Mindfulness is being taught and practiced in a growing number of organisations to improve wellbeing and performance. For many it is a commitment to improving staff wellbeing and reducing stress.

Is enough being done? The 2014 APS Stress and Wellbeing Survey has found:

• Stress levels remain higher than in 2011 (when the survey began)
• One in four Australians reported moderate to severe levels of distress
• The workplace remains a key cause of stress, with 45% identifying it as a source, with work demands being a major barrier to maintaining wellbeing

More than ever, leaders need to focus on improving their own wellbeing and the wellbeing of their staff.

What is mindful leadership?

Mindful leadership can give you the tools to manage your life as you are living it.

“It teaches you to pay attention to the present moment, recognizing your feelings and emotions and keeping them under control, especially when faced with highly stressful situations. When you are mindful, you’re aware of your presence and the ways you impact other people. You’re able to both observe and participate in each moment, while recognising the implications of your actions for the longer term. And that prevents you from slipping into a life that pulls you away from your values.” Bill George, Professor of Management Practice, Harvard Business School”. (2012)

It helps you to focus on what is important to you and have a deeper understanding of others around you. It has the potential to inspire your passion, increase your compassion and reduce your stress response.

Most of the time our minds are easily distracted habitually moving between the past and future. Evidence-based research shows the detrimental effects worry can have on our health. Dr Craig Hassed (Monash University) says “the stress response increases the body's allostatic load, which increases inflammation, reduces immunity to illness, accelerates progression of atherosclerosis - the hardening of the arteries that leads to heart attacks and strokes - and also accelerates cell loss from the brain…Prolonged stress not only leads to a cumulative physiological metabolic wear and tear on the body, it also wires the brain for stress”. (Sydney Morning Herald, November 24, 2011)

It is possible to train the brain to focus better and improve your wellbeing. There are several practices that can support leaders to become more mindful and foster sustainable performance. Meditation is the key to improving our practice and ensuring it is efficient and purposeful.

Here are some actions you can take:

Remember to take that "purposeful pause" when fixing a cup of coffee or opening your email program

• Set realistic goals for your meditation practice; use the reminders in an app to encourage you to practice. Try MindApps: click here
• Read a book or article on mindfulness to inspire you
• Identify one daily activity that you will use as purposeful pauses -- opportunities to be fully mindful
• Take a few minutes and scan your whole body from your head to your feet. The increased awareness and connection to how you feel and releasing any tension can be beneficial
• Practice a short mindfulness meditation at the start of your staff meeting

Remember…

“…a human mind is a wandering mind, and a wandering mind is an unhappy mind. The ability to think about what is not happening is a cognitive achievement that comes at an emotional cost.”― Harvard University