Mindless to Great. How to stay focused and pursue peace of mind
A friend of mine once told me about meditation and I instinctively imagined a Buddhist monk sitting alone in a remote temple with his eyes closed. That didn’t fit into my picture of a busy modern world. Observing my breath and sensations seemed too mysterious to bring any tangible long-term benefits, except for immediate relaxation and a brief shift away from my problems. I preferred physical exercise at the time.
I’ve been seeking out more of a balance since then. Having noticed that self-help books weren’t enough, I decided to give meditation a try after all. Surprisingly, it helped me get rid of some old thinking habits, form new ones and transform my life.
Entering the modern world
I was excited to find that mindfulness meditation, which originated in Eastern cultures as a way to liberate yourself from suffering, has also found its place in the modern organizational culture. Its merits have been recognised by Google, Facebook and Adobe, among others.
Vinted, the startup behind a mobile social marketplace for preloved clothing, has also joined this trend. Its employees, myself included, have had the opportunity to attend mindfulness meditation trainings and many practise independently.
At the beginning, I found it difficult to sustain my attention without falling into memories and plans, even for a few minutes. With each practise, it became easier to stay focused for longer. Some feelings and thoughts that came in meditation were pleasant, some were not. The less attention I gave them, the sooner they left and the less likely they were to come back.
This technique has been the subject of many recent studies that have proven its positive effect on psychological health and work performance.
Focus
The modern work environment comes with constant, inevitable distractions. Killingsworth and Gilbert estimate that the human mind wanders during roughly half of our working hours.
Research suggests that mindfulness practises may be the key to regaining focus and retaining it for a prolonged time .
This is because in certain types of meditation trainings, people are asked to concentrate on breathing to notice mind-wandering and to return to their present state. Once this becomes a habit, the ability to be focused on the present moment naturally transmits to everyday tasks.
The more we practise mindfulness, the easier it becomes to resist the temptation of switching tasks or getting distracted, even if the distractions are of an emotional nature.
A stronger focus brings with it an enhanced ability to see difficult issues from different perspectives and take informed decisions. This study has shown that as little as 8 weeks of mindfulness meditation training alters multiple brain areas in positive ways. People who meditated had an increased concentration of gray matter in the left hippocampus, the area of our brain responsible for learning, memory and emotional control.
Recognising emotions
I started taking greater responsibility for my emotional reactions. It began with a realization that another person or situation don’t create negative emotions. It is me who chooses to react this way. Meditation helped me change the way I dealt with unpleasant or stressful situations.
Our every emotion is followed by a physical sensation, e.g. heat in the arms can be associated with anger. Recognizing the physical changes that are the signals of emotions enables us to have more mindful reactions. When we observe them as if we’re watching a movie, it is easier to take the right action.
Empathy is just as crucial to emotional awareness and intelligence. Irritations, disappointments and judgment affect not just our wellbeing, but also the happiness of people who work with us. Shifting focus from ourselves to others has profound benefits.
My friend recently told me how unhappy she was about her new job. Aggressive clients, overreacting colleagues, an arrogant manager with sky-high performance expectations — the more she thought about the situation, the more upset and the less collaborative she became. This reminded me of the fact that the ability to understand how another person perceives the world and recognize their feelings makes it much easier to solve problems and find a solution. Empathic employees provide customers with a better experience and empathic leaders are more valued by their employees.
The psychologist Daniel Goleman goes even further and emphasizes the need to cultivate compassion. Feeling genuine care towards others is essential for a well-functioning organization. It is more than simply tolerating and accepting another person. If you want harmonious relationships with your colleagues, treat them as if they were your family members. That includes a genuine interest in helping others. This attitude is key in creating resonance and building trust.
Multiple studies have shown that mindfulness meditation which includes LKM (loving-kindness meditation) can alter the brain and make people more compassionate. And it’s not just about feeling compassion for others, but also yourself. The reduction of stress is also associated with increased empathy. 8 weeks of mindfulness meditation training also resulted in decreased stress and anxiety .
What should you do to benefit from meditation?
The answer is constant practice.
It is very much like training the muscles. At the beginning, exercising is hard, but with time the mind strengthens and meditation becomes effortless.
Make meditation become your daily routine. However, don’t be hard on yourself if you miss a day or two. Many meditators I know have had setbacks, including myself. It’s important to not give up and to just keep at it.
One important lesson that meditation taught me is perceiving my life less seriously. Everything is constantly changing and there is really nothing to lose. This attitude gives me the freedom to experiment and sometimes take risks while working on accomplishing my goals. Dis-attachment from the temporary and moving on when things don’t turn out as expected helps keep my mind calm.
When you have a hang of it — take a wider approach. Remember that people normally end up sharing the same emotions as their teammates. So if you want to change your environment, you actually have the power to do it by yourself.
