{"id":3405,"date":"2020-04-21T08:41:26","date_gmt":"2020-04-21T08:41:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.highlands.in\/?p=3405"},"modified":"2021-04-30T09:40:32","modified_gmt":"2021-04-30T09:40:32","slug":"mindfulness-at-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.highlands.in\/mindfulness-at-work\/","title":{"rendered":"Mindfulness at Work"},"content":{"rendered":"

A\u00a0<\/span>technology company\u00a0<\/span>can be a beast\u00a0<\/span>to run on a day-to-day basis\u00a0<\/span>and Highlands\u00a0<\/span>is no exception<\/span>;<\/span>\u00a0our tech company<\/span>\u00a0wrestles with<\/span>\u00a0its\u00a0<\/span>share of<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>hassles and urgencies<\/span>\u00a0on a daily basis<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Looming\u00a0<\/span>deadlines, personnel issues, softwar<\/span>e glitches<\/span>, or any other set of troublesome, but inevitable<\/span>\u00a0business<\/span>\u00a0concerns<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>are here to stay.\u00a0<\/span>The question is not how to avoid them<\/span>\u2014<\/span>because\u00a0<\/span><\/i>we<\/span><\/i>\u00a0can\u2019t<\/span><\/i>\u2014<\/span>but rather how to address the<\/span>\u00a0daily headaches\u00a0<\/span>calmly<\/span>, thoughtfully<\/span>\u00a0and with as little unnecessary upheaval as possible.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

W<\/span>e have\u00a0<\/span>our corporate \u201ccoping mechanisms\u201d: the\u00a0<\/span>office protocols, hierarchies of\u00a0<\/span>people with\u00a0<\/span>specific responsibilities, and\u00a0<\/span>SWAT<\/span>-like<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>team<\/span>s\u00a0<\/span>designed<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>to\u00a0<\/span>swoop in and\u00a0<\/span>fix\u00a0<\/span>cris<\/span>e<\/span>s\u00a0<\/span>as efficiently as possible<\/span>. But is there another\u00a0<\/span>tool we can use to\u00a0<\/span>both improve employee well-being and gain a<\/span>\u00a0competitive<\/span>\u00a0edge<\/span>?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Turns out that\u00a0<\/span>Google<\/span><\/a>,\u00a0<\/span>Intel<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>General Mills<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>and many others\u00a0<\/span>have\u00a0<\/span>implemented\u00a0<\/span>their own training programs<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>for<\/span>\u00a0a<\/span>\u00a0field<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>of study\u00a0<\/span>once considered incompatible with\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>no-nonsense\u00a0<\/span>climate of\u00a0<\/span>business<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>Google\u2019s \u201cSearch Inside Yourself\u201d program, in use since 2007, has presumably reduced stress levels, and helped employees across the organization develop greater levels of empathy and inner calm.\u00a0<\/span>As abstract<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>as it may seem on<\/span>\u00a0one level<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>mindfulness<\/span><\/i>\u00a0has a\u00a0<\/span>very\u00a0<\/span>real and concrete part to play in the tech world.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Mindfulness\u00a0<\/span>M<\/span>oves out of\u00a0<\/span>M<\/span>edicine<\/span>\u2026<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>and into the\u00a0<\/span>O<\/span>ffice\u00a0<\/span>B<\/span>reakroom<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

M<\/span>indfulnes<\/span>s<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>as a program\u00a0<\/span>got its start some 50 years ago\u00a0<\/span>when\u00a0<\/span>Professor\u00a0<\/span>Jon\u00a0Kabbat-Zinn\u00a0<\/span>of the University of Massachusetts Medical Center\u00a0<\/span>developed\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>course<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>as\u00a0<\/span>a\u00a0<\/span>supplement to traditional medicine<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>Mindfulness-<\/span>Based Stress Reduction\u00a0<\/span>(MBSR) teaches people how to cope with stress, chronic pain and depression by changing thought patterns and encouraging patients to focus\u00a0<\/span>their energy\u00a0<\/span>on\u00a0<\/span>meditation and openness<\/span>\u00a0to the present<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>Medical practitioners\u00a0<\/span>noted that\u00a0<\/span>p<\/span>atients practicing some aspect of mindfulness\u00a0<\/span>generally\u00a0<\/span>had<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>more positive<\/span>\u00a0experience<\/span>s when<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>dealing\u00a0<\/span>with serious medical conditions<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

At\u00a0<\/span>Highlands\u00a0<\/span>we\u00a0<\/span>believe\u00a0<\/span>that practices that can help\u00a0<\/span>employees\u00a0<\/span>maintain<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>a balanced emotional state and outlook\u00a0<\/span>are<\/span>\u00a0beneficial\u00a0<\/span>to both\u00a0<\/span>the individuals<\/span>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>company<\/span>\u00a0as a whole<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>Here are some\u00a0<\/span>key\u00a0<\/span>points\u00a0<\/span>about mindfulness<\/span>\u00a0to consider\u00a0<\/span>and use\u00a0<\/span>right away<\/span>:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Determine\u00a0<\/span>What\u00a0<\/span>is Important NOW and\u00a0<\/span>Focus\u00a0<\/span>on\u00a0<\/span>That<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Eckhart Tolle<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0a well-respected spiritual leader who has amassed a substantial following writing about the destructive patterns of living in the past or fearing the future<\/span>, writes<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>i<\/span>n<\/span>\u00a0his book,\u00a0<\/span>The Power of Now<\/span><\/i>,\u00a0<\/span>that\u00a0<\/span>the present moment is all that really matters. Everything else that you may be thinking of is a distraction from what you could be doing now. Thoughts that lead you<\/span>\u00a0to worry about<\/span>\u00a0future\u00a0<\/span>scenarios\u00a0<\/span>or past\u00a0<\/span>mistakes\u00a0<\/span>clutter your focus and prevent you\u00a0<\/span>from\u00a0taking action\u00a0<\/span>or<\/span>\u00a0fully enjoying and maximizing the present moment<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t Dwell on the Past or<\/span>\u00a0Fret\u00a0<\/span>about the Future<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

