Mindfulness for business

Have you ever wondered how to practice mindfulness but never really knew where to start? Maybe you think mindfulness isn’t for you? Well rest easy! Mindfulness is for everyone. Here is a simple 5 step guide showing not only how to practice mindfulness, but how to maximize the benefits. But before looking at how to practice mindfulness, lets look at a definition, from the oxford dictionary:

“a mental state achieved by concentrating on the present moment, while calmly accepting the feelings and thoughts that come to you”

1: Be Present – Here and Now

Have a seat, and come to rest in an upright, relaxed position. Be aware of the feeling of your body on the seat. Other than being comfortable (not too comfortable!) there is no specific position for your hands, although gently resting on your lap is good. Allow any tension to slip away. Start with your facial muscles, your neck and shoulders, your back, legs and feet. We could think of this step as as someone testing a microphone before speaking. It calls for attention, and brings focus to the present moment.

A nice analogy to help us understand the purpose of this step is to think of a satellite navigation system in a car. Before we begin, we first need to determine where we are right now.

2.  Focus on Breath

Focusing on breath is a highly effective way to bring attention to the present moment. Conscious breathing leads to a deeper, more regular pattern, which in turn relaxes us further. A nice pattern would be breathing in for the count of 4, holding for 4, breathing out for the count of 4 and holding for 4. This is known as square breathing or box breathing, and instantly calms us. If holding for 4 is uncomfortable, hold for 2.We are now present and calm in body and mind. So this step is really about setting the tone for what follows.

This step is like setting the parameters in our satellite navigation system. We select destination, choose to go local or express, avoid traffic or tolls etc. 

3. Be As One With Each Breath

Steps one and two were designed to bring our body and mind to rest. Perfect! Well, not quite. It was perfect in the moment we did it; but that moment has now passed. Our mind will automatically generate thoughts, because thats what the mind does when we are not aware. The strays thoughts could be along the lines of: ‘Am I doing this right?’ ‘This is silly’. ‘It’s not working’. So, to remain in the present moment, we need to maintain focus on the breath. If a thought arises and we become aware of it, simply return to focusing on breath. Allow the thought to slip away.

To compare this step with our navigation analogy, we set off, ready to follow further prompts. If we have chosen an express route and we are offered a turn on to a local route, we simply ignore the prompt and move on. Driving will recalculate the route, just as returning to breath will hold our focus on the present moment.

4. Be An Observer

When we learn how to practice mindfulness, we learn to calm our mind, so that we can start to become aware of which irrelevant thoughts we entertain most. While it is importance to be aware of the thoughts as they arise, we should not entertain them while practicing mindfulness. This comes later, when we learn how to practice mindfulness in an advanced way. For now, just be aware of what thoughts crop up, and this way, you will start to notice patterns over time. Being the non-judgmental observer of our own interruptive thought patterns is an incredibly effective way to eventually maintain motivation and increase performance.

In our navigation analogy, imagine having to deal with an unwanted prompt every time you pass a coffee shop? This is not just annoying, but would detract from the primary task, which is driving towards the destination. So we make a note of the pattern of unwanted prompts, and then ignore them by concentrating on breathing.

5. Bring Mindfulness With You  

After a period of time, lets say 5 minutes to begin with, we slowly end our practice of mindfulness. Now the  trick is this: if we take benefit from those 5 minutes only, we haven’t really changed much in the overall scheme of things. So, to get maximum benefit, we need to gradually start to take this mindset into daily living. Obviously we cannot concentrate on breathing and pushing thoughts away if we have busy schedules. But here’s the secret: when we are busy, we should be focused only on what it is that we need to do. We all have a tendency to over-think. When completing tasks, we should only be focused on what that particular task is asking of us at any particular moment (the present moment).

We can take inspiration from how we concentrated on breathing while practicing mindfulness. Through time, we learn to shut out all other noise and cluttered thinking. We do this by returning to the observer and making necessary changes, based on what the observer noticed during mindfulness.

To look once again at the navigation analogy, by this stage we have reached our destination. It is at this point that we remember the pattern of annoying prompts. So we go through the settings of the navigation system, looking for the setting that switches off notifications for coffee shops. In doing so, we ensure that the next time we drive that road, we are free to concentrate only on driving that road. That in essence is what keeps us calm, and keeps us focused on the present moment.

