Mindfulness & Productivity - The Magic Link Explained

Mindfulness is something that we have heard a lot about, especially during this pandemic. We all know the importance of mental health as part of our total well being. But what do productivity and mindfulness have in common?

Productivity plays an essential role in our workplace. Be it any job, being productive is one of the many keys to the possible promotion and is a healthier attitude towards work. We might procrastinate at times which causes a lack of productivity. This equals a bad day at work where you feel like you have not done enough.

Does mindfulness help with work?

A research study conducted on working individuals showed that better mindfulness training at workplaces leads to decreased burnouts, perceived stress and improved mental well being. Though this study was limited by time, it shows that there is a direct correlation between mindfulness and productivity.

Stress can disrupt mindfulness and is one of the major contributing factors that decrease quality of life. As we covered previously, meditation is one of the best ways you can achieve a healthy mindful practice that is bound to help us in personal and professional aspects. 

Coming on to productivity, a stressed or bored mind does no good for engaging and creative efforts that are needed to work. We list here three tips that can help you integrate mindfulness into your everyday routine and allow for better productivity.

Many of us are guilty of screentime before bed and stopping the alarm first thing in the morning. But this affects your mind in many ways. According to the authors of Ikigai, reducing screentime for 30 minutes or more before bed can help you achieve better quality sleep. Even during the day, you need not pick up the phone at the ping of every notification but instead set all important notifications and put the non-essential ones on silent. This will help reduce overall stress on the eyes, reduced brain fog and better focus on work, increasing productivity in the long run.

The sedentary lifestyle, especially binge-watching and work from home culture during the lockdown saw many of us sitting for hours on end. This also leads to unhealthy eating habits in some, causing health issues. Now we know that not everyone has access to a gym, but strength training and animal flow workouts are a good start for beginners to get into shape. You can even walk for 20 minutes or start working out for 10 minutes and eventually increase the time or intensity so you become a better version of yourself. A healthy mind is a happy one, which can lead to better stress management and clarity of thoughts.

Burnout is becoming a common phenomenon among age groups as young as students! This shows that we are not spending enough time taking care of our health. Sometimes it is okay to switch off from the rest of the world. Going for a walk, meditating, taking a nice shower are some of the ways you can destress and have some time for yourself. This will help your mind declutter and rejuvenate, eventually boosting healthier practices for mental and overall well being. Taking time for yourself can also help you realize time management, which will help you switch off from work at the end of the day and allow you to put more hours into the quality of your work.

So to conclude, your mental well being is just as important as looking good, if not more. Adopting better mindful practices is one of the best ways to improve workplace productivity and overall well being. Because once you begin taking care of your mental health, the major difference you will notice is a better quality of life not only when it comes to workplace productivity but also in other aspects.

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