Constant mental and distraction and cognitive overload have a huge negative impact on work performance and wellbeing.
American psychiatrist, Dr. Edward Hallowell has done extensive research on attention. He writes about the “dangers” of modern office life where people are continually distracted.
In his Harvard Business Review article, “Overloaded Circuits: Why Smart People Underperform” he warns that “modern office life and an increasingly common condition called ‘Attention Deficit Trait’ are turning steady workers into frenzied underachievers.”
Mindfulness trains the attention to stay focused and clear, despite all the competing demands at work and at home. Stress levels are reduced and so mental and physical health improve as well.
The staff in the organisation I delivered a mindfulness program to today left the session with great big smiles on their faces.
They were feeling calmer and more positive about managing stress at work by using the simple but effective tools they’d learned. And so of course it makes me smile too – love it!