For many of us, multitasking is the best way to increase productivity – or, we think. We all want to be superhumans who can juggle everything at the same time and still have the time to relax and stay healthy. While this is understandable, it is not the best way to stay productive.
A study carried out by Stanford University shows how multitasking fosters stress and negatively affects motivation and productivity. The act of mindfulness promotes self-awareness, thereby allowing us to live in the present. A daily practice of mindfulness can lead to a positive impact on productivity. Here are five ways mindfulness can improve productivity.
1. Improves Focus and Clarity
Distractions are one of the biggest challenges people face when trying to get things done. However, consistent practice of mindfulness can help eliminate these little thoughts and distractions, thereby allowing you to focus on the task at hand.
Surround yourself with high-quality natural light to improve clarity as a clear mind allows you to sift through tasks and prioritize them effectively (you can find more at makegreatlight.com.
By practicing mindfulness, you may find out that you do not have to do it all yourself; there are some tasks that can be delegated.
2. Enhances Decision Making
As humans, we are plagued with hundreds of decisions every day, from contemplating what to eat to deciding how to approach a client. Decision making is a quintessential component of productivity and we are only able to make good unbiased decisions when we have a clear mind. Mindfulness trains the mind to let go of emotions that lead to poor decisions.
3. Improves Teamwork
Performance indicators reveal that when people work in teams, they are more productive as opposed to working individually. However, teamwork is not always easy as it involves getting along with people who have different ideas about how tasks should be carried out.
Mindfulness has been known to improve creativity thereby making people seek out solutions to solve any problems they encounter while working. It also increases empathy which is useful for conflict resolution thereby, promoting productivity.
4. Relieves Stress and Promotes Positive Thinking
In our busy world today, we are constantly seeking ways to relieve stress and mindfulness provides us with a solution. By staying mindful, you are able to handle tasks one at a time and this will relieve the stress that is felt when we have so much to do thereby promoting productivity.
Mindfulness teaches you to let go of negative thoughts that can lead to stress and focus on the reality before us. You see, sometimes a positive attitude is all you need to stay productive.
5. Improves Health
Mindfulness is actually one of the suggested ways of dealing with ‘monkey mind’ which often leads to insomnia. Without a doubt, lack of sleep impedes productivity and people are most productive when they are healthy and energized. An experiment that was carried out on US Marines shows that regular mindfulness can boost the immune system thereby leaving you healthy.
