You may have noticed the word “mindfulness” creeping into every facet of your life: mindful eating, mindful relationships, mindful anger, even mindful golf. From best-selling books like Arianna Huffington’s “Thrive” and Dan Harris’s “10% Happier” to self-help programs such as Weight Watchers, mindfulness is being touted as the new tool to help you find inner peace while also increasing your productivity and reaching your goals. And the business world is listening. General Mills, Goldman Sachs, and Target now offer their employees mindfulness training.
Mindfulness meditation is one way to practice being mindful. It is non-sectarian, although it is derived from an ancient Buddhist practice called Vipassana. The goal is to learn to pay more attention to your experiences – both external and internal – and to do so with acceptance and compassion. Participants focus on the breath, a word, or a phrase, and attempt to control the mind or reach a different level of consciousness. Jon Kabat-Zinn, the founder of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, leads the field in scientific research on mindfulness and maintains that practicing mindfulness contributes to better overall health and an increased ability to cope with stress, anxiety, and illness.
But if it seems like the business world and meditation are a heterogeneous mix, consider it a unique talent of the American economic system to monetize an ancient practice that leads to spiritual bliss. It makes sense that the business world – and especially the tech sector – would attract business models that can help focus and quiet the mind. After all, Steve Jobs was a Zen enthusiast. And if technology is not going to stop throwing new distractions our way, then it behooves us to find a way to harness our minds when we need to. Meditation can seem off-putting to striving professionals, but as Harris states in his book: “…meditation is simply exercise for your brain.”
Why Do It?
Technology is good, but it all adds up to a lot of distraction – email, texts, notifications from all facets of your life – it doesn’t stop. If you are the type of person who has taken – or even considered taking – a technology break for an afternoon, a day, even a weekend, then mindfulness meditation might be for you. Ironically, a very convenient way to cope with distraction caused by your phone can be found on your phone. Think of it as therapy through your digital device, and there are loads of apps geared toward relieving that kind of stress.
Where Do I Start?
First, choose an app: Headspace, Buddhify, Calm, Insight Timer, Omvana, The Mindfulness App, Smiling Mind – the list goes on. There are plenty of free apps and with several you can upgrade to the paid level if you get hooked.
