Mindfulness In The Workplace
There continues to be a growing body of research that shows bringing a culture of mindfulness into the workplace increases and improves productivity, focus, cognitive thinking skills, imaginative solutions, management of stress levels and overall employee self-care. Adding to this, employers are finding that communication, how employees work together and relationships are enhanced and improved which ultimately develops better leaders and generates more creative workplaces. Mindfulness training courses are becoming the norm in large corporations in cities around the world.
For an employee, mindfulness means being fully present, in the moment, focusing only on the task at hand, not thinking about the pile of projects sitting on the desk or what might be happening in the future. It is paying attention, on purpose to what is happening right here, right now.
Our workplace programs are based on the internationally acclaimed Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program. MBSR is a program where you learn how to cultivate awareness and reduce stress and suffering in your life. Through learning and practicing mindfulness you develop the capacity to be awake and present during your moments and manage your stress, pain, illness and your life. Mindfulness is being present in your moment by “paying attention on purpose while cultivating an attitude of non-judgmental acceptance”. The focus is on learning how to be mindful by becoming aware of thoughts, feelings, your body, habitual patterns and responding rather than reacting in your life. Initially, Jon Kabat Zinn developed this program for people with chronic pain. It is now taught worldwide for all populations wanting to manage their life in a more effective, responsive way. It is through the practice and cultivation of mindfulness that you learn how to lean into being uncomfortable in the moment and how to manage that uncomfortableness. This ultimately teaches you how to manage life during times of pain, suffering and/or stress.
The central focus of the program is intensive training in formal and informal mindfulness practice and its integration into everyday life. Mindfulness is taught through embodiment of the experience and practice.
Janie Pfeifer Watson has been trained in MBSR through the Center for Mindfulness in UMASS and is working towards certification which takes years to complete. All of our therapists teaching mindfulness have been through the eight-week course of learning how to implement formal practice into her life.