It’s no secret that meditation can introduce benefits into your life. Mostly, people think of relaxing and calming benefits, but meditation can actually do so much more for you. For example, did you know that meditation actively helps you improve your focus and concentration? That’s why scientists recommend practicing meditation - especially in the workplace!
Due to modern technology, fast communication possibilities and competitive mindsets we came to live in a fast-paced time, and. We work harder, make longer days, and carry larger workloads. This all would seem very productive, but it is actually more stressful. Employees have to keep up with the pace and the pressure to be online 24/7. As a result, employees deal with anxiety, stress, and sometimes even depression and burn-outs. If only one could take some time during the workday to let go, unwind & recharge.
Meditation proves to be the perfect tool to achieve a healthier work ethos, giving employees the opportunity to reflect a bit longer on their decisions and regaining their focus. The result? Well-rested co-workers with vibrant and energized new ideas and regained focus!
But first, what is meditation?
As you might know, meditation has been an Indian discovery a very long time ago. We’re talking about thousands of years ago correlating with the existence of Buddhism. Clear historical evidence shows that Buddhism travelled a long way through Asia, but only in more recent centuries (the 18th) did Buddhism reach the West.
Even though meditation has existed for so many years, it is still difficult to define what it exactly is - as the journey of the mind is an individual one. But what it all ties together are enlightenment and self-realization. Nowadays, we still use this ancient technique to guide our minds and teach ourselves to focus on single objects or activities and clearing the head.
It was not up until recently, however, that the health benefits of meditating were scientifically proven. This resulted in new popularity and more people starting to realize that this isn’t something only Buddhist monks practice - but something that could help everyone - no matter occupation, age or lifestyle.
How can meditation affect workplace performance?
Meditation is all about slowing down. Taking a moment to halt yourself, and focus on the present. This creates a stronger sense of control of both your mind and body. By taking this time to concentrate on your breathing and giving your thoughts some space to wander, we ‘train’ our brain to start focussing on the here and now. This is one task the brain needs to do during meditation, and this single-task mentality actually helps you during the workday on getting things done better - one thing at a time.
Some examples of what meditation can do:
Less Stress
Mindfulness training, such as meditation, has a seriously positive effect on reducing stress resulting from external pressure, stated this study from 2014. Considering how meditation can help us deal with our emotions, it also has an impact on stressful-emotions. Here we train to remain calm and emphatical. Two very useful factors when combatting (work-related) stress. This has everything to do with the improvement of stress biomarkers. During your meditation, you’re boosting your parasympathetic nervous system. This lowers your heart rate and blood pressure - thereby lowering feelings of stress.
Increased Focus
By meditation for only 15 minutes a day, you will experience 22% less mind-wandering. Furthermore, brain scans have proven that a meditative state improves mental focus. There’s plenty of proof that meditation has a seriously positive effect on our concentration-levels - something that should be embedded into a workspace if you’re looking into improving the quality of work.
Better teamwork
Although meditation is an individual journey, it does have an impact on how you interact with others. Meditation tends to have an emphatical effect on you - resulting in easier collaborations among co-workers, more trust in each other and reduced work-related anger.
Job satisfaction
In 2018, research showed that employees who practiced mediation or mindfulness were more satisfied with their work situation than co-workers who didn’t practice it.
Tips on how to implement meditation at work
We’re not necessarily talking about hour-long sessions, but simple short sessions of a couple of minutes already do such great things for your mind. Here are some easy tips & tricks from us on how to implement a daily meditation at work.
Find the right space.
Have a good look around the workspace and find yourself a quiet spot where you won’t be disturbed. For example, unused conference rooms or a bench near the parking lot.Pick the right timing
What you want from you’re meditation, is increased awareness. Therefore we would recommend choosing the time where you normally feel you’re concentration fading away. For most people, this happens around 15:00 / 16:00 PM.Encourage co-workers
Doing meditation as a team can be quite a wonderful and bonding experience. Perhaps you can introduce short meditation sessions into your office by getting some co-workers onboard for group meditation.
How to get started?
At The Conscious Club, we host many meditation classes every week. Whether it’s a beginner’s meditation you’re after or a meditation class combined with breathwork - we have something for every meditation-desire. Have a look at our extensive list of classes below, or check out our Online Meditation Classes, where we offer various classes digitally, so you can practice in the comfort of your own home (or even at the office).
