Rethinking Your Work

In my recent blog Can mindfulness training protect us from high-stress, challenging work situations? I promised an excerpt from my book regarding being mindful. Here it is:

Being Mindful

We frequently go through our day-to-day actions on autopilot. Not thinking. Not being aware of what is happening around us. Zoning out or not paying attention. Shutting down the inputs because we have reached our capacity. We often lose the present moment because we are thinking about the future or worrying about something that happened in the past. In doing so, we miss the gifts of the present — a smile, the beauty of a flower, the warmth of a touch or the gift of kindness.

When we are caught up in thoughts or worries, we are effectively absent from our body. No one is home. We might be walking by a beautiful garden, but we cannot see the flowers. We can be served a delicious meal, but we do not taste it. Our loved ones may be sending us strong cues, but we do not hear them. We are preoccupied. But by shifting our attention to the present moment — to our breathing, walking and surroundings — we come back into our body and become aware.

Mindfulness is about paying attention on purpose. Noticing in a non-judgmental way. Being present. Living in the moment. Being aware. Giving 100 percent attention to what we are doing. It is about tasting the food we eat, smelling the scents of the out-of-doors, seeing the beauty in the everyday. It is about being present with our customers, clients, colleagues, friends and family members. Being in touch with their needs.

Being mindful involves quieting the mind and practicing stillness in order to create space for a deeper way of knowing, and increasing awareness of self and what matters. Thus, to be mindful is to observe self or as Wayne Dyer calls it, to witness one’s life. As we become an observer, we gain clarity about our unique purpose.

Being mindful is a way to access our own resources for growing, healing and self-compassion. Mindfulness provides access to the inner wisdom required to create the kind of life we wish to lead. Moreover, it is a practical way to get in touch with our authentic self. It involves self-observation and self-inquiry.

So, we want to shift our attention to the present moment and the nuances around us. We want to use all our senses, taking time to taste and smell, hear and see, touch and feel. We want to take the time to feel our connectedness with all things.

Mindfulness reflection. In what ways have you been mindful? Examples might include paying attention to the taste and texture of the foods you eat, being present and fully listening to a colleague or friend as they talk, or thinking carefully before speaking so that your message will be heard. Maybe it is listening to sounds, smelling smells and seeing the sights around you. We’ve all experienced mindfulness. Take a moment to remind yourself how it felt to be present, open and aware. What could you do to be more mindful?

I would love to hear about how you have been mindful at work and what difference that made.

Want to learn more? Sign up for our monthly newsletter where we will explore this topic in more detail. Read the book Rethinking Your Work and learn how to create spirit at work.

Val Kinjerski, PhD, is a leading authority in the field of employee engagement and on the topic of “spirit at work.” A consultant, agent of change and professional speaker, she helps companies and organizations increase employee retention and boost productivity by reigniting employees’ love for their work. Check out her Spirit at Work Program and Inspired Leadership training at www.kaizensolutions.org. Val is the author of Rethinking Your Work and Rethinking Your Work Guidebook. Available now at www.rethinkingyourwork.com.

When it comes to wellbeing and work performance, we all know about the value of physical fitness, but what about fitness of the mind? University of Pennsylvania researchers tested the effectiveness of a mindfulness program with a U.S. military group preparing for deployment to Iraq. They found a positive link between mindfulness training and improvements in mood and working memory. Sounds like something we can all benefit from.

The aim of the eight-week program was to cultivate greater psychological resilience by bolstering mindfulness – the ability to be aware and attentive of the present moment without emotional volatility.

Covering topics relevant to the Marines, the program blended mindfulness skills training with concrete applications for their operational environment. It emphasized integrating regular mindfulness exercises, like focused attention on the breath and mindful movement.

The study, published in the journal Emotion, found that the more time participants spent engaging in daily mindfulness exercises the better their mood and ability to engage in complex thought processes, problem solving and manage their emotions (something they call working memory). The study also suggests that sufficient mindfulness practice may protect against becoming ill due to high-stress, challenging situations.

Given the high rate of post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental-health disturbances suffered by those returning from war, providing such training prior to deployment may buffer against potential lifelong psychological illness by bolstering mood and working memory capacity. But employees in the military are not the only ones who can benefit.

Amishi Jha, cognitive neuroscientist and lead researcher, Department of Psychology and Center for Cognitive Neuroscience at Penn said,

“Our findings suggest that, just as daily physical exercise leads to physical fitness, engaging in mindfulness exercises on a regular basis may improve mind-fitness. Building mind-fitness with mindfulness training may help anyone who must maintain peak performance in the face of extremely stressful circumstances, from first responders, relief workers and trauma surgeons, to professional and Olympic athletes.”

And I would add: social workers, teachers, health care workers, public servants . . .