Helpful Tip:

Finally, if all of that seems a little too much, then try this. Close your eyes and take just one deep conscious breath. If you can do that (you have already been doing it all of your life, but here you are consciously doing it), then you have just learned how to practice mindfulness. Slowly, with each passing day, you can build from one deep conscious breath to the five minute practice.

More Information/help:

For more detailed mindfulness coaching, or to introduce this practice to your workplace, please use the contact page. On-site or video call mindfulness workshops available by Samuel Roger Holmes. Special discounts for schools, not-for-profit organizations and veterans groups.

If you are not reaping the benefits of mindfulness already, ask yourself this: Why ignore a scientifically proven practice which is simple and free, used by most of the worlds leading companies and their best employees, and something which also benefits your health and personal life? I’ve been practicing mindfulness for 5 years, and I have yet to encounter a valid reason why this x-factor item is not on every career check list. Most people say they are too busy. That’s like saying your toothache is too bad to go see a dentist.

If pushed to offer a definition of mindfulness, I’d say it is a simple meditation technique which greatly enhances focus and awareness, allowing your best innate qualities to shine through as peak performance. So why are companies investing so much time and money in encouraging workers to avail of the benefits of mindfulness? Well, here are five benefits of mindfulness which are well worth considering.

1: Nothing Handles Stress Like Mindfulness

Ask any HR manager or health care professional what the cost of stress is to business and you will be in for a shock. 75% of all health care costs incurred by business are stress-related. It is by far the biggest risk to a company’s bottom line and to their best employees. Nothing prevents and controls stress like mindfulness….and it’s FREE! Most people are unaware that they are affected by stress, but this silent killer contributes to a whole raft of medical problems and has a huge impact on performance. Practicing mindfulness removes flight of fight instinct, replacing it with a natural state of relaxed calm.

2: Mindfulness Greatly Enhances Focus

This is where it gets a bit like The Matrix or Bruce Lee. And trust me, thats a good thing. Mindfulness greatly enhances awareness and focus. It is a huge benefit of mindfulness to be able to give our full attention to one task at a time. The most successful careers are forged by those who see that multi-tasking is a myth, often leading to procrastination because attention is too divided to see any individual task through to quality completion. Those who forge successful careers realize that a focused mind is a productive mind. The one and only way to get there is by practicing mindfulness.

3: Creativity Soars With Mindfulness

Business in an open market economy relies on creativity to produce quality products and services, while also continuing to innovate through changing times. Consider the rapid rise, and even more rapid fall of Nokia for example. Creativity is entirely dependent upon mental state, and to perceive and respond to change. Mindfulness guides the creative process by quietening negative thoughts and self-consciousness. While creating mindfully, positivity dominates the process.

4: Mindfulness Builds Emotional Intelligence

Let’s face it – we could work sixty hour weeks for years on end, and still miss a promotion or pay bump because of that hidden intangible chemistry that some have and some don’t. Faking it is a complete disaster by the way. It’s better to work smarter. EQ is the secret something which sets the winners apart from the hamsters on the wheel, and is fueled by regularly practicing mindful meditation. There are no bionic men or office politics gurus; there are only people who approach their careers mindfully and the many others who don’t.

5: Mindfulness Makes You a Consistently Better Person

Following on from EQ, is perhaps the benefit of mindfulness which has the biggest impact on professional and personal lives, is that staying in the moment makes you a better person. It makes you a better person when working with a team, on your own initiative, and a better person when you go home to the family after a hard day. Mindfulness enables us to work better, sleep better, enjoy time off better, and come back to work refreshed and ready to go again. When negativity and cluttered thought is eliminated, you and the world around you become calmer, happier and the type of person people want to spend more time with.

If you would like to nurture a mindful culture in your workplace, check out in8Motivation services page.

Tomorrow, May 16th 2019, I’m driving from New York City to Colorado, to climb my first 14er. All being well weather wise, I’m hoping to get to the summit of Mount Elbert, which at 14,439 feet, is the highest peak in Colorado. It’s the highest, but by no means the most difficult, hence it’s popularity as a first 14er. The drive alone should be interesting; a 3,800 mile round trip, retracing much of the route I used while cycling across America in 2016. As for Mount Elbert itself, that part represents something of a step into the unknown. Thats where the adventure challenge kicks in.

