February 13, 2017
10 Benefits of Mindfulness for Your Business
BY Caitlin Delohery IN Mindfulness 0 Comment
By now you know what mindfulness is and that tons of people swear by it. Here are 10 benefits of mindfulness for your business.
1. Fewer distractions
Your brain is like a computer. Having too many tabs open at once or activating those pop-up windows can slow down your system.
Mindfulness closes out the unnecessary stuff that clogs your brain. You may not be able to reduce external distractions and interruptions in your workday. But practicing mindfulness can help you tune them out or reduce their impact.
2. Rapid memory recall
When your brain isn’t scattered and thinking about 10 different things, it’s easier to find the tab you are looking for. Meditating and practicing mindfulness helps you tune out the noise so you can remember the important stuff, like where to find the data for that report that’s due tomorrow.
3. Increased empathy
Northeastern University conducted a study that showed how meditation increases our empathy and compassion for others. Yes, even your co-workers! Less conflict = better teamwork = working smarter, not harder. Win-win!
4. Reduced stress
Those who practice mindfulness and meditation have improved responses to stress and lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Some doctors even prescribe meditation to lower blood pressure! Bonus – when you’re not overstressed, you can get better work done.
5. Improved sleep
Better sleep at home means you won’t be sleeping on the job. If you’re not fully awake and present at work, you’re not going to do your best. Practicing mindfulness helps calm the brain. You won’t toss and turn because you’re worried about your review tomorrow. No worries, you’ve got this.
6. Fewer sick days
Nobody likes to be sick. We avoid sickness at all costs. Mindfulness meditation has been shown to improve immunity. So you can use your time off for an awesome vacation, instead of that cold you can’t shake.
7. Reduced bias
Everyone wants to work where there’s equal opportunity based on merit and performance. A study from Central Michigan University showed reduced gender and race biases in participants who practiced mindfulness meditation.
8. More creativity
We often praise innovation as the key to growth. Those who practice mindfulness meditation often have increased creativity, which is defined in the study as the ability to brainstorm multiple ideas, as well as finding a specific solution to a problem. Fewer ruts to climb out of = more stuff done.
9. Reduced burnout
These two studies were conducted on teachers and medical professionals who completed weeks-long meditation courses. Both fields experience major burnout. With all of the other benefits on this list, it should be no surprise to you that meditation also helps reduce worker burnout.
10. Increased job satisfaction
People who meditate report higher job satisfaction than those who don’t. Happier employees = less turnover, and that is always good for business. And from an employee standpoint, if we’re going to be at work for a third or more of our day, we want to be happy while we’re there.
Need to back up and review what mindfulness really is? Check out our blog defining mindfulness in business.
