Issue 131 mindfulness

SKILLS & LEARNING

MINDFULNESS, WORKPLACE WELLBEING AND PRODUCTIVITY Nikki Brierley Specialist Dietitian and CBT Therapist

Nikki has been a HCPC Registered Dietitian for eight years and more recently gained BABCP accreditation as a CBT Therapist.

She currently works in a dual role within the Adult Community Eating Disorder Service at Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.

REFERENCES For full article references please CLICK HERE . . .

Mindfulness continues to be a topic of great interest and is associated with an array of different benefits, including having the potential to increase workplace wellbeing, promote effective working and enhance overall productivity. In a dietetic workplace it could provide all those things and have a positive impact on the dietitian/patient relationship.

In this time of continued austerity, during what can feel like endless budget cuts, ever-increasing demands on time and even job insecurity, there is an obvious risk of reduced wellbeing within the workplace. Literature suggests a direct correlation between workplace wellbeing and workplace performance and, worryingly, recent research has found that the hours spent working are the least happy of our lives and that endemic stress accounts for a large proportion of work place absence and a huge loss in national productivity.1 Not surprisingly, employee wellbeing is an increasing focus for the UK Government, for both the possible health and economic benefits.2 Mindfulness may potentially be beneficial in safeguarding workplace wellbeing and promoting effective working environments. Indeed, a regular mindfulness practice is associated with improved health and wellbeing and increased overall productivity.1 WORKPLACE WELLBEING AND PRODUCTIVITY

Wellbeing can be defined as ‘feeling good and functioning well’. It comprises of an individual’s experience of their life, with comparison to social norms and values. Wellbeing can be considered in two dimensions: 1. Subjective Wellbeing (SWB) - how we think and feel about own wellbeing (i.e. life satisfaction, positive emotion and meaning of life).

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2. Objective Wellbeing (OWB) - based on assumptions about basic human needs and rights (i.e. adequate food, physical health, education, safety).

Workplace wellbeing refers to the levels of wellbeing experienced at work/within the working environment and can also be considered in terms of subjective and objective.

There is a considerable amount of evidence that suggests a positive correlation between SWB and job performance. Literature suggests three main casual mechanisms through which higher levels of SWB can bring about higher workplace performance: 1. Cognitive abilities and processes - allowing creative thinking and problem solving.

2. Attitudes to work - increasing propensity of cooperation and collaboration.

3. Improving physiology and general health - improved cardiovascular health, immunity and quicker recovery from illness and more available energy.

In addition, there is also evidence that suggests that increasing employee SWB may result in higher levels of job performance and, therefore, be conductive to economic growth.2 The Department of Health also describes additional benefits associated with improved wellbeing (summarised in Table 1) and it is easy to see the potential benefit to the wider society (i.e. healthier and happier individuals).

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Table 1: Why wellbeing matters to health • Adds years to life.

• Improves recovery from illness.

• Associated with positive health behaviours in adults and children.

• Influences the wellbeing and mental health of those close to us.

• Effects how staff and health care advisors work.

• Has implications for decisions in patient care practices and services.

• Has implications for treatment decisions and costs.

• Affects decisions about local services.

• May ultimately reduce the health care burden.

Source: Department of Health, Wellbeing: Why it matters to health policy3

MINDFULNESS

Mindfulness is a natural human capability and involves purposefully paying attention to our experience in an open and curious manner.1 Paying attention to the present moment; to our thoughts and feelings and to the world around us, helps us to reconnect with our bodies and sensations, to notice the things we may have taken for granted and reduce the risks of getting caught up in our minds chatter. This allows us to experience the present moment clearly, to

stand back from our thoughts and to identify patterns. In so doing, it is possible to gain a greater understanding of ourselves and have an increased enjoyment of life.4 Mindfulness is recognised as having a potentially positive effect on health and wellbeing and features as one of the government’s five recommended steps to mental wellbeing (summarised in Table 2 overleaf). It is, however, also important to recognise that it is not suitable for everyone and that some adverse effects have been noted. www.NHDmag.com February 2018 - Issue 131

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SKILLS & LEARNING Table 2: Five steps to mental wellbeing Connect

With people around you: family, friends, colleagues and neighbours.

Be active

Find an activity that you enjoy and make it a part of your life.

Keep learning

Learning new skills can give you a sense of achievement and a new confidence.

Give to others

Even the smallest act can count, whether it’s a smile, a thank you or a kind word.

Be mindful

Be more aware of the present moment, including your thoughts and feelings, your body and the world around you. It can positively change the way you feel about life and how you approach challenges.

Source/adapted from: NHS Choices, Five steps to mental wellbeing5

MINDFUL WORKPLACE

Being more mindful generally means noticing the everyday and being aware of our thoughts, feelings, body sensations and world around us.

