The need to be productive and innovative is at an all-time high in this day and age.
As business competition rises tremendously in virtually every industry, employees want to lessen the workload. That means being more productive within a shorter timeframe.
Working hard and staying devoted so you can tackle what’s needed in a smaller window of time helps to reduce stress overall.
A great way to improve that productivity factor is through meditation. Meditation for productivity is not new, and it’s what we’ll be diving into in-depth today.
How effective is meditation for productivity? What are its other benefits, and how can one take full advantage of what meditation has to offer? We want to come to the answers together in this guide.
Can Meditation For Productivity Work?
Mindfulness is a powerful tool that many know about, but only a few can master.
A great way to build mindfulness is through meditation. A state of mind where you think about nothing, but also everything, you can improve your productivity when your mind is at peace.
And yoga and meditation are some of the easiest and most accessible tools for the job.
Not only does meditation provide mental clarity, but clearing your thoughts can also lead to a more tension-free, stress-free, and overall blissful life.
With newfound mindfulness and mental clarity, many people find they can be more productive. Fewer unnecessary thoughts are clouding your brain, and you’re more centered and grounded with the world.
This can play out positively in your work life. When there’s less to deal with inside your head, you can focus more on the tasks you have at hand. In the end, it results in more time for you, overall.
We want to show you how to achieve that kind of meditation. But first, we want to touch on more of the benefits that come from the practice. Consistency is key, but people practicing meditation have demonstrated these benefits again and again.
What Does Science Say About Meditation?
There’s some science involved with meditation. Many studies and various clinical trials have looked at how meditation could be helpful for a variety of conditions. From psychological disorders to high blood pressure, to certain types of pain, mindfulness pays off.
Sparking interest in the field of medicine, meditation is building an increasing body of research that shows its health benefits. A practice that’s been here since the ancient Vedic times of India, and still today it’s used avidly.
Even the United States Department of Homeland Security notes the benefits of mindfulness meditation.
5 Ways Meditation For Productivity Can Benefit You
What are the benefits of meditation when using meditation for productivity? We want to give you an idea of just some of the benefits it has to offer.
Lessens Stress
It’s easier to make better decisions when stress isn’t involved. Too much stress can easily make us less productive. It’s known all too well as an energy zapper.
When it’s at a high in our system, our minds can struggle to maintain memory, keep up with multitasking, or even make a decision.
Balance is the key to a happier life. Reducing stress levels through meditation can help improve your productivity, too.
Making a decision when you’re in the middle of a stressful situation can cause you to make a fear-based choice. Meditation can make it easier for you to focus on the choice that helps bring the most balance in life. This can lead to a more positive, long-term solution rather than reacting out of fear.
The mind isn’t clear when it’s under duress. The solution? Reduce the cortisol coursing through your veins! Cortisol, aka the stress hormone, is the biggest cause of our stressful days.
Meditation and breathing exercises are both great techniques to help reduce cortisol in the system.
As a plus, less cortisol in the system means a boost in your immune system function. It’s a win-win.
Increase Concentration
Realign your approach to mindfulness by narrowing in on your concentration tactics. A lack of mental rest throughout the day can break down your concentration.
For example, an employee that has to skip their break or lunch often has a decrease in their focus.
As living beings, we need mental breaks during the day. The modern setting of constantly planning, worrying, analyzing, and thinking is not necessarily what’s healthiest for the mind.
Without getting a mental break, the brain has no time to recharge. This makes it become sluggish, so this may be the time in the day where you start to feel slower and not work as efficiently.
Even while you sleep, your brain is constantly churning and sorting through the information it took in for the day. If you don’t take the time to be mindful or practice meditation, your brain may never fully experience rest.
The solution comes off as simple. Clear enough time out of each day to practice mindful meditation. Practicing meditation for productivity is an important way to let your brain have a break. After all, no matter what you’re going through, everyone deserves time to rest.
Meditation helps improve our concentration stamina. Many people already think of meditation as a concentration exercise. Meditation is sometimes a tool to help focus or concentrate on something specific.
It’s not a far leap to see how it could help improve your ability to concentrate overall. Likewise, this would increase your productivity levels in tangent. Again, a win-win.
