Practising What We Preach

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again. We live our values. Not only that but as an organisation we deem it essential to constantly reassess and grow ourselves as a means of dealing with the ever-changing world we live and work in – we’re wholly committed to CPD and enjoy every minute of it.

Mindfulness entered the workplace a while ago now, and despite its 'buzzword' undertone having fizzled out somewhat, it still remains an incredibly useful skill with its health benefits also being recognised by the NHS. It is often defined as ‘paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment and without judgment’, and boasts to ‘enhance’ you in ways such as:

• increased sense of self-awareness and confidence
• decreased reactivity to painful thoughts and feelings
• increases awareness of inner resources
• increased ability to initiate positive behavioural changes
• Increased sense of wellbeing

Mindful Leadership

In today’s working world it is extremely tough to live a balance between achieving our long-term goals and short-term financial metrics. Great leaders stay grounded and authentic, face new challenges with humility, and balance professional success with more important but less easily quantified measures of personal success. Much easier said than done, but completely achievable with dedication.

Mindfulness equips you with the tools to measure and manage your life as you’re living it. It teaches you to pay attention to the present moment and recognise your feelings and emotions – highly effective when faced with stressful situations, which, let’s be honest, the majority of us are on a daily basis. When you are mindful, you’re able to both observe and participate in each moment, allowing you to move towards and maintain a life that runs in the wake of your values.

Stress Reduction

After bereavement and divorce, work is the third biggest cause of stress. Over half of all workers believe that stress is damaging their health. Mindfulness gives people greater clarity on what is happening in their lives, improving problem-solving and boosting concentration. It works by helping us break out of habitual, often ineffective patterns of thinking and acting – though our human brains are constantly trying to automate things in order to make life easier, this tendency has a downside. Unconsciously we tend to respond to problems in rigid, unthinking ways. Faced with an unwelcome and serious complication, for example, fast-moving multi-taskers often end up even more stressed, while those seeking escape succeed in doing so only temporarily.

       It's not a matter of letting go—you would if you could. Instead of ‘Let it go’, we should probably say ‘Let it be’.”Jon Kabat-Zinn

James, our Development Director here at The Colour Works, has started his training as a Mindfulness Practitioner and brought the initial 8-week learning course to the table as something the whole team might benefit from. Without doubt the lack of ability to truly dedicate time to one’s own development, or even just take time out, will resonate deeply with most of us, so it was refreshing to have a diarised reason to do so! The course, led by Dr Robert Gebka, comprised of theory, practical practice and a commitment to self-led study between sessions. Personally, it’s never felt more ridiculous to struggle to find a mere 20 minutes of a day to practice in – this alone was a huge lesson and spoke volumes in how mindfulness could improve upon the day-to-day.