In recent years there’s definitely been an uptick in the amount of leaders and entrepreneurs saying that they owe their success to meditation and mindfulness. From Silicon Valley tech start ups to small business owners to motivational speakers to the Millennials and Gen Z that are forming the foundation of the workforce now, there’s no doubt that these meditative practices are on the rise with no signs of slowing down.
Honestly, when it started there were a lot of people saying that it’s another leadership fad. However, when you look at it in a more scientific way, there is some real logic behind why meditation helps us to be better when we’re at work.
Neurologically, when we meditate our brain switches off our Default Mode Network, the region that causes us to ruminate and daydream. Instead, it engages our Task Positive Network or TPN which is when we’re wholly focused on one single task at a time. This high level of focus allows us to concentrate on our breath and stop us from thinking about hypothetical situations. So, this is the reason why meditation is ideal for mitigating mental health symptoms.
This high level of focus is also reminiscent of another workplace technique called a deep work state or deep flow state. Used predominantly by coders and tech workers, it’s a state of deep concentration that can last a number of hours and allows the individual to have a singular focus on the task at hand.
As with any new strategy or technique, the more you practice something, the easier it becomes. Gaining access to this meditative or deep flow state is no different. So, the more you meditate, the more likely it is that you’re going to be able to access this deep work state away from your dedicated meditation sessions, for instance, in the workplace.
So, whatever you want to call it – meditation, mindfulness, deep work, deep flow or just engaging your TPN, it’s the key to productivity both in your personal life and in the workplace.
You can start building a meditation habit as well as learning more about the neuroscience behind our mental health and fitness and how to improve it, by signing up to Leafyard for free today.