We all know what it feels like to be on automatic pilot- it’s like the mind has been hijacked by current concerns rather than what we are doing in the present moment. Practising Mindfulness to improve focus and concentration This is a bit like thought processes – we can create different ways of thinking but we have to practise them (keep the water going down the new route) so that the new way of thinking becomes a habit and gradually the old thoughts lose importance (the old river dries up). Imagine a river flowing the same way for years and then one year, with exceptional rainfall, it bursts its banks and a new route is created. For example, the more we practise anger the better we get at it and the same for negative thoughts! Habitual thinking is how our emotional states become part of our character traits. So, in other words, habits help us to have daily energy left over to use for higher thinking. If we had to consciously think through every action each day we would be paralyzed by the overwhelming nature of it all. Habits are very important as their automatic nature means that they don’t take up as much brain power. Once we’ve practised something consistently it transfers to areas of the brain that operate automatically – we do it without having to consciously think about doing it. They can be thoughts, emotions or behaviours. Our habits are basically specific routines that we have practised over and over again. The research literature shows that people who meditate for just 15-20 minutes a day for 6-8 weeks experience significant benefits, including changes in the wiring of the brain, and improved health and wellbeing. We are using the mind to change the brain which then changes the mind for the better. Mindfulness practice could be described as self-directed neuroplasticity where we cultivate certain qualities and behaviours and prune others. How does mindfulness impact on the brain? The exciting concept of neuroplasticity has given many of us inspiration to practise new habits, as it has now been proven scientifically that we can literally change our neural networks in ways that we previously thought was the domain of young brains. He created an 8 week (gentle) yoga and mindfulness programme for chronically ill patients back in 1979 and is still very involved in the mindfulness movement today. Jon Kabat-Zinn is widely credited with helping to popularise mindfulness in the West. However, training staff in mindfulness can benefit the organisation as a whole, as well as each individual member. Developing the skill relies on individuals being motivated to practice. As mindfulness is an attitude and skill developed through personal practice, the organisation cannot make it happen. This post aims to give an example of where mindfulness can help improve health and safety in the workplace. It is used as a therapeutic technique, but there is now more and more information around about the wider benefits of mindfulness in the workplace. Mindfulness is a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations. The role mindfulness can play in Health & Safety
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