Meditation has now entered the public consciousness as something less mystical and more practical. Far from the romantic notion of the mystic on the mountain, meditation has always had its practical uses.
Increasingly, the benefits of meditation are becoming apparent in modern life and well-being. There is increasing research that practicing seated meditation has the power to make us more alert, energized, creative, clear in our thinking, and productive. Whether you're craving a boost in productivity, or just want to feel better in at work, meditation has real potential to help.
Here are a few ways meditation it can boost personal productivity and focus, whether around the house, in the workplace, or working on a creative project.
Improved focus
Many who are new to meditation may come to it with some misapprehensions. It is, in fact, a physical tool where, rather than out of body experience. The goal is to be acutely aware.
Aware, not necessarily of your surroundings, (though it can have this application) but first and foremost of clarity on yourself. Studies into the brainwave patterns of those in mediation show dramatic shifts in the electrical activity in your brain and actually, show that meditation produces larger amounts of Alpha activity than resting states. This electrical activity is known to produce a greater state of wakefulness. This means that you are more alert and focused because of meditation.
This improved focus allows us to take in greater amounts of information, thereby improving our memory. Though often in meditation we are urged to clear our minds, it is possible to focus, as in mindfulness, on any given subject or memory, including issues we may be facing at work and creatively analyze them from a distance.
Stress Relief
Our ability to work through problems creatively is key to reducing stress. To approach an issue calmly can boost our confidence and shows others the value of reasonability - so we can also improve our interpersonal relationships.
The notion that meditation can relieve stress isn’t just an abstract idea either. In times of stress, your heart responds by pumping blood faster around your body, replicating the fight or flight instinct and gearing your body up for conflict or escape. In our over-stimulated, over-stressed modern lives, we increasingly find that our bodies are in this mode more than is healthy, and it’s no wonder that stress is one of the biggest reasons behind workplace absence. Managing your stress level with controlled breathing and thus a slower heart rate allows our body to rest and heal, while we can look at that which causes stress dispassionately.
“Having recharged after even a mere half an hour of meditation can give your mind the chance to adapt to challenging situations less as a cause of stress but as an opportunity to engage and triumph,” says Patrick Brooks.
Self-Analysis
Practicing meditation gives us an opportunity to reflect not often afforded in busy working lives. These moments of self-reflection are crucial in discovering the root causes of workplace stress, but can also allow us to approach all our personal issues with self-control as well.
This awareness is important in exercising control over our own lives and a sense of control is crucial to productivity. “If we show that we are able to control ourselves we show others that we aren’t merely led by impulse but by clear, actionable thought,” explains Charles Davis. This improves and strengthens our bonds with colleagues and helps to create an environment of positivity and understanding.
Once you’ve gained this level of self-control, you will start to feel energized, ready for anything and you may find that going a day without meditation is like going a day without sleep. In fact, you may say that meditation is a third state with all the rejuvenating effects of sleep but the contemplative aspects of wakefulness.
By Martina Sanchez
I am an entrepreneur and content marketing specialist at Lucky Assignments and Gum Essays. My main passion in life is writing; I create regular content for her blog and write consistently on topics such as digital marketing, SEO tips, and other marketing tricks.
Practice meditation for increased productivity right, and see it work for yourself.