Mindfulness, toolbox | iA Financial Group

MINDFULNESS

Toolbox

WHAT IS MINDFULNESS?

“Mindfulness is the awareness that arises from paying attention on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgmentally” (J. Kabat-Zinn).

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Improved well-being

Lower stress levels
Increased resilience
Improved sleep

Better work performance

Improved concentration
Increased efficiency
Clearer decision making
Better priority management
Improved creativity
Better problem solving

Improved interpersonal relationships

Effective communication
Improved collaboration
Better listening
More tolerance

MYTH No 1

IT'S JUST A FAD

The practice has started to become popularized in the West in the past few decades, but it is thousands of years old. It is now being implemented in school programs and companies.

MYTH No 2

IT'S ONLY FOR PEOPLE WHO AREN'T DOING WELL

Even though it can be helpful during difficult times, mindfulness meditation is most valuable when everything is going well, because it’s at these times that we can see all the benefits of the practice and make progress.

MYTH No 3

IT'S FOR RELAXATION

Relaxation can be a secondary benefit to mindfulness meditation but it’s not the objective. The objective is to be present in the moment, whatever it is. Repeated practice can lead to noticeable effects in the long term.

MYTH No 4

IT TAKES A LOT OF TIME

You can benefit from even as little as a few minutes a day of mindfulness meditation. You don’t need an hour! It is possible to gradually increase the amount of time you devote to your practice, based on your schedule. Regularly scheduled short periods of time are preferable to infrequent long periods of time. You can make adjustments according to your needs.

MYTH No 5

IT MEANS EMPTYING YOUR HEAD

Thoughts, emotions and feelings will happen during your practice and that’s completely normal. The important thing is to be mindful of them, to observe them and then let them go, without judgement. The objective is to constantly bring your attention back to the present moment, as many times as necessary, which can be challenging.