Why mindfulness is the foundation of success

Alec Jiggins, Head of School and Primary Principal at ICS London, discusses why mindfulness is the key to success and shares his top techniques on how to practice it.  

It doesn’t matter if you are a student at school, a work-from-home parent, working in an office, or just reading a book on your commute - when something distracts you, it can take you anywhere from 17-23 minutes to regain your focus.

You know exactly what I mean. You’re focused, in flow, totally immersed in your work - and someone interrupts you, perhaps with a welcome cup of coffee, or a question, or demanding hugs or food or a walk (yes, I have a lockdown puppy). And in that moment, your focus is lost, your train of thought derailed.

I’ve been a leader for over 20 years - nothing kills productivity and creativity faster than a working environment full of distractions.

This summer, I booked myself into a 10-day silent meditation retreat and discovered the power of mindfulness. Sitting still, in silence, for two weeks allowed me to really listen to my inner self. I can now “reset” in a matter of minutes and I want to share some simple techniques that will allow you to calm your mind and get back on track in a fraction of the time.

5 REASONS WHY MINDFULNESS IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS

1. Improved productivity: Remaining centred and focused through regular mindfulness practice helps us to better filter the “chatter” of the mind. We can choose how to respond to what's actually important. By developing greater clarity on what's truly important to us, we can do less and actually be more productive.

2. Greater understanding and influence: There is no better way to develop understanding and build influence with other people than to understand their needs and help them meet those needs. Over time, mindfulness practice changes our brain’s responses and helps us do that. It allows us to be fully present for another person, aware of self-talk, and seeking to understand rather than trying to be understood.

3. Better decision-making: We’re human and, as such, are hardwired to be biased. Our biases can cause us to make decisions that are less than ideal. Mindfulness training helps to develop the higher levels of self-awareness that are necessary to be aware of our biases before they influence our decisions. Equally important, mindfulness helps us develop the mental agility needed to be able to make decisions that are outside of our comfort zone.

4. Improved health: Science fact. Mindfulness improves physical health in a wide variety of ways. Research from the University of Massachusetts showed that people who regularly practice mindfulness are less likely to get ill, feel happy more often, feel more positive about life, are more alert, enthusiastic, determined, pay attention better, have more energy, sleep better, and have lower levels of stress.

5. Happiness: Mindfulness is about reducing anxiety and stress. Put another way, through mindfulness you can achieve unconditional happiness simply by making the effort to be mindful during as many of your daily activities as possible. Mindfulness begins with becoming aware of our thoughts and making sure these thoughts are productive and positive.

SIMPLE MINDFULNESS TECHNIQUES

We all have a voice inside our heads. It’s okay. You’re not alone and you’re certainly not crazy. Sometimes it feels like that voice will never stop talking. Regular mindfulness practice helps you become aware of your self-talk, and we can move beyond thinking about what we feel and instead accept reality as it is, not how we want it to be. In essence, that’s how you achieve inner peace.

To practice mindfulness, there’s no need to sit cross legged, chant, light candles or burn incense. You can do it anywhere. It just requires you turning your attention inwards rather than outwards, observing (not judging, labelling, or reacting to) your thoughts and feelings.

Technique #1

Sit comfortably. Rest your hands on your thighs/knees. Place your hands palms upwards, and touch the tips of your thumbs to the tip of your index fingers (like you’re doing the OK sign). Apply very gentle pressure, and slowly start to circle the tip of each thumb over the tip of the index finger. You should feel the ridges of your fingerprints glide past each other. Breathe slowly and naturally. Don’t force the breath. Do this for two minutes.

Science fact - your stress hormone, cortisol, will reduce by 20% and you will be in a better frame of mind and 35% more likely to make better decisions.

Technique #2

Sit comfortably. Rest your hands on your thighs/knees. Breathe in for three seconds, hold your breath for four seconds, breathe out for five seconds.

When your exhale is longer than your inhale, your brain naturally feels “safe” and reduces the activation of your stress state and you will move into a thrive state. You don’t have to do anything other than control your breathing. Try this for 2-5 minutes and listen to your body and see what works for you.

There are apps such as Calm and Headspace, as well as hundreds of Youtube videos of guided meditation that you can try. Experiment and find out what works for you. I guarantee that if you make mindfulness part of your daily routine, just like brushing your teeth, you will experience greater happiness and success.