benefits of Mindfulness at Work
Reduces anxiety – whatever is happening, it’s possible to remain calm and in control
Increases resilience – where difficulties arise, those that practice mindfulness are able to bounce back faster
Increases focus and concentration – with a steady mind, it’s easier to retain focus on important tasks and projects
Increases emotional intelligence – become more objective about emotions and to act and speak in ways that are helpful
5 Top Tips for Being Mindful at Work
Start with Gratitude
Before you arrive for work, take some time to notice the environment on your journey. Generate a sense of thanks for what you have in your life, including your body to take you to work, your mind to complete tasks and your workplace and work colleagues. Regardless of your actual circumstances, generate a positive intention to be the best you can be on this day, making a valuable contribution and enjoying good relationships with people. All of this will set you up for a successful day; ensuring your thoughts are positive at the start will affect the way you act, which others will notice and appreciate.
Give Everyone your Full Attention
No matter who you have to talk to during the day, whether it’s face-to-face or on the phone, or sending an email, your communication will be vastly improved if you can give that person all of you in that moment. Good active listening skills come in here as well as speaking in ways that will be helpful to the situation at hand, which includes knowing when silence is the right contribution. Organisations can often be very hierarchical, but when it comes to being present with people, this shouldn’t matter – listen, speak and write to everyone as if they are all equally worthy of your attention, because they are!
Do One Thing at a Time
Despite what the term implies, multi-tasking is not actually doing several things at once. It involves moving attention quickly from one thing to another, giving the illusion that we are doing several things at once. If you try to move too quickly between tasks or juggle too many things at once, the quality of your work is inevitably affected and you might occasionally drop the ball. It is possible to work mindfully instead, giving all your attention to one thing at a time, while also working efficiently. In fact, you’re much more efficient when you work this way, as your mind isn’t distracted by jumping around.
Come Back to Your Breath and Body
The core practice of mindfulness involves awareness of the breath and the body. At work, you may spend hours dwelling entirely in your head, unaware of your body and your breath. To stop being completely caught up in your mind, you can quite simply remember to bring your attention back to your breathing. You can set a timer on your PC or laptop to remind you to do this or you can do it at key intervals, such as before or after meetings or in between big tasks. Doing this simple activity several times a day doesn’t take long, yet enables you notice and release any tension in your body while, at the same time, keeping your work tasks in perspective.
Be Aware of When You’re Starting to Feel Overwhelmed
Most of us have experienced occasions where work becomes overwhelming and our normal ability to cope or bounce back appears to be dysfunctional. By practicing mindfulness, you will become aware of changes to your physiology, your emotions and your thoughts in advance of when the crisis point is reached. You can learn to recognise the early signs and take action to support yourself in that moment. This might involve asking someone for help to complete a task, booking some time out or reaching out for some formal support. Put simply, earlier recognition of the signs of excess stress allow you to do something about it sooner.
Special Offer for Mindfulness Workshops and Courses – 10% off
Glo is committed to supporting your businesses to promote the mental health of your workforce during World Mental Health day and during every day of the year.
We have two special to support your teams around World Mental Health Day. These are available with 10% off on our mindfulness workshop or 8 hour course that is booked between now and the end of October.
We are also offering 10% discount on our onsite massage service when you book a mindfulness workshop during this promotion.
You can choose from a single workshop, which can be held over a lunch break, during a team meeting or away day or at any time to suit you, or the full course that is typically held during a single day or two half days.
Please book early to secure your preferred date and time. And please see our Terms and Conditions at the end of this blog.
Offer 1
Introductory Mindfulness Workshop - 1 hour - Up to 20 people
The introductory workshop is the perfect way to give mindfulness a try at your workplace or to support employees as part of a wider or ongoing focus on wellbeing. The facilitator will lead a number of hands-on mindfulness practices and will explain the background to mindfulness and the benefits of learning it. Participants are encouraged to reflect on their experience and there is time allowed for questions and to find out ways to learn more. Hand outs and reference material is provided for each participant
Was: £325 Offer Price: £292.50
You can also bundle this workshop with a special discount on our Onsite massage service @ £40 per hour for 3 hours or more.
Offer 2
Mindfulness for Workplace Resilience Course – London only - 6 to 8 hours, held as 1 day or 2 half days - Up to 20 people
The course helps individuals to manage stress, primarily in response to workplace stressors, and to develop a calm, confident and resilient response. The course is a condensed version of the nationally recognised Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction course, developed by leading mindfulness teacher and practitioner, Jon Kabat-Zinn. It has been adapted by Mindful Me for use in workplace settings and includes new content specific to workplace stressors and resilience.
Was: £1760 Offer Price: £1600
You can also bundle this workshop with a special discount on our Onsite massage service @ £40 per hour for 3 hours or more.
About Tony O’Shea-Poon
Tony O’Shea-Poon is a therapist, coach, peace activist and Mindfulness teacher. Tony is trained to deliver the nationally-recognised Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy courses and is licensed by the UK College of Mindfulness Meditation to teach the Mindfulness Now course, accredited by the British Psychological Society. Tony is a practitioner of Mindfulness in the Plum Village style, a tradition taught by Buddhist Zen Master Thich Nhat Hahn.
Terms and Conditions:
The special offer rates featured in this blog are applicable for bookings made between 10th September and 30th October for Mindfulness workshops listed here along with glo's office massage service. Onsite massage bookings should be for 3 consecutive hours or more. All services are subject to availability. Prices are subject to VAT.