How Leaders Can Encourage Mindfulness

The dictionary defines mindfulness as: “the quality of state of being conscious or aware of something. A mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations.”

Mindfulness isn’t just something for the psychologist’s office or the yoga retreat, it can help people in the workplace be more focused and productive and is a great catalyst for a better business all around. Here are a few tips for those looking to lead their workforce through better mindfulness:

Lead by example

This step is perhaps the most important step and often the most difficult for business leaders to achieve. It’s a “practice what you preach” mentality that shows you first demonstrating the change you wish to see in the office. If you promote focused, calm and thoughtful behaviors others are bound to follow.

As the leader you set the tone for the entire workplace and that tone can be difficult for someone in a less senior role to upend. Additionally, a place of business that deals with more toxicity from the top can often trickle down to those working below, encouraging bad behaviors and slowing potential productivity with conflict.

Take breaks

In a business world that seems to be constantly moving, this step can seem foreign to some. However, it’s important for you to take breaks and moreover make sure your team sees you taking breaks. Pausing for a few minutes a couple times a day allows the mind to refocus as you’re creating space for rest and rejuvenation.

Remember, your staff looks to you to set the expectations for a well-rounded workplace, this can be achieved in-part by creating moments of pause in an otherwise chaotic day. It also allows you and your team to reflect on what has already been done in an effort to reassess what needs to be achieved going forward.

It also encourages your team to take the time to be inspired. When we’re focused on the big things, simply keeping up the creative aspects of a business can get lost in the shuffle. Creating space for stillness or pause allows you and those who work for you to bring great ideas to the forefront.

Breathe

One key to mindfulness as well as relaxation is remembering to breathe. In the fast-paced business world breathe control can sometimes be tossed to the side as we get caught up in the details of the day. Thoughtful breathing as well as speaking mindfully with human-centred intention can go a long way to keeping the workplace a stress-free environment.

Additionally, there are a host of apps, sites, and podcasts that can lead you through restful and mindful breathing. Taking breaks that involve this kind of methodic breathing can allow you to refocus on the task at hand and allow you to better view the business as a whole.

Ask questions

Though this tip comes at the end of the sheet it is by no means less important. This allows your communication to be that human-centred communication that so often is lost in the business world. Take the time to ask your team questions about their view, their day, their next steps in important events or projects.

Additionally, you may find that keeping up with your team’s well-being and ideas can help foster creativity, promote inspiration, and prove to be a positive force in the life of your office and the business as a whole.

These are just a few ways to encourage mindfulness in your workplace, for more information and advice on what ICML can do for your business visit our website and get in touch with us today.