Mindfulness
What is mindfulness and what does the
programme teach?
What is 'mindfulness' and how can it help?
Mindfulness-based approaches are intended to teach practical skills that
can help with physical and psychological health problems and ongoing life
challenges. Mindfulness is taught through meditation skills which include
bringing attention to the breath and the body during stillness and
movement. Mindfulness uses meditation to develop the ability to pay
deliberate attention to our experience from moment to moment. We learn
to tune in to what is going on in our mind and body day to day. Becoming
more aware of our thoughts, feelings and sensations may not sound like
an obviously helpful thing to do, however learning to do this in a way that
suspends judgement and self criticism can have surprising results. Many
people report finding inner strengths and resources that help them make
wiser decisions about their health and life in general. Mindfulness is
entirely secular.
Mindfulness Learning can help us to:
• Learn new ways to handle our moods and emotions.
• Enable us to take better care of ourselves so that we are able to
live our lives in a fuller and healthier way.
• Promote a way of being that helps us tackle life problems –
physical, mental, social and emotional.
• Learn to be aware of the small changes in the physical sensations
in our body; what is happening in the world around us (using our
physical senses) and our thoughts, emotions and moods.
• The mindfulness programme encourages us to develop the skill of
being aware of our experiences (good and bad, pleasant and
unpleasant) from moment to moment -so that we can learn to
respond more skilfully to situations rather than simply reacting
automatically.
• Overall, the course is often helpful in dealing with an ongoing
difficulty – the problem may not change but we can learn to relate
to it differently.
Benefits include:
 reduced psychological distress
 reduced depressive symptoms and rates of relapse for depression
 reductions in stress, anxiety and anger
 reduction in fatigue
 enhanced psychological functioning, quality of life and positive
mood states
 increased energy and vitality
 better health condition and pain management
 Improvements around risk taking behaviours and drug use
 improved memory
Mental health benefits
Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) has been shown to be at
least as effective as maintenance antidepressant medication in preventing
relapse in recurrent depression and more effective in reducing residual
depressive symptoms, psychiatric comorbidity and quality of life (Kuyken et
al, 2008). MBCT is included in NICE (2009) guidelines for management of
recurrent depression. It has been shown to help recovered recurrently
depressed participants, through teaching them skills to disengage from
habitual ‘automatic’ unhelpful cognitive patterns. The pattern of mind
which makes people vulnerable to depressive relapse is rumination, in
which the mind repetitively re-runs negative thoughts.
Physical health benefits
Improvements have also been found in reduced health risk taking
behaviour, including drug use (Bowen, 2006)
Training people in mindfulness techniques produced positive brain
activation patterns and is associated with a substantial boost in immune
function 6 months after training compared to the control group (Davidson
et al, 2003). It has been proven to reduce the stress related hormone,
cortisol (Matousek et al, 2009)
What is mindfulness and why this is relevant to you and your
workplace
• How to do mindfulness practice and develop attitudes of
mindfulness in daily life
• How to continue your practice beyond the online mindfulness
programme
Programme Content:
• Description of mindfulness
• Instruction and practice in various forms of mindfulness
• Teaching of mindfulness in daily life attitudes and practices
• Mindfulness and stress reduction
• Learning how to practice various forms of mindfulness
• Research results on applications of mindfulness in health and
workplace settings
• Introducing mindfulness into your daily life
Further group learning on mindfulness in the workplace can offer the
following:
• Knowledge of research results on mindfulness in improving
wellness and reducing stress in the workplace
• Mindfulness and Effective Communication
• How to learn to respond to others with awareness rather than react
automatically
• How to have greater work/life balance
• Special applications of mindfulness in the workplace to conflict
resolution, team building, creative development
• Practical ways to bring greater enjoyment into your workplace
Studies of Mindfulness in a business context
Studies have shown that increases in mindfulness are associated with
increased creativity and decreased burnout and executive and corporate
mindfulness leadership programs are emerging to meet the need. A 2001
FAA study found that 'multitasking' approaches to work can reduce
productivity by as much as 20%-40%, whilst a study with business
executives in Korea found practicing mindfulness increased productivity.
