The practice of mindfulness is paying attention in a particular way, on purpose,in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally." Jon Kabbat-Zin
Practicing mindfulness is not only a proactive way to counter stress, but is also a way for individuals and organizations to increase focus, innovation, creativity, and to improve performance. At the request of employees, in 2014 the Gates Foundation piloted the nine-week Awake at Work mindfulness program, led by consultant Anakha Coman. The pilot, which was measured with rigor, was very successful and has been repeated with results that show a self-reported increase in well-being, ability to focus and be pro-active, and perception of sufficient time to think, innovate, work and plan. This Zing Round will provide a high-level overview of the program, and will include a brief experiential exercise in the form of a brief, guided meditation.
Learning Objectives:
- Experience a micro-meditation that can be practiced in the workplace.
- Increase your knowledge about the benefits of mindfulness practice.
Application:
- Leverage the Gates Foundation case study as a way to consider whether a mindfulness program would benefit your organization.
- Discover free mindfulness resources that you can use to support your journey to become a change catalyst