It allows us to interrupt what can be our default setting of ‘autopilot’ and helps to provide new perspectives. Becoming more mindful takes practice and perseverance and it is with a regular practice that benefits are observed.

Unsurprisingly, The Mindful Nation UK Inquiry by the all-party parliamentary group, found high levels of interest in mindful training in the workplace.1 However, despite this growing interest, common myths about mindfulness can prevent engagement and dispelling these may prove vital to access the possible benefits (see Table 3).

Table 3: Dispelling common myths about mindfulness Common myth

Information to challenge the myth

Mindfulness is a religion

The cultivation of mindfulness is found in many contemplative traditions; however, mindfulness is not owned by any specific group. It is a basic human capability that can be developed with training, practice and patience, doing so does not require a commitment to a specific religion.

Mindfulness and meditation are the same thing

Meditation is one type of activity that can aid in the development and cultivation of mindfulness. There is, however, a range of different types of meditations (much like there is a range of different exercise equipment at the gym designed to exercise different parts of the body). The guided meditation practices within mindfulness training are aimed at developing an attentive, open, curious and caring attitude.

Mindfulness is about ‘emptying your mind’

Mindfulness is not about stopping thoughts or zoning out. It is a form of mental training that allows us to notice our thoughts and bring our awareness back to the task at hand. This strengthens our ability to stay focused and also increases our awareness of the nature of the thoughts that distract us.

The aim of mindfulness is to ‘relax and chill out’

It is a common misconception that mindfulness is about breathing slowly and entering a relaxed state. Mindfulness practice does include some techniques that are aimed at calming an agitated nervous system, however, the breath is mainly used as an anchor so we can notice when the mind has wandered.

Mindfulness training is good for everyone and helps everything

Clinical applications of mindfulness have been shown to be of benefit across a broad population; however, there are some individuals that the training is not appropriate.

The level of training provided is also an important factor and the research outside the clinical area is still in its infancy.

Mindfulness is dangerous

Mindfulness is not dangerous in itself; however, some methods of cultivating mindfulness might not be suitable for some individuals. There is anecdotal that in rare cases some individuals can encounter significant difficulties and turning towards difficult experiences may not be suitable.

Source/adapted from: The Mindfulness Initiative1

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fulness is a natural human c apabili ty ; however, it is e asy to switch t topilot o u e c e n t s a s e h a b f e r o d y t y e l f a u a t o m r e t train t and i he brai n to be more mindful.

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Table 4: Being more mindful at work Be present

Be aware and conscious rather than on autopilot.

Practice short mindful exercises

Even a one-minute mindful exercise can help to train the brain to be more mindful.

Avoid multi-tasking

It is not actually possible to do more than one thing at a time, instead the brain has to quickly switch from one to another. Try focusing on doing one thing at a time.

Use reminders

The brain easily switches back to autopilot, set an alarm, plan in your dairy/calendar to prompt you back to mindfulness.

Slow down

This can seem counterintuitive; however, slowing down can improve efficiency, along with happiness, resilience and health at work.

Reconsider stress

Noticing your heart rate and breathing increasing when stressed can allow you to respond differently (i.e. be aware of the increased energy available to complete the task).

Cultivate gratitude

Gratitude is the antidote to negative thinking and is synonymous with mindfulness.

Being aware of what is going well at work can increase resilience and positivity.

Develop humility

Mindfulness is about accepting who you are and being open to listen and learn from others. To increase humility, consider who has helped you to get where you are today.

Foster acceptance

To be mindful is to accept the current moment just as it is. It does not mean giving up; however, it does involve acknowledging the truth about how things are before trying to change them.

Promote a growth mindset

Mindfulness is about being open to new possibilities. This is in line with a growth mindset believing that things are not fixed and, with effort, intelligence and talents, can be increased.

Sourced/Adapted from: 10 ways to be more mindful at work (2016)6

There is a wide variety of training options available in Mindfulness from self-help books, pod casts, workshops, six to eight week courses, residential retreats to academic studies (differing in quality and standards). Table 4 lists some possible suggestions that could be experimented with to encourage mindfulness whilst at work (and indeed outside the working environment).

SUMMARY

Interest in the practice and potential benefits of mindfulness continues to grow and current research and literature suggests a possible

positive impact on workplace wellbeing. As workplace wellbeing appears to have a direct correlation with productivity and, thus, economic growth, it is not surprising that interests extends to the UK government.

Mindfulness is a natural human capability; however, it is easy to switch to the default of autopilot and it may be necessary to retrain the brain to be more mindful. There are various simple practices that can be incorporated into the workplace to increase mindfulness and with regular practice these may confer a wide variety of benefits that extend beyond the working environment. www.NHDmag.com February 2018 - Issue 131

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