Pacific Investment Management Co and technology leaders, Apple
Computer, Yahoo!, Texas Instruments, Nortel Networks and Google have
all already instituted mindfulness training and wellness opportunities onsite.There is also a growing recognition amongst notable scholars and
practitioners in the Career Development and Human Resources
professions of the need for thoughtful integration of wellbeing support with
career counselling in response to elevated levels of employment
uncertainty and dramatic and rapid changes in the world of work.
Mindfulness-based interventions are well suited to support the growing
number of professionals living with employment uncertainty. With the
advent of globalization, increased job flux, and rapid changes in the world
of work, feelings of employment insecurity are becoming more prevalent,
with potential implications for wellbeing, and in some instances, workrelated stress (D. L. Blustein, 2006)
' In essence mindfulness training is based on focussing on
oneself and one’s place in the here and now, with the mind
recognising and acknowledging inner as well as outer discomforts,
and then transforming this into positive emotion. This
entails learning about different body postures within
meditation i.e. sitting, lying, kneeling, and walking. In
addition to this, helpful techniques on clearing ones mind of
many thoughts to a position of staying focussed in the reality
of ones own environment in every sense, is at the heart of
'Mindfulness Meditation'.'
How do you begin to practice mindfulness in a corporate or office
environment?
In an atmosphere where you may be easily distracted habitually shuttling
between the past, future and multiple projects, mindfulness may seem
impossible. Mindfulness can be particularly helpful in emotionally charged
situations. Sometimes when we simply react to a situation, we behave in
ways that we know are not necessarily wise, productive, or efficient. When
we simply react our actions often unbalance our work lives.
To Begin to Use Mindfulness To Decrease Reactivity at Work:
Begin to notice times when you are reactive. Instead focus on your
objectives and what will work in the situation. Focusing on what works
allows you more freedom of choice and to see possibility.
Think of a challenging situation you encountered in the past week at work.
It may be a challenging situation related to the actions of another person, a
project or your own actions. Identify a goal in the situation. Think deeply
about the situation and come up with several actions or thoughts that
would be a step towards your goal. Each action or thought may not get you
to your goal, but keep focus on what works.
At first this may be a difficult exercise. It's sometimes hard to expand how
we think about and act in different situations. With practice it will become
easier. If you find yourself stuck, simply allow yourself to brainstorm and
write down any step or possible solution that comes into your mind. Allow
yourself to edit your steps later. If you find yourself stuck in judgments, let
them slide out of your mind.
"Mindfulness has been described as an intentional focused awareness " a
way of paying non-judgmental attention on purpose, and in the present
moment." – "Jon Kabbat Zinn", Full Catastrophe Living.
This sounds like a simple life skill and not very applicable in the workplace.
But when we try to focus our minds, we realize that our minds and thoughts
control us, and we are often living in the past or the future. Our minds jump
from one random thought to another. This leads us to react automatically to
both daily and difficult situations. With mindfulness, we come into greater
awareness of the present moment, can have greater mental stability, and
develop the ability to respond consciously, to think creatively and to be
open to new possibilities in our relationships and in our environments. This
is very valuable in the complex and fast paced business environment. We
can learn to control our minds, rather than be controlled by them.
Mindfulness can be used in a formal session of focused awareness, as well
as in the attitude that we have to our everyday experiences. Over the last
20 years, mindfulness has been brought into the workplace by diverse
organizations, notably the Centre for Mindfulness in Medicine, Healthcare
and Society from the University of Massachusetts. Mindfulness programs
have been brought to a variety of groups such as attorneys, judges,
educators, corporate employees and executives as well as to professional
athletes. Mindfulness meditation has also been shown to be significant in
the diminishing anxiety, stress, and depression, as well as in supporting
physical health and healing. Extensive research in mindfulness is showing
a variety of benefits for its practitioners.
Mindfulness meditation programs are now being offered in workplaces,
hospitals, health centres, student health services, prisons, all over the
world.
Corporations and institutions are becoming more aware of the many
benefits of mindfulness training for their employees, including:
• Greater ability to manage stress
• Clearer and more effective communication
• Becoming more conscious in their communication, so that they are
responding with awareness rather than reacting
• Improved abilities to address conflict in the workplace
• Improved teamwork
• Enhanced creativity and leadership in the workplace
• Increased stability during periods of organisational change and
reorganization
• More self-awareness about personal stress and how to prevent it
• Overall improvements in workplace functioning
By living more in the present moment and having greater awareness and
control of our minds we can:
• Stop habitual patterns of thought and reactions
• Have greater clarity about ourselves, others and our environments
• Have better understanding of complex situations
• Choose more effective responses and solutions
• Connect with creative "out of the box" solutions
• Overcome stereotypical thinking
Mindfulness training supports the development of a more effective,
productive, peaceful and creative workplace.
