In recent years, meditation has become somewhat of a trend in the western world. However, the practice dates back as far as 1500 BCE as part of numerous religious traditions. The technique can be used to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally stable state. In recent years, apps such as Headspace and Calm have made the practice widely available to people, making it more mainstream and a popular choice for relaxing and switching off from our busy lives. However, when it comes to business, can meditation bring any real benefits? We look at 5 ways that meditating can support you in the business world:
Increased focus and productivity
Nowadays, we are able to communicate and access information we need from anywhere, at any time, thanks to the Internet. Whilst this makes running a business much more efficient, it can also be a distraction from focusing on the task at hand. When you first begin learning how to meditate, you start by learning how to simply focus on breath and nothing else. It’s normal for your mind to wander during meditation and learning how to bring your attention back to your breath is a useful practice in the business world. It can help you to bring your full attention to the task in front of you and stop your mind from being distracted by everything else going on around you. The result of this is greater productivity and a higher success rate in completing the task at hand efficiently.
Better sleep for a better you
Meditation allows you to rest your mind easier and replace anxious thoughts with focusing only on your breath. After practising for a while, you will learn to do this without guidance and be able to get to sleep within minutes, with a more rested mind – no matter how much you may have on your mind. Being able to get to sleep faster, for longer and deeper, gives you higher energy levels throughout the day, as well as increasing your memory at the same time. All of this supports you to perform better in your business.
Make better decisions, quicker
Meditation forces you to slow down, quiet the noise and be present. One great benefit of this is that it allows you to access your intuition to make better decisions, allowing you to feel less stressed and more confident in your decisions. Most meditation coaches tell you that you already know your choice deep down and meditation is the key to learning to listen to your intuition when looking for those answers. After some practice and guidance, you can learn to ignore the noise and focus on finding the right decisions for your business.
Breathe first, react second
Meditation can also help how you react to stressful situations, by teaching you to block out your environment and focus on being still. You learn to be able to pause, breathe and assess the situation before you react. This can have a big impact on your mental wellbeing, as well as benefiting your professional relationships and work life. By having more patience and tolerance, you can take a calmer, more measured approach to your business and keep yourself in a positive mindset.
Reap the rewards
Even just a 10 minute meditation session can leave you feeling refreshed and ready to take on the day. The more you practice with time, the more it will become a natural habit and fit into your daily routine. Embracing the time each day to pause and focus on you gives you the long term benefits of being more mindful and supporting your mental wellbeing. Our worlds can become so busy with noise and distractions, it can be easy to forget to take a minute for yourself; but your business will thank you for it in the long run.
Meditation can be a useful tool in helping you feel better, think more clearly, and work more productively. With so many apps and podcasts offering free guided programs, why not give it a try and see what works for you? Powering your mind is a great way to start powering yourself for success.
Do you practice meditation? Let us know in the comments how it has helped you!
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