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In a world filled with stress and uncertainty, the practices of mindfulness and kindness are powerful tools for promoting mental well-being and personal growth.
A recent study from The Ohio State University provides valuable information that we, as agents, can use to enhance our personal experience of our work and the results we get in our business. In this overview of the research, you’ll find concrete practices and the benefits they provide so that you can live a life that’s more connected.
In today’s stressful marketplace and our ever-divided culture, adopting practices of mindfulness and kindness increases our effectiveness and our overall quality of life.
Understanding mindfulness
Dr. Maryanna Klatt, director of The Ohio State University College of Medicine’s Center for Integrative Medicine, describes mindfulness as being fully present in the moments of our lives, even during times of difficulty. Awareness and intentional presence allow individuals to navigate challenging circumstances without being overwhelmed by them.
While we’ll get into specific practices later, it’s important to note here that mindfulness is not just meditation and yoga. It’s not religious in any way. It’s also not an easy, instant fix. It takes intentional practice, but the important thing is that, with a little practice, mindfulness is available every moment.
As Dr. Klatt emphasizes, we can be intentional about our responses to our emotional reactions and thus use mindfulness to reshape our reality.
By focusing on the present and reframing our responses to life’s challenges, anyone can cultivate resilience and emotional balance and reap the benefits of that new relationship to life.
The impact of mindfulness practices
The OSU study shows the detailed effects of mindfulness practices, including yoga and meditation, listening to relaxing music, walking mindfully, and simply breathing mindfully.
These simple practices help individuals relax, center themselves and activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which is essential for relaxation and stress reduction.
By homing in on bodily awareness, reframing responses and leveraging the soothing effects of music and our breath, we can effectively manage our stress levels and cultivate a sense of inner peace.
When we are grounded, centered and relaxed, we perform better, and there is far more than anecdotal evidence for this assertion. A report from Psychology Today clearly demonstrates that when we are grounded and centered, business communications are vastly improved and more likely to lead to desirable outcomes.