Mindfulness in the WorkplaceEllen Choi, Ivey School of Business, Western University

ellen@mindfulgatewayconsulting

echoi.phd@ivey.ca

Mindfulness | Background

What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is the awareness that arises through paying

attention on purpose in the present moment and without

judgment.

(Kabat-Zinn, 2002)

Mindfulness vs. Mindlessness

What is Meditation?

Meditation refers to a family of mental training practices

designed to:

● Familiarize practitioners with their mental processes

● Cultivate particular states of being

Mindfulness and The Default Mode

Narrative versus Experiential Mode of Self-Reference

Awareness of Breath

Practice | Breath Awareness

What was this experience like for you?

Mindfulness | The Research

Today’s Work Environment

Stress

Can’t stop thinking

24/7 world

Burnout

Emotional Exhaustion

Overwhelmed

Lack of time

Constantly busy

The Wandering Mind

47% of the time our minds

are wandering off-task.

(Gilbert & Killingsworth, 2010)

Dan Harris on Meditation

Mindfulness @ Work

Mindfulness has been shown to impact:

1. Well-being: stress, anxiety, life satisfaction

2. Relationships: empathy, perspective-taking, prosociality

3. Attention: focus, emotion regulation, performance, errors

(Good et al., 2016)

Mindfulness @ Work | Research

•Focus/Concentration

•Performance

•Efficiency

•Self-regulatory resources

•Empathy

•Positive Affect

•Error Reduction

•Resilience

•Decision Making

•Working Memory

•Work-Life Balance

•Conflict Management

•Stress Reduction

•Chronic Pain

Mindfulness | Neuroscience

● Prefrontal cortex: executive functions, regulating emotions,

decision making, age-related decline, perspective taking,

empathy and compassion

● Right anterior insula: attention and awareness

● Hippocampus: learning and memory

● Decouples amygdala and prefrontal cortex: manages

emotional reactivity and the "fight or flight" response

(Lazar et al., 2005; 2010)

Mindfulness | Neural Mechanisms

(Malinowski, 2013)

Mindfulness | Mechanisms

S-ART Model

Self-Awareness

Self-Regulation

Self-Transcendance

(Vago & Silbersveig, 2012)

The Impact of the Narrative Mode

P = p - iP = Performance

p = Potential

i = Interference (habits, cognitive distortions, automaticity, rumination etc.)

(Rock, 2006)

Viktor Frankl

Practice | Body Scan

Mindfulness in the Workplace

University Health Network

● Healing the Healer (2010) for staff

○ 6 weeks

○ 1 hour per week over lunch hour

○ Theory and practice

○ Approximately $70

● MBSR for patients and staff

○ 8 weeks

○ 3 hours per week after hours

○ Theory and practice

○ Approximately $350

Tech Firms

● Hosted mindfulness practice twice a week

● Mindfulness lunch and learns

● Mindful meetings

● Mindful retrospectives

● Dedicated “quiet” space

Mindful Meetings | DAVOS

● Invitation to take a 2-3 minute pause

● Collectively set intentions

● Watch the time

● Close with action items

2015 2003 1975

Mindfulness| A management fad?

Mindfulness | Everyday Practice

Wisdom | Panña

Informal Practice | Mindfulness

Awareness of our default mode

Present moment awareness

Self-obsessed

Automatic

Reactive

Informal Practice | 7 Mindful Attitudes

Non-judging

Acceptance

Trust

Patience

Non-striving

Letting Go

Beginner’s Mind

Informal Practice | Self-Compassion

Self-Compassion

Non-judgment

Kindness

Common-humanity

(Neff, 2003)

Informal Practices

● Mindful eating

● Mindful walking

● Gratitude journal

● Stoic philosophy practices

● Crossing the threshold

● Habit breakers - shower etc.

The End | Thank You

What is Mindfulness?

Intention

Attention

Attitude

(Shapiro et al., 2006)