Why Mindfulness?
Why Mindfulness?Mindfulness is a highly effective, proven and practical way of reducing stress, anxiety and depression that is supported by NZ Mental Health foundation.
Most people who practice mindfulness for a period of time find that they…
- Sleep better
- Feel more relaxed
- Can concentrate more
- Can work with stressful situations a lot more effectively
- Are more self-accepting
Many businesses and organisations are using mindfulness in the workplace to assist people with
- Accepting change
- More focus and mental clarity
- Better working relationships
- Enhanced creativity and innovation
- Improved emotional intelligence
- Reduced stress and anxiety
The NZ Mental Health Foundation says the following about mindfulness:
“Mental Health Foundation mental health promoter Grant Rix says mindfulness has been shown to benefit our brains to such an extent that we can feel calmer, more aware, have an increased ability to focus and concentrate, remember things better and feel happier.” – NZ Mental Health Foundation Press Release July 2012
“The practice of mindful leadership gives you tools to measure and manage your life as you’re living it. It teaches you to pay attention to the present moment, recognizing your feelings and emotions and keeping them under control, especially when faced with highly stressful situations. When you are mindful, you’re aware of your presence and the ways you impact other people. You’re able to both observe and participate in each moment, while recognizing the implications of your actions for the longer term. And that prevents you from slipping into a life that pulls you away from your values.” – Bill George, professor of management practice at Harvard Business School and former chair and CEO of Medtronic.
Mindfulness Works Corporate Training and Mindfulness in the NZ Media
[maxbutton id=”89″]
[maxbutton id=”90″]
Mindfulness Training Options for Your Organisation
Mindfulness Works offers you a number of options to run some mindfulness training for your organisation.
All Mindfulness Works courses are punchy, to the point and highly practical. There is no religion, belief system or ideology.
OPTION 1: One hour introductory session
OPTION 2: 4 week in-house training course
OPTION 3: Customised training
One hour highly participatory introductory session covering:
- What mindfulness is
- The benefits of mindfulness
- How mindfulness works
- A guided mindfulness and meditation exercise with feedbacl
Maximum number of participants: 40
Cost: $250 + GST for the session.
[maxbutton id=”88″]
4 x 1 hour highly participatory sessions covering:
- What mindfulness is and what the benefits are
- How Mindfulness Works
- How to practice mindfulness
- How mindfulness helps you work with your thoughts
- How mindfulness helps you work with your emotions
- How mindfulness helps you with self-acceptance
Course also includes:
- Workbook for every participant
- High Quality mindfulness meditation exercises to download
- Weekly emails to participants with further instruction
Maximum number of participants: 25
Cost: $950 + GST for full course
[maxbutton id=”88″]
Mindfulness Works offers you the opportunity for a fully customised training workshop, seminar or course.
We will work with you to find out the most effective method to achieve your aims in terms of mindfulness training.
Mindfulness Works does not charge for the consultation time to design a course. We are happy to work with you to create a proposal and you can then decide if you would like to progress (or not) from there,
[maxbutton id=”88″]
Feedback from attendees of the 4 -week in-house introduction to mindfulness course
“Often I’m at my desk all day, leaving only for a very quick lunch. So to take time out of the day where I was forced to ‘relax’ was great.”
“It gave me a chance to relax and leave behind the crazy for an hour. Always returned to the office feeling much more relaxed and with a different perspective on the work load.”
“I think I can use mindfulness to take a step back, prioritise tasks without getting to overwhelmed, and be a bit more relaxed about taking breaks without feeling guilty as this is an emotion that I have created myself for no particular reason, and also not taking things too seriously”
“The Body Scan” mindfulness practice really helps with any nerves/anxiety. As a relatively introverted person, I tend to be a bit ‘on edge’ when it comes to larger crowds/groups (one of the many reasons I’m not a great flying buddy – too many people in one small metal cylinder). The body scan method helps the most with refocusing thoughts and relaxing a bit”
Business people and leader’s experiences of mindfulness programmes…
“Richard Fernandez, director of executive development and a psychologist by training [at Google] , says he sees a significant difference in his work behavior since taking the [mindfulness] class. “I’m definitely much more resilient as a leader,” he says. “I listen more carefully and with less reactivity in high-stakes meetings. I work with a lot of senior executives who can be very demanding, but that doesn’t faze me anymore. It’s almost an emotional and mental bank account. I’ve now got much more of a buffer there.” New York Times April 2012
“Mr. Duane [a Google Engineer] took S.I.Y. four years ago and considers it as sort of an organizational WD-40, a necessary lubricant between driven, ambitious employees and Google’s demanding corporate culture. Helping employees handle stress and defuse emotion helps everyone work more effectively, he says.” New York Times April 2012
For Karen May, vice president for leadership and talent, S.I.Y. is a useful tool on several levels. “We have great people,” she says. “Now how do we keep them? Teaching employees with terrific technical abilities also means helping them to develop presentation skills and communication skills, helping them to understand their impact on other people, their ability to collaborate across groups and cultivate a mentality from which great motivation can spring.” New York Times April 2012
“The practice of mindful leadership gives you tools to measure and manage your life as you’re living it. It teaches you to pay attention to the present moment, recognizing your feelings and emotions and keeping them under control, especially when faced with highly stressful situations. When you are mindful, you’re aware of your presence and the ways you impact other people. You’re able to both observe and participate in each moment, while recognizing the implications of your actions for the longer term. And that prevents you from slipping into a life that pulls you away from your values.” – Bill George, professor of management practice at Harvard Business School and former chair and CEO of Medtronic.
” Google’s “Search Inside Yourself” programme has introduced mindfulness to more than 1,000 employees. “ Financial Times Magazine August 2012
“Aetna, one of the largest healthcare benefits companies in the US, began rolling out mindfulness and yoga programmes to its employees in 2010. The initiative was dreamed up by Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini, himself a meditator. After attracting 3,500 employees, Aetna this year began offering workplace meditation and yoga as a service it sells to customers.” Financial Times Magazine August 2012
