What does Mindfulness mean?
Well, I thought I did, and then having just completed a fascinating e-learning piece about Mindfulness in the workplace, I now have a better idea.
“Mindfulness is paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgementally.” This is the definition of mindfulness given by Jon Kabat-Zinn, the founder of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). If you want to make it even more simple to get your head around Mind.org.uk describe it as “a technique you can learn which involves making a special effort to notice what’s happening in the present moment (in your mind, body and surroundings).”
Did you know that there is now scientific evidence that mindfulness can improve our mental and physical health showing a successful combination of ancient wisdom and modern science?
I’ve been really trying to be in the moment more – something I practiced last week whilst climbing Kinder Scout in the Peak District for the first time. Despite having to spend a lot of time looking at my feet, whilst climbing the 7000-year-old stone path of Jacob’s Ladder I made a real point to be taking it all in, even four hours later once my legs were feeling it.
On the mountain, a dunk in the freshwater helped me to feel extremely present! Plus it worked wonders on my weary legs.
One way I am always present is during my voicover sessions. It’s always quite remarkable how in ‘the flow’ state I am and that is why I do what I do. Yesterday, the eLearning session I was recording ran for three hours, and whilst I took a few breaks, I was totally focused. It’s obviously different when you have your client present as you can’t drift off to another task and go down an Instagram rabbit hole. So I ask you to stop and think about what task are you doing, that has your 100% attention?
Research (by Killingsworth & Gilbert, Harvard University 2010) has shown that our minds can wander up to 47% of the time. That means that almost half of our waking lives, we’re not fully concentrated on what we’re doing. It’s something I struggle with a lot and recently I’ve been reading more and more about ADHD being more prominent in women and wandering whether that is my problem. But I’m making a conscious effort to be more mindful for a number of reasons and it has just been reinforced, thanks to the hour-long eLearning piece I have recently delivered.
After the 18 months we’ve all had, it is no surprise to read about the impact it has had on our mental health. From 2009 to 2020, the number of working days lost to stress, depression and anxiety has increased by 24% and sadly the number continues to increase year on year. So much needs to be done to support all of us struggling and I was pleased to learn about the creation of The Mindfulness Initiative.
This has been set up to support British politicians in forming the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Mindfulness. It states that potential business benefits can be shown in three key areas of working:
- Wellbeing and resilience
- Enhanced working relationships
- Performance
I don’t know about you but I’m really pleased this is being taken seriously. However as someone who often works solo and home, something I was doing before the pandemic hit, I wonder whether it will take into account how our worklife has changed. I’ve been adapting for over six years. That was the last time I was going into a place of work on a daily basis. I felt lonely before we went into lockdown and had made a point of going to shared workspaces, when I knew I didn’t have voiceover bookings. Sometimes this is easier said than done, when you go somewhere and a producer pal calls you. It’s often easier to stay at home. But then you need to make the point of finding daily interaction.
However your workday looks, I think it’s essential to think about how mindfulness shows up in your every day and I will be reading more from the Mindfulness Initiative and if you’d like to here’s the link
If it’s got you thinking about an eLearning project that needs a voiceover, don’t hesitate to get in touch