The drive from New York City to Leadville, CO.

The Colorado 14er’s

There are 58 mountain peaks in Colorado at over 14,000 feet elevation. Collectively, they are referred to as The 14er’s, and the adventure challenge of climbing them all has become something of an obsession to many. I don’t know how many I’ll end up climbing in the long term (some are technical and dangerous), but I’ll start with Elbert and take it from there.

Why Solo Adventure Challenges?

A solo adventure challenge into the wilderness conjures up therapeutic benefits which are difficult to explain. Maybe because we are far removed from the noise and stress of our regular lives, we are forced to look at ourselves, and the beauty of nature around us. There is a feeling of oneness with the world, especially in the mountains. I prefer to go solo, for a variety of reasons. Firstly, I love the beautiful silence when high altitude hiking. Secondly, I like to be focused. Taking on a solo adventure challenge, negates the need for nagging thoughts of keeping up with or impressing others. Instead, it’s a journey of self-discovery, of learning and of self-leadership.

The main reason I like to go solo on an adventure challenge is because I think if I want to achieve something, I should be the one to put in the hard work. My Inca Trail adventure challenge in December 2018 for example, was a lot of fun, but it bothered me that I had a guide, and had to rely on porters to carry my tent. That didn’t sit well with me, and definitely took away from the feeling of accomplishment when I finally reached Machu Picchu. I prefer the feeling that I am relying on myself, and that I have to motivate and encourage myself. That way, I know if I make progress, it’s because I worked hard for it. Conversely, if I get sluggish or feel like quitting, then I know there is something I need to work on.

Solo Adventures and Mindfulness

The principles that drive self-motivation and self-leadership on solo adventures are as applicable in our careers and lives in general. They form the basis of the mindfulness and motivation workshops I deliver. Mindfulness is essentially focused attention on the present. Being in the present moment means we can focus on the specific task at hand at any given moment. We are able to shut out the unnecessary negative thoughts. On a mountain, as with riding across America, hiking the Inca Trail or on any other adventure challenge, we don’t need to complete the entire challenge all at once. Our best performance comes when we focus on completing a task one moment at a time. One step at a time. One tiny piece at a time. Often, while discouraged, looking at the enormity of the overall challenge can trigger negative and stressful thoughts, which ironically further hinder our progress. Mindfulness in the wilderness is a beautiful thing, but also an amazing way to understand ourselves, and what drives us forward in our careers and lives.

Mindful motivation and leadership is as applicable in the office as it is on a solo adventure. Focused attention improves performance, increases confidence and reduces stress. 

Adventure Dedicated to…

Previously, I used an adventure to fundraise for a charity. Thats not something I will be doing again. Money does not solve all problems.

Despite sharing an enormous amount of personal experience and emotion about adventure challenges on this blog, I haven’t as yet touched on the important core reasons for doing what I do. That will come later. My book, which has the working title Falling Up will hopefully go to print in late 2019 or early 2020. The philosophy behind falling up is essentially a lesson in self help, self-motivation and the power of mindful positivity.

Not having direction or focus can happen to any of us, at any time. Despite how it may feel, we are not alone, and we are not a lost cause. In fact, we can not only come back from our downs, but turn our downs into ups. There is no more solid foundation on which to build from than rock bottom. The greatest adventure challenge we can embark on is awareness and improvement of self, and it starts with mindfulness and meditation.

We all experience hardship or suffering at some point. It is temporary, it is not our reality, and there is a way through it. Life can deal us tough hands. It can happen because of depression or anxiety, following an accident, while grieving, from the despair of addiction, from relationship problems or from body related self-conscious issues such as weight etc. Sometimes it can simply happen by trying to keep up with the pace and expectation of life itself.

To anyone affected by any of those issues, I hope that by going on adventure challenges, and sharing my experiences, I can be of some small help in showing that there is a greater perspective. It IS possible to regroup, recover and refocus; and when we do, we can achieve things far beyond what we ever thought possible. I’m going up this mountain as much for you as I am for me.