Meditation has grown by leaps and bounds in popularity in the last few years and we are here for it. Meditation can be critical in relieving stress and even pain. Did you also know that you can amplify the power of meditation to increase your effectiveness at work? We have known for some time that bringing meditation into the office setting has shown great benefits. According to an analysis of meditation effects, the right meditation, at the right time, can make all the difference. Researchers tested the Loving Kindness meditation (Metta) versus meditative breathing across 163 studies. They discovered that loving kindness meditations offer the most benefit when going into stressful situations because it increases empathy. Whereas, meditative breathing was more effective when preparing to work on creative activities requiring more self-compassion.
The right meditation at work?
If you aren’t familiar with loving kindness, also known as Metta, Sharon Salzberg is a great resource to learn more. Loving kindness goes something like this:
[Start by directing loving kindness toward yourself, saying “may you be happy, may you be healthy, may you be safe and may you live with ease.” After doing this for yourself, expand the phrase in energetic concentric circles with someone you have an easy relationship with. Next, followed by someone neutral, and finally someone you have challenges with. Close the meditation by directing the same mantras to all beings everywhere, without distinction.]
https://www.sharonsalzberg.com/
When leveraging meditation to amplify your impact at work, research shows that this specific meditation allows you to connect more deeply to your feelings and what other people experience. This allows you to “[boost] empathy and connection to others.“
Better amplify the power of meditation at work
Does this mean that other types of meditations don’t work? Not at all, but if you want to amplify the efficacy of your meditation practice at work, start here. Loving kindness meditations can be great for Support teams and Project Managers, who often face stressful or difficult conversations. Loving kindness is also fantastic for managers, when working with their teams. It assists keeping one’s mindset in a place of compassion and empathy, without diminishing the ability to make decisions. Breathing meditations can be highly effective at going inward and to boost confidence before a sales meeting, for example. It’s a great way to pump yourself up before an annual meeting, allowing you to better inspire and motivate teams.
Like many things, meditation is no silver bullet and don’t believe the empty promises. Meditation is another tool to increase your team’s success, in the right context, to avoid deleterious effects.
Does your company, you or your manager have an in-office contemplative practice? We would love to learn more in the comments and check out of the latest posts in our blog.