5 tips to encourage your employees to have a mindful day

Smiling Mind has reported that practising mindfulness in the workplace can result in clearer, more focused thinking, increased productivity and attention, and heightened performance. And the benefits don’t stop when we leave the office, with mindfulness also linked to increased positive emotion, life satisfaction and self-esteem beyond the workplace¹.

Read on for our top tips to encourage your team to integrate mindful moments into their workday.

1. Start their day with a break

It might seem counter-intuitive to start the workday with a break, however encouraging your team to try a short meditation while they sip on their morning coffee could increase their productivity throughout the day.

For employees who are new to mindfulness, encourage them to follow this simple 5-minute mindfulness practice:

Find a comfortable, quiet spot with minimal distractions.
Sit back and rest your attention on your breath, notice the gentle rise and fall of your chest and belly as you breathe.
Hold your coffee cup between your palms and notice the warmth. How does it smell?
Take a sip, pause. How does it taste?
Swallow and focus on the sensation. Notice how it makes you feel physically and emotionally.
Each time you notice you have become distracted (which is completely normal), gently bring your attention back to the act of sipping your coffee.

2. Forget multi-tasking

Ensuring that your employees have a clear idea of what to prioritise will help to give them focus. Ask your team to take a mindful moment at the start of each week to identify their two most important tasks or projects. Encourage them to tackle these first, one at a time. Allowing your team to give their full attention to a single task will achieve greater clarity, consciousness, and productivity and may also reduce feelings of work-related stress, anxiety and chaos.

3. Slow down to speed up

Contrary to popular belief, busy does not equal productive. When your team isn’t jumping between tasks, or rushing from meeting to meeting, there is more space in their day for forward thinking, long-term strategy and innovation. Encourage your employees to work at a steady pace on a single task to maintain their focus and minimise mistakes. Slowing down the pace will also enable your team to make well-thought-out decisions and be calm and present in the office, resulting in more meaningful interactions with their colleagues.

4. Set a mindful moment reminder

Set up a meeting reminder for your team or simply encourage them to take short mindfulness breaks between tasks. Your employees could use these intervals to stretch their legs, get some fresh air, or to listen to a short mindfulness meditation using the Smiling Mind app, so they’re ready to tackle their next task with clarity. Don’t forget to lead by example and make time for mindful moments throughout your day too.

5. Create a mindful culture

Introduce meeting guidelines that all mobile phones should be switched off or set to silent whenever possible and remember to keep each other accountable. Nominate one team member to take notes in each meeting (that can be shared afterwards), so that the team can listen without distraction, and give everyone the opportunity to speak, uninterrupted. Being present in the moment means everyone is getting the most from the interaction which is invaluable for workplace culture.

READ MORE: The science behind mindfulness

¹https://www.smilingmind.com.au/mindfulness-workplace