Edition: June 9th, 2021
Curated by the Knowledge Team of ICS Career GPS
Excerpts from article by Bharti Gitay, published in mpowerminds.com
Mindfulness has become ever so popular in recent times and is practised widely across the globe. Mindfulness means ‘moment to moment awareness’ of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations and the surrounding environment, through the kind, nurturing lens of our mind.
To be mindful means that you’re completely present in the moment -conscious and alert – enjoying the feeling, the joy of being immersed in whatever you are doing right then.
Understanding the Science behind Mindfulness
- Studies show that the positive impact of mindfulness comprise stress reduction, improved clarity and focus, and enhanced physical well-being.
- Scientifically, it impacts the frontal lobe, which controls future planning. The prefrontal cortex becomes thicker when practising mindfulness, which translated into efficient decision-making.
- Clinical research shows that mindfulness shrinks the amygdala, which is the brain’s fight-or-flight centre that administers stress and anxiety.
- Thus, regular practice of mindfulness helps reduce reactivity, panic and overwhelmed emotions. It allows the decision-making process to be a thoughtful and cognitive exercise, rather than an impulsive reaction to an external trigger.
Benefits of Mindfulness
Regular practice of mindfulness helps one become very aware and also assists with:
- Timely identification of decisions that need to be made
- Creative problem-solving through ethical evaluation
- Improved ability to recognise limitations
- Improved ability to identify trade-offs and inadvertent consequences of a potential decision
Why do mindful people take better decisions?
Our mind is an extremely powerful tool that we need to harness through mindfulness to make improved decisions.
- Regular practice of mindfulness permits leaders to reflect more deeply on important decisions and come to better conclusions.
- Mindful individuals take time to pause and reflect and listen to their inner selves assessing their values and objectives, before making any decision, which is usually made with open mind and kind heart.
- A study found mindful people have a greater tolerance of uncertainty and are more decisive when faced with choosing between many unknowns. When people are choosing a course of action, good judgment requires both intuition and systematic analysis.
- After practicing mindfulness for some time, it becomes easier for people to distance themselves from their emotions and thoughts to make better quality choices.
- Mindful individuals are more open to negative feedback; they can disengage from ego-concerns, accept constructive feedback and act on them to make positive changes in their lives.
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in the article mentioned above are those of the author(s). They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of ICS Career GPS or its staff.)
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