Mindfulness

The essence of mindfulness lies in being in the here-and-now, and being radically aware of it. To navigate a new path and still be able to arrive at your destination in a reasonable time needs you to have your wits about you. Mindfulness helps us navigate this new path. Research has shown that it helps alleviate stress, reduces emotional reactivity, improves our immunity, builds resilience to distress and even enhances memory, not to mention improving overall general health and well-being as well alleviates heart disease.

Understand stress, identify the source, symptom’s and sign’s (3s’s) of stress and learn various strategies to cope up with stress.

Strategies using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and  mindfulness to cope with stress.

Stress is not always  negative – there are positive stress as well, which keep us going. Negative stress is called distress

Most common forms of stress :

Two sides of same common are – Anxiety and depression.

Anxiety – about future, about unknown and how will we cope – what if?

Depression –  about past. some thing unpleasant happen in life – you are not able to come into terms with it.

Panic – last for 10 to 15 minutes but has lot of  physical symptoms.

Social anxiety .

Sources and symptoms of stress:

Physiological stress – Illness, lack of sleep, poor nutrition etc.

Cognitive/Psychological stressors – Attitude, belief, our own thoughts,

Socio-Cultural Stressors  - Financial problems, relationship issues,

Environmental stress - pandemic

 How can managers become more aware of workplace stress?

Talk about it ; talk about non work related stuff. Know the symptoms of stress.

Be more resilient

Learn mindfulness practice to deal with day to day stress challenges in life.

Provide open and non judgmental space to team.  That is how we are wired – to be judgmental.

Have open ended question – when you listen to others problem 

Group sessions are powerful – They help people to come together, and give them assurance.  Exposure – cohesiveness. ; councelling; 1-1 session

Being mindful entails the following principles:  ·     

Intentional awareness of experiences occurring in the present.

Surveying the moment without judgment.

Letting go of the past and not living through the future.  

Not over-identifying with one’s own feelings, accepting them as they are.

Not striving towards anything other than the complete presence.

Be present in the present.  

• Mindfulness-image-by-Doug-Neill /Courtesy Google.