Today's information society can overwhelm us to the point of not enjoying what we do every day. Being aware of several tasks at the same time results in a loss of quality and efficiency in our work. All of this leads to work-related stress , which, according to data from the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work , affects 28% of European workers.
This figure makes stress the second most common occupational health problem after back pain. In Europe alone, it costs the economy 136 billion euros a year, as almost half of working days are lost due to the decline in productivity or health costs. The economic crisis has accentuated this trend due to layoffs, EREs or company closures.
In an attempt to reduce workplace stress, more and more companies are inviting their staff list of colombia cell phone numbers to try the Stress Reduction Program based on "Mindfulness" , a method created more than 30 years ago by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. The concept of Mindfulness comes from the Eastern tradition close to Buddhism and can be translated as "full attention or awareness" and is related to the acceptance of oneself and the circumstances that surround it.
The practice of Mindfulness is a systematic training of attention that has the following positive effects:
Increases emotional intelligence: increases the ability to manage stressful situations.
Maintains balance and encourages creativity in complicated situations.
Greater satisfaction in personal relationships (decreased conflicts).
Improve communication skills: active listening.
Improved productivity, thanks to greater attention and concentration.
Some of the world's largest companies, such as Google, Apple, Barclays, PricewaterhouseCoopers and NASA itself, are already applying this technique with measurable results in terms of reducing stress and tension at work. In Spain, it is still a practice that is not widely used.
What exercises can be done during the work day?Gemma Segura
If you don't have any experience in practicing mindfulness, there are some exercises that you can do during the work day that will help you regain your well-being. To give you some advice, we spoke to Gemma Segura , a consultant, trainer and coach in Mindfulness, who recommends the following exercises:
Mindful observation: This involves choosing an everyday object that we have in our workplace and taking the time we need until we notice that our mind is free because we are only thinking about that object. We can also focus our attention on a sound.
Focusing on breathing: This is the basic Mindfulness exercise and we can practice it as many times a day as we want. It involves focusing on our breathing for a minimum of one minute, paying attention to how the air enters and leaves our body with each inhalation and exhalation. The more minutes, the more well-being we achieve.
Body awareness: sitting at the workplace, it is about becoming aware of our body, its posture and the tensions we perceive in the different parts of the body. It is not about wanting to change anything, simply about being aware of the body and its posture.
Counting to 10: In this exercise, instead of focusing on breathing, we close our eyes and focus on counting to ten, calmly and slowly. If at any time we get distracted, we start again with the number 1. It involves counting 10 times to 10.
Thanks to scientific studies, it is being shown that the regular practice of Mindfulness brings substantial improvements in physical and psychological symptoms, as well as generating healthier attitudes and behaviors. Meditation has entered the business world with force and it seems that it is here to stay.
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Category: Professional Development
Tags: mindfulness work stress workers emotional intelligence personal development meditation working day