Improve Happiness
It’s not a secret that someone unhappy will likely also be less productive. You can achieve inner happiness easier to increase your outer productivity. And what better way to do that than through — you guessed it, meditation.
Research indicates repeatedly that happiness makes a person more productive. Research shows that just a small boost in happiness can improve productivity by about 12%. That’s like saving 40 minutes on an 8-hour shift, with the bonus of being happier for doing it.
Meditation has been shown to rewire the brain over time. We don’t need a clinical trial to prove it, though. Start spending 15 to 30 minutes each day just meditating.
Whether it’s in the morning, in the middle of a hectic workday, or as the day comes to an end — set aside some time. You deserve to know how mindful meditation will treat you.
Reduce a Wandering Mind
Meditation can help to calm the storm inside the mind. It’s no question that our mind wanders throughout most of the day. We’re likely not even conscious of it, most of the time.
Did you know that at least 46.9% of an average person’s waking hours are spent thinking about something other than what they’re currently doing?
This can lead to a lapse in productivity. It can lead to a lapse in anything other than the moments ahead of you, which is not an ideal way to live for most people.
And yet, a large chunk of people spend their days mind-wandering their time away. Have you ever been physically present in a room, maybe even surrounded by people, but mentally you’re somewhere far, far away? You may be a victim of mind-wandering yourself.
Fortunately, mindfulness meditation for productivity helps stimulate the brain in ways you may not have felt before. You’ll zero on in what’s important, sort through and toss aside what doesn’t serve a purpose, and feel calmer throughout the day.
With less focus on your present, there’s a direct decrease in happiness. Allowing the mind to wander should be something you monitor and keep track of. It shouldn’t be something that happens on accident while you’re listening to someone else speak.
The practice of meditation has been shown to help quiet the mind. This is an easy solution to mind-wandering. Remember, consistency is the key, so it’s important to keep up with a routine. Regular mindful meditation can improve many aspects of your life.
Strengthen the Mind
Finally, and most importantly, meditation for productivity helps straight-up strengthen the brain. According to research, meditation can help strengthen the prefrontal cortex.
To be more specific, the research found an increase in grey matter in the prefrontal cortex after meditation. Grey matter in the brain is what helps neurons fire more effortlessly.
The prefrontal cortex is the part of our brain responsible for most of our executive functions. Decision-making, planning, behavior, self-discipline, focus, and judgment are all key functions controlled there.
So, the fact that we have a practice that can improve this part of the brain is life-altering for some people — literally. Consistent meditation practice can be life-changing, and only for the better.
On a neurological level, your brain finds it easier to make productive decisions and actions when it’s on a good meditation routine.
How To Practice Meditation for Productivity
Okay, now you may be wondering — how can I get started? You know all the benefits that meditation has to offer. Where do you sign up to start experiencing it all? We can show you the ropes.
The basics of meditation are simple. You just need to focus on and concentrate on your breath. Start by sitting straight on a flat surface. Close your eyes if this helps you ground yourself. Breathe in and out. If it’s your first time or one of your first times, don’t worry about getting it all right.
It can take time to learn how to focus on just your breathing. Regular practice will help you get it down. It’s not as easy as just closing your eyes and meditating right away. Especially for newbies, it’ll take time before you do get it right.
Just remember, meditation is all about attention, concentration, and focus. You’ll get it right when the time comes, and you’ll only grow from there.
What Do You Do While Meditating?
If you’re new to the practice, you may have trouble figuring out what to do once you’re in your meditative state. In reality, meditation is not just focusing on breathing.
Keep your mind cool, and breathe calmly. Your attention should be given to your breathing, but don’t worry if you start to wander elsewhere. See where your mind decides to take you.
Follow a thought as far as you want to. Stay conscious of each thought trail you create as you go. Try to ground yourself when you feel you wander too far.
Return to your breathing. Eventually, you’ll feel the rhythm involved, and your breathing process will become effortless.
Wrapping Up
Get things done faster and stay focused at work more easily when you start utilizing meditation for productivity. Have you ever tried meditation before? Which type of meditation have you tried? Ever experienced meditation for productivity? Let us know!
