In today’s fast professional world where our notion of productivity is focused on doing more and getting more out of our days, it can be alarming to think about how much mental clarity we really need to maintain productively. Many professionals are trying to live focused and efficient lives with constant deadlines, endless emails, and unrelenting amounts of stress. Meditation is a sure fire but often overlooked strategy. It turns out that there is something to be said for this ancient practice of stepping away, and studies have discovered that jolt of fresh air helps increase productivity, lower stress, and generally improves performance within the workplace.

In this article we explore the science behind meditating, how meditation can improve productivity and how you can introduce meditation to your day.

Meditation and Productivity – the Science

The term meditation is focusing on a specific object, thought or activity to train attention and awareness. The practice has a real impact on your vital brain functions that underpin productivity.

How Meditation Works

Enhances Cognitive Function: Research suggests that regular meditation makes you better at memory, focusing and decisions by increasing the density of gray matter in your brain.

• Reduces Stress Hormones: Meditation helps reduce cortisol, a stress hormone that can confuse judgment and slow down productivity.
• Promotes Emotional Regulation: Meditating helps us to become better people with better control of our emotions and by that we are less likely to react to stressful situations impulsively.
• Improves Attention Span: Meditation itself also helps strengthen the prefrontal cortex; the brain area that controls sustained attention; and in turn keeps professionals focused on their tasks for longer.

Meditation and Professional Productivity

An improvement on Focus and Concentration

Meditation teaches you to stay in the present moment. In turn, it translates to being able to concentrate better at work and reducing opportunities for distraction and multitasking errors. Many Regular meditating Professionals describe that they have better staying ‘in the zone’.

Enhanced Decision-Making

Meditation clears the head, which aids us to make well informed decisions. Reduction of mental clutter helps professionals to weigh the options more effectively, and lessens the tendency to make hasty judgment.

Increased Creativity

Meditation encourages divergent thinking, a quality of thinking that is necessary for the idea generating and solutions finding process. It helps you to open your mind and be open to many different ideas, a skill that’s essential when you’re trying to solve difficult problems in the workplace.

Better Stress Management

Productivity steeper is stress; it’s a major productivity killer. Meditation helps you to remain calm in the pressure, and reduce the stress of professionals. Also, this improves the execution of tasks and minimizes burnout.

Better Enhancement In Emotional Intelligence

Hence, meditation nurtures self awareness and empathy — these two are the building blocks of emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence can help increase skills related to teamwork, communication and leadership.

Meditation Techniques for Working Professionals

It doesn’t take a whole hour of commitment. Here are some practical techniques you can use to integrate meditation into your busy schedule:

Mindfulness Meditation

Pay attention to your breath or to what’s happening in the body. If it does, gently pull your mind back onto your focus point. It makes us aware and reduces distractions.

Guided Meditation

Do app based guided meditation sessions with apps like Calm, Headspace or Insight Timer. They’re great for beginners, with some lasting 5 to 30 minutes.

Body Scan Meditation

Lie comfortably and for each body part, think from head to toe. The Benefits of this technique include release of physical tension and relaxation.

Transcendental Meditation

To get into a very deep state of relaxation, repeat a simple mantra inwardly (silently to yourself) in your mind. Reducing stress and improving focus, this is a great technique.

Breathing Exercises

Inhale deeply for four counts, hold for four counts, exhale for four counts (box breathing), even that is immediate calming of focus.

Workplace Meditation

Finding time for meditation may seem challenging, but with these tips, it can seamlessly fit into your schedule:

Morning Routine

Meditate for 5–10 minutes every day to start your day. This helps set the mood for a much calmer day ahead.

Lunch Breaks

Stop what you’re doing for a moment for some meditation during your lunch break. This can refresh your mind and you’ll find yourself being more productive for a few hours.

Pre-Meeting Preparation

Whenever you need to focus and not feel nervous before a meeting, spend a few minutes meditating before it.

Workplace Zen Zones

Encourage your workplace to make a quiet space where you can meditate during the breaks.

Commute Meditation

Your commute can be a moment to practice being more mindful. So try a guided meditation app with headphones if, you know, you’re on public transport.

Challenges of Common Meditations

“I don’t have time.”

If you don’t have a lot of time to invest now, start small with 2–5 minutes a day. Sessions of just an hour or two can make a real difference in productivity and stress levels.

“I can’t stop my thoughts.”

It’s not to stop your thinking, it’s discovering your thoughts but not judging them. With practice this is easy.

“I don’t know how to start.”

One way is to start with guided meditations. The apps and videos online are made for beginners.

Meditating Team: The Workplace Benefits

When meditation is adopted across a team or organization, the collective benefits are remarkable:

• Reduced Conflict: Less workplace arguments result from meditation as it helps people regulate their emotions.
• Improved Collaboration: It improves communication and work together.
• Higher Employee Satisfaction: Meditation helps with mental well being and helps people to keep their job satisfaction and burnout at bay.

Real-Life Success Stories

Meditation has been a thing of many major companies such as Google, Apple, Salesforce, among others. Rigorous studies of these organizations generally report increased employee productivity, more time on the job per employee, reduced absenteeism, and a more positive work environment.

Stuff like this is what Google has with the ‘Search Inside You’ program, combining mindfulness and emotional intelligence training. When employees took part, they said they felt more focused, creative, and worked better as a leader.

Conclusion

If you are surprised that meditation boosts productivity then you need to sit down, grab some tea, and get familiar with it. It also has benefits beyond individual performance and fosters in it a more harmonious, efficient workplace. With even a handful of minutes of meditation a day, you can realize your maximum professional potential and become very successful without feeling overwhelming stress.