Healthy practices to help you find balance and resilience in your life and at work Mindfulness: INSERT PRESENTER INFO HERE

Mindfulness means : ― Maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment. Mindfulness also involves : ―Acceptance; meaning we pay attention to our thoughts and feelings without judging them—without believing, for instance, that there’s a “right” or “wrong” way to think or feel in a given moment. “ It’s about living your life as if it really mattered, moment by moment by moment by moment.”- Jon Kabat Zinn Defining Mindfulness

Have you been guilty of these mindless actions……? – Breaking things, spilling things, clumsiness, accidents because of carelessness, inattention or thinking about something else – Forgetting someone’s name as soon as you hear it – Listening to someone with one ear while doing something else at the same time – Eating without being aware of eating – Running on autopilot – Reacting emotionally in certain ways – feeling like an emotion just “came out of nowhere” – Daydreaming or thinking of other things when doing chores – Doing several things at once rather than focusing on one thing at a time Are you guilty of being mind-LESS?

– Mindless behaviors, like multitasking, can actually hurt our productivity – It takes more time to get tasks completed if you switch between them than if you do them one at a time. – You make more errors when you switch, than if you do one task at a time. – If the tasks are complex then these time and error penalties increase – Studies have shown that practicing mindfulness, even for just a few weeks, can bring a variety of physical, psychological, and social benefits MindLESSness

Research on mindfulness shows it can benefit a variety of areas of our life and in multiple settings – Mindfulness is good for our bodies: practicing mindfulness meditation boosts our immune system’s ability to fight off illness.immune system’s – Mindfulness is good for our minds: Several studies have found that mindfulness increases positive emotions while reducing negative emotions and stress. Indeed, at least one study suggests it may be as good as antidepressants in fighting depression and preventing relapse.good for our mindsstressdepression – Mindfulness helps us focus: Studies suggest that mindfulness helps us tune out distractions and improves our memory and attention skills. tune out distractionsmemoryattention skills – Mindfulness fights obesity: Practicing “mindful eating” encourages healthier eating habits, helps people lose weight, and helps them savor the food they do eat.fights obesity Benefits of Mindfulness

Mindfulness is good for parents and parents-to-be: Studies suggest it may reduce pregnancy-related anxiety, stress, and depression in expectant parents. Parents who practice mindfulness report being happier with their parenting skills and their relationship with their kids, and their kids were found to have better social skills.parentsparents-to-be reduce pregnancy-related anxiety, stress, and depressionParents who practice mindfulness Mindfulness helps veterans: Studies suggest it can reduce the symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in the aftermath of war.veterans Mindfulness enhances relationships: Research suggests mindfulness training makes couples more satisfied with their relationship, makes each partner feel more optimistic and relaxed, and makes them feel more accepting of and closer to one anotherenhances relationships Benefits of Mindfulness cont….

How to Cultivate Mindfulness Pay close attention to your breathing, especially when you’re feeling intense emotions. Notice—really notice—what you’re sensing in a given moment, the sights, sounds, and smells that ordinarily slip by without reaching your conscious awareness. Recognize that your thoughts and emotions are fleeting and do not define you, an insight that can free you from negative thought patterns. Tune into your body’s physical sensations, from the water hitting your skin in the shower to the way your body rests in your office chair. Remember, mindfulness is simply about being aware in the present moment!

Practice ‘strategic acceptance”: – Whether you are in a meeting, on a call, or working on a task, stop to let go of the emotions around it, and just accept the moment Take one minute- – Before a meeting, take one minute to stop and let go of whatever went on in the hour before, let go and turn your focus back to the present meeting. – Before you respond to a coworker: Take one minute to accept any emotions (frustration, aggravation, etc.) and let them go before you respond. – Before you answer the phone or read an take one minute to consider how urgent it is to attend to, or if you can continue to focus on the task at hand Mindfulness Tips at Work

Find a time to unplug: – Try this: For one hour, turn off the notification or turn the ringer off on your phone. Focus on the current priority and allow other times to turn back toward technology When you are at your desk: – Do a full body scan: take a moment to sit up straight, pay close attention to every area of your body, where might you feel tension or stress? Try to ease or relax those muscles Mindfulness Tips at Work continued…

When you first wake up: – Take a deep breath, try not to judge the day ahead as good or bad, just be present in that moment. In your commute: – Pay attention to your surroundings, are there trees around you? is your favorite song on? is it sunny outside? In your shower: – Pay attention to the sensations in that moment; the warm water and hot steam. Then relax your muscles, you might find it more enjoyable than you once thought. Have mindful mornings: – If you love coffee, this is for you. Sip, enjoy, take a few minutes to be in the moment before you think about the day ahead Mindfulness Tips at Home

For parents: – Hectic mornings can add to the stress before work begins, whether it helps to wake up a few minutes early, or pack lunches the night before, try to take even five minutes to just sit with your kids and listen to them and make it a morning habit Be mindful around the dinner table: – Take a moment, even if its one time a week, to each share something you are grateful for “Pause” when you notice anger: – Whether communicating with kids or your spouse or partner, if you notice anger or frustration, vow to take a pause to notice it and make a decision about how you want to respond Mindfulness Tips at Home continued..

“ Be Present” Safety Briefings – Both of these already ask you to take a moment, notice what is going on around you, and be present. – We practice this in order to make our meetings more meaningful, more purposeful, and to make sure we continue to focus on listening to others, including others, and to have a continued emphasis on safety How might you make mindful behaviors and actions part of your next meeting, conference call, project, or task ? Guess What? We are Already Being Mindful at Caterpillar

Ready to try mindfulness on your own? Or learn more about it? – Free guided mindful meditations: – iPhone and Android apps: worthy-of-your-attention/ worthy-of-your-attention/ – Read about mindfulness and work: Ahead-Performance-Mindfulness/dp/ http:// Ahead-Performance-Mindfulness/dp/ – Tip sheets and articles: Resources for Mindfulness

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