Mindfulness is about paying attention on purpose. Noticing in a non-judgmental way. Being present. Living in the moment. Being aware. In my next blog, I will share an excerpt about being mindful from my book: Rethinking Your Work: Getting to the Heart of What Matters.

Want to learn more? Sign up for our monthly newsletter where we will explore this topic in more detail. Read the book Rethinking Your Work and learn how to create spirit at work.

Val Kinjerski, PhD, is a leading authority in the field of employee engagement and on the topic of “spirit at work.” A consultant, agent of change and professional speaker, she helps companies and organizations increase employee retention and boost productivity by reigniting employees’ love for their work. Check out her Spirit at Work Program and Inspired Leadership training at www.kaizensolutions.org. Val is the author of Rethinking Your Work and Rethinking Your Work Guidebook. Available now at www.rethinkingyourwork.com.

Public health workers, including nurses, police, teachers, military, and bureaucrats at all levels of government, are suffering from depression at unprecedented rates. So much so, that mental health expert, Bill Wilkerson of Global Business and Economic Roundtable on Mental Health, says that depression has become the country’s biggest “public health crisis.”

Fatigue, stress and burnout are evident in all workplaces. Depression is becoming more obvious, especially in these difficult economic times. But nowhere is the problem greater than in the public service where the impact of mental distress has been called an epidemic.

Mental illness will strike one in every five Canadians at some point in their lives. Depression and anxiety represent up to 90 per cent of such illnesses and cause up to 35 million lost workdays a year in Canada. Experts claim that mental illness costs Canadian employers $51-billion a year (chiefly in lost productivity). It is the leading disability claim for insurers.

In Canada, between 30 to 40% of disability claims are for depression. Among public servants, mental health claims have doubled between 1991 and 2007 and now account for 45% of all disability claims. Given the impact of the recession, I cannot imagine what the numbers would be today.

Leaders such as Michael Kirby, first chair of the Mental Health Commission of Canada, predict that work overload, job insecurity and financial fears will spark a fresh wave of depression and other disorders. Psychiatrists across Canada are already reporting heavier caseloads. Studies show that about 75 per cent of federal executives feel they are on the verge of burnout or extreme fatigue.  

In my own work, I have found a relationship between depression and spirit at work. As spirit at work (that sense that our work is meaningful, we are able to make a contribution and we feel good about what we are doing) goes up, depression goes down. Emotional exhaustion also decreases.

The good news is that we can increase spirit at work!  Simply by rethinking your work.

Read an earlier blog about how to increase spirit at work: Happy at Home, Happy at Work.

Val Kinjerski, PhD, is a leading authority in the field of employee engagement and on the topic of “spirit at work.” A consultant, agent of change and professional speaker, she helps companies and organizations increase employee retention and boost productivity by reigniting employees’ love for their work. Check out her Spirit at Work Program and Inspired Leadership training at www.kaizensolutions.org. Val is the author of Rethinking Your Work and Rethinking Your Work Guidebook. Available now at www.rethinkingyourwork.com. 

Is your company or organization reacting to the current economic situation or is it responding? Is it playing defence or offence? There is a difference. When we take into account the situation we are in, along with our vision and goals, we are able to step back and choose to act. Act, rather than just react to the latest challenge facing us.

Aberdeen’s recent study: “Mid-Year Insights 2009” point to the development of existing talent as a top priority for the coming year. Organizations need to ensure that the workforce has the skills and ability to face the challenges and uncertainty of the future. These development opportunities can benefit both employees and employers.

Opportunities to improve skills and capabilities and challenging work assignments that broaden one’s skills have been shown to drive engagement. Not only do engaged employees plan to stay with their current employer, a correlation between high levels of engagement and strong business performance have been demonstrated.

It is time for companies to rethink how they are developing existing talent. Here are some questions to get you started:

• What is the company’s deeper purpose?
• What is the vision for the future?
• What are the desired outcomes?
• What needs to change in order to achieve these outcomes?
• What are the goals?
• What is no longer needed and can be let go?
• What skills and abilities need to be developed to achieve the vision, goals, and outcomes?
• What training or development is required and how does that fit with the new direction?
• How can employees become more engaged?

Development of existing talent is a key factor in employee wellness, retention and productivity. But it cannot be done in isolation. Organizations who help employees to become more engaged and develop talent that is in alignment with the organization’s deeper purpose, vision and strategic plan will realize remarkable results.

Val Kinjerski, PhD, is a leading authority in the field of employee engagement and on the topic of “spirit at work.” An inspirational speaker, consultant and writer, she helps companies and organizations increase employee retention and boost productivity by reigniting employees’ love for their work. She is the author of Rethinking Your Work and Rethinking Your Work Guidebook.