Incorporating mindfulness into your workday:
Here are a few suggestions for making your workday more mindful, and
more relaxed. Try them out and let us know how you feel!
1. Take 5 minutes or more in the morning to be quiet and meditate,
listen to the sounds of nature, gaze out the window, take a quiet
walk.
2. While your car is warming up, pay attention to the quality of your
breathing and how your body feels.
3. While you are driving, become aware of the tension in your body.
Are your hands gripping the wheel? is your stomach tight? do you
feel you have to be tense to drive effectively?
4. When you are stopped at a red light, or stuck in traffic, pay
attention to your breathing or the sky, or the sights around you.
5. Once you park your car, think of moving through your day
efficiently, but more slowly.
6. While sitting at your desk, pay attention on a regular basis to your
bodily sensations and your breath. Some people use the top of the
hour as a time to check on their breathing and make sure it is slow
and comfortable Stop for a few minutes every hour.
7. Take some time at lunch or during breaks to connect with others in
the workplace that you enjoy. Try to talk about things that are not
work related.
8. At the end of the workday, review your activities and congratulate
yourself for all that you have accomplished. Put anything left over
on a list for tomorrow. You have done enough work for today.
9. While driving home, be aware of your body. Are you tense? Are
you rushing?
10. When you park your car at home, take a minute to orient yourself
to the next phase of your day, your personal or family time.
11.Try to change out of your work clothes when you get home. This
might help you to transition into your next "role" of the day. If you
live with others, say hello to each of them. If you live alone, enjoy
the feeling of quiet and peace in your own environment.
Mindfulness provision in the Healthcare Sector:
Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) has been shown to be at
least as effective as maintenance antidepressant medication in preventing
relapse in recurrent depression and more effective in reducing residual
depressive symptoms, psychiatric co-morbidity and quality of life (Kuyken
et al, 2008). MBCT is included in NICE (2009) guidelines for management
of recurrent depression and it has been shown to help recovered
recurrently depressed participants, through teaching them skills to
disengage from habitual ‘automatic’ unhelpful cognitive patterns. The
pattern of mind which makes people vulnerable to depressive relapse is
rumination in which the mind repetitively re-runs negative thoughts.
The core skill that MBCT is teaching is to intentionally ‘shift mental gears’
and research is underway funded by the Welcome Trust, University of
Oxford and the University of Bangor involving several projects centred
around the concept of cognitive reactivity (the way in which small mood
changes may induce patterns of negative thinking which can lead to an
increase in negative mood states or reactivity) and how our memory for
past events sometimes succeeds and sometimes fails to switch off this
type of thinking.
Most of us find ourselves frequently ‘swept away’ by the current of thoughts
and feelings, worries, pressures, responsibilities; wanting things to be
different from how they are right now. This can be particularly powerful
when we are faced with pain, difficulties and illness that confound our
attempts to find a solution or to feel better. Feeling stuck in this way can be
draining. Mindfulness is a form of awareness and meditation that can help
us to work directly with the struggle we sometimes have in relating to life’s
experience and in doing so can really improve the quality of our life. It has
been extensively researched and is associated with wellbeing, better selfregulated behaviour and self-knowledge (Brown and Ryan, 2003) and
increased awareness of present thoughts which can help individuals
disengage from thoughts and unhealthy behaviour patterns and therefore
support behaviour change and associated improved well-being (Ryan &
Deci, 2000). Mindfulness may also contribute to well-being in a direct way
by adding relaxation and vividness to experience.
Training people in mindfulness techniques has been found to produce
positive brain activation patterns and is associated with a substantial boost
in immune function 6 months after training compared to the control group
(Davidson et al, 2003). It has been proven to reduce the stress related
hormone, cortisol (Matousek et al, 2009)
Mindfulness learning - can be via a combination of group
and computer based sessions. Northwest NHS is funding a
number of online Mindfulness training programmes.
Enquiries to Maryam Ganji
Maryam.ganji@third-wave.net
Be Mindful Campaign, Mental Health Foundation