1. Why could Mindfulness training be a good training within my organization?
Mindfulness-based stress reduction training (MBSR) is done in-company and examples are tailored to your actual work situation. The exercises can be done at home as well as during work hours and the length of the exercises are shorter than normal. Our certified mindfulness trainers have all a business/organizational background.
2. How concrete is it?
In-Company Mindfulness training is simply a training in working (and working together) more consciously. The awareness and concentration exercises can be done at your own desk. Ultimately you integrate the exercises in your daily (work) life.
3. For whom is this a beneficial training? And for whom it is not?
Mindfulness training is suitable for anyone who is prepared to look at his own (work) habits and behavior. Specific knowledge is not required. Our trainers all have experience with people working in business/organizational environments.
In our Mindfulness-based training programs for organizations we focus on improving the quality of how you work, cooperate and communicate. Your working life is at the core of the training, but off-course you also benefit from this training in your private life. But we don’t want to change it around.
That’s why this Mindfulness training could be less suitable for some people at a certain period of their lives. For example in the case of big personal or work related conflict. Then personal coaching would be better suited.
4. Don’t you become passive of all these awareness exercises?
With certain exercises you are sitting still. You do not ‘do’ anything. The effect is that you become more alert as a result and you can concentrate better on the work in hand. You can consider it as a small investment with a big return. You can be quite busy working mindfully, but you are not only result/future oriented. You will do your ‘doing’ from moment to moment and you will feel confident that you achieve your desired results ‘automatically’.
5. I think i would become restless of awareness exercises.
That is quite possible in the beginning. During your first exercises you become aware of what is going on in your mind and body.What your thoughts are and your feelings. If you work on ‘auto pilot’ you are not aware or less aware of these experiences and (early) warning signals. By doing the mindfulness exercises your restlessness changes and you start to relate differently towards the turmoil in your head and body.
6. What is the difference with meditation?
Meditation exercises are part of mindfulness training, but they are only a minor part. All the exercises are a means to an end. They allow you to work more concentrated on one thing at a time and to communicate better with yourself and others.
The training is designed to integrate your own insights during the awareness and concentration exercises in your daily work life.
7. I once did relaxation exercises. What does mindfulness has in store for me?
Relaxation exercises do you good. You use your ability to relax. But it is like trying to put out a fire. With mindfulness you go to the root of your anxieties. You deal with them at an early stage. You become aware of your own early warning signals. And mindfulness deals differently with stressful thoughts and feelings. You consciously respond to them instead of reacting to them in a reflex.
8. And what about my mind? Isn’t that important anymore?
Your mind is certainly important. Your thinking helps you by what you are doing, analyzing what you did or what you want to be doing. But mindfulness is not what you think. Many thoughts are distracting you of what you are doing at a certain moment. For example at that certain moment when you think what you all still have to do once you finished reading these answers to the questions. Mindfulness helps you to deal consciously with your constant trains of thoughts. You learn how to put your mind at work for you.
9. What should i look for if i want to choose a mindfulness training?
Mindfulness is hot. And mindfulness is not a protected name. Our trainers are all experienced trainer/coaches and are certified mindfulness trainers in the highest category. They all are members of the professional association for mindfulness trainers in the Netherlands and Belgium (VMBN).
10. I would like to introduce mindfulness training in my organization. How can you help me with that?
We have developed special mindfulness-based training programs for organizations. If you are a HR professional or if you are interested in mindfulness training for your organization and you want to know more write to info@introspective.nu or subscribe to the free introduction workshop for HR professionals. at the Centre for Mindfulness in Amsterdam.