Mindfulness is more than just something practiced in quiet monasteries by Buddhist monks. In fact, nowhere is mindfulness — the ability to focus awareness on the present moment and acknowledge thoughts and feelings without judgement — more necessary than in the fast-paced, highly competitive business world.
The People’s United Center for Women & Business hosted an interactive workshop on mindfulness in the workplace on April 20, 2017. The workshop, presented by Cheryl L. Jones, chief mindfulness officer at The Mindful Path, LLC, focused on lowering stress, managing distractions, cultivating emotional intelligence and improving relationships in the workplace.
“Mindfulness is about noticing what’s happening within you and around you with a gentle, open mind,” Jones explained. “I believe it is the key to creating healthy and sustainable business practices for individuals, organizations and communities.”
Jones has been a certified health and wellness coach and an authority on mindfulness for more than 20 years. Her inspiring workshop echoed the center's mission to empower women to achieve their professional goals.
“Cheryl is a skilled teacher with a real passion for helping women reduce stress, build resilience and improve poise through mindfulness,” said Judy Gedge, associate teaching professor of business law.
For Jones, mindfulness isn’t just a cognitive tool for practicing mental and emotional self-care, but a way to help an organization improve its workplace culture. Mindful leadership and increased employee well-being and performance, she says, enables a company to attract and retain talent, achieve business excellence, navigate change and improve employee engagement.
“Mindfulness teaches professionals to clearly see how their work aligns with the objectives of their organizations and how they can be accountable for their part in its success,” Jones said. “Practitioners learn how to transform the way they work every day.”