In the context of work, once you have carved out time in your calendar to work on a future project, stop thinking about it. Similarly, don\u2019t dwell on past mistake<\/span>s<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>Ruminating on yesterday\u2019s flawed\u00a0<\/span>PowerPoint\u00a0<\/span>presentation won\u2019t allow you to go back in time and fix it.\u00a0<\/span>Instead, make a mental note of how to approach the project differently next time and then move on to the assignment that needs your attention now<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0The more time we spend dwelling on a past incident, the more\u00a0<\/span>negative\u00a0<\/span>power it has over our thinking.\u00a0<\/span>R<\/span>andom thoughts\u00a0<\/span>about the past or future that\u00a0<\/span>swirl around\u00a0<\/span>in\u00a0<\/span>your head add up to mental \u201cclutter\u201d\u00a0<\/span>and don\u2019t allow you to move forward.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Listen More and Judge Less<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

A workplace where people listen to each other is the ideal<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>but is rarely the norm<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>Adopting a more mindful state of\u00a0<\/span>being<\/span>\u00a0means listening more and resisting the urge to\u00a0<\/span>speak first and<\/span>\u00a0judge<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>Take\u00a0<\/span>the time to hear and understand another\u2019s point of view<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Consider\u00a0<\/span>your own strengths and weaknesses<\/span>\u00a0as you relate to your peers<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>A<\/span>pproach questions that come up at work with\u00a0<\/span>careful\u00a0<\/span>thought and deliberation.\u00a0<\/span>G<\/span>reater openness\u00a0<\/span>and understanding of another\u2019s point of view and greater self-awareness leads to\u00a0<\/span>a<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>calmer,\u00a0<\/span>more productive<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>work\u00a0<\/span>environment<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Tap into Calm Energy to Fuel Work at Highlands\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

It may just take\u00a0<\/span>5<\/span>\u00a0minutes or less to feel the energy in your hands or feet,\u00a0<\/span>become aware of your senses,\u00a0<\/span>listen to your breathing, and\u00a0<\/span>center\u00a0<\/span>on the present moment<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>You won\u2019t find yoga mats at Highlands<\/span>, but we do encourage you to try mindfulness techniques to refocus and recover a balanced state of mind.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A\u00a0technology company\u00a0can be a beast\u00a0to run on a day-to-day basis\u00a0and Highlands\u00a0is no exception;\u00a0our tech company\u00a0wrestles with\u00a0its\u00a0share of\u00a0hassles and urgencies\u00a0on a daily basis.\u00a0Looming\u00a0deadlines, personnel issues, software glitches, or any other set of troublesome, but inevitable\u00a0business\u00a0concerns\u00a0are here to stay.\u00a0The question is not how to avoid them\u2014because\u00a0we\u00a0can\u2019t\u2014but rather how to address the\u00a0daily headaches\u00a0calmly, thoughtfully\u00a0and with as little unnecessary…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3406,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[16,2],"tags":[24,28,41,44],"yoast_head":"\nMindfulness at Work<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A technology company can be a beast to run on a day-to-day basis and Highlands is no exception; our tech company wrestles with its share of hassles and urgencies on a daily basis.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.highlands.in\/mindfulness-at-work\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Mindfulness at Work\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A technology company can be a beast to run on a day-to-day basis and Highlands is no exception; 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Mindfulness principles\u00a0<\/span>ha<\/span>ve<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>become mainstream\u00a0<\/span>in recent years\u00a0<\/span>as\u00a0<\/span>their<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>ability to benefit<\/span>\u00a0areas outside of medicine, like\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>work\u00a0<\/span>environment\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>everyday life<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0ha<\/span>ve<\/span>\u00a0become more\u00a0<\/span>apparent<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>T<\/span>o\u00a0<\/span>better\u00a0<\/span>manage the\u00a0<\/span>stresses of a typical\u00a0<\/span>workday<\/span>\u2014<\/span>from interacting<\/span>\u00a0with\u00a0<\/span>clients<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>to coping with\u00a0<\/span>deadlines<\/span>\u2014<\/span>many\u00a0<\/span>have found\u00a0<\/span>mindfulness principles<\/span>\u00a0useful<\/span>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>clinical studies have\u00a0<\/span>supported these findings as well<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span>Companies have found that m<\/span>indfulness\u00a0<\/span>training help<\/span>s<\/span>\u00a0employees\u00a0<\/span>develop\u00a0<\/span>a higher level of\u00a0<\/span>emotional intelligence<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>greater\u00a0<\/span>creativity and focus<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0and helps with\u00a0<\/span>a<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>company\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>productivity<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>as well<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n