Here’s what the tech-crazed, string of constant email messages, red-flagged, urgent post, reply immediately lives will learn from yoga. Communications technology has expanded the number of ways to be side-tracked at work while also speeding up the pace of business and trade in the global marketplace.
How can the extent to which technology distracts workers at work be quantified?
According to a 2011 Wall Street Journal report, a survey of over 500 workers revealed the following: “Email, social media networks, and even the time it takes to switch between applications account for around 60 percent of workplace distractions. Around 45 percent of respondents said they had at least six tabs open at once, and 65 percent said they used more than one interface in addition to their primary computer.”
The following are a few lessons that can be applied from the yoga studio to the boardroom to increase the Zen in the workplace:
Lesson 1: Goal-setting and pre/post reflection
Every business has objectives. It is used to determine success, failure, and trajectory. However, since everyone is more concerned with the external process of goals (i.e. setting and celebrating goals), people do not often devote enough time to the internal process of goals (i.e. setting and celebrating goals) (i.e. measurement, results, comparisons with the competition).
So, what can yoga teach about setting goals? The yoga teacher emphasises the importance of setting, achieving, and enjoying the personal objectives that are set for each session from the first deep breath in to the last deep exhale. Since there was an opportunity to internalise the objectives at the start of class, one could concentrate more on performing poses. Prioritization and concentration are easier to achieve when goals are properly internalised. Despite the ease of contemplation, it can be difficult to recall the last time set aside to think about achievements. Setting aside time to internally celebrate milestones before moving on to the next task is important because it provides a sense of accomplishment and task separation. By firmly recognising the fulfilment of targets and bringing closure to efforts, it will increase employee productivity and satisfaction in a clear, independent way.
Lesson 2: Positive thinking and forward imaging should be practised
Consider what it would be like to function in an environment where the bulk of the thoughts processed were positive rather than negative. Consider how different a workplace would be if the majority of co-workers had positive feelings rather than negative ones.
While it should seem like a cliche, one can never underestimate the power of a positive attitude. Generally, 25000 to 50000 thoughts are generated in a person’s mind. How many of these thoughts are categorized as positive? The underlying reason why optimists do better than pessimists, according to psychologist Michael F. Scheier, whose article “Optimism, Coping, and Health: Assessment and Implications of Generalized Outcome Expectancies” has been cited in over 3,145 other papers is:
“The solution is found in the variations in their coping mechanisms. Optimists aren’t just Pollyannas; they’re problem solvers who strive to make things better. They’re much more inclined than pessimists to embrace fact and pass on if it can’t be changed. Pessimists, on the other hand, are prone to denying, avoiding, and distorting the issues they face, as well as dwelling on their negative feelings.
Lesson 3: Be present in the community’s room
This is a good lesson for the tech-crazed, string of constant email messages, red-flagged, urgent post, respond immediately lives, not just in the boardroom. According to studies, only 2% of people are capable of multitasking. Consider this: people who are interrupted – and therefore have to turn their focus back and forth – take 50% longer to complete a job and make 50% more mistakes.
A multitasking society breeds a culture that is less creative. During a conversation or conference, turn off the phone and close the laptop. If one can be kept accountable for simply being present in the room, one will be able to genuinely be the change one wishes to see in the world. Reduced multitasking in the workplace will increase personal efficiency, employee morale, and safety, even if it is idealistic.
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