Led by Pamela Major, a former diplomat and now a consultant at the influential Mindfulness at Work organisation, the session began with an overview of the reality of working life for many employees in today’s fast-paced business world. Multi-tasking and information overload actually cause attention to wander, explained Pamela, and this results in distracted, inefficient and stressed-out staff.
Research has shown that our minds get side-tracked an astonishing 46.9% of the time. It’s only by training the ‘attention muscle’ that we can begin to increase our productivity and, ultimately, our satisfaction and success at work.
Pamela’s advice focused on ways in which we can increase productivity through mindfulness. One of the key tips is to take momentary breaks throughout the day to think about posture and breathing. We experimented with a mindfulness exercise: with relaxed muscles and eyes closed, we breathed through the nose, counting to ten, and then back down to one, attempting to empty our minds of any anxieties or distractions. Afterwards we all agreed that we felt more relaxed and focused and ready to tackle the working day.
Pamela explained that we should avoid a scatter gun approach to our to-do lists, aiming instead to complete one task at a time wherever possible, rather than falling into the ‘multi-tasking trap’.
Mindfulness can improve not just mental fitness, said Pamela, but overall health and well being. Studies indicate that the practice can balance blood pressure, improve sleep quality, enhance immunity, and decrease heart rate.
Feedback after the session was incredibly positive, with many attendees convinced of the benefits that mindfulness could bring.
Pamela’s workshop was the second in a series of free breakfast workshops organised by us, featuring a variety of guest speakers, and held here in our London office. If you’re interested in attending a future workshop please get in touch either via our contact form or by calling 020 3727 6021.110