Interview with Nieves Rodríguez: the role of Mindfulness at Work

Mindfulness, or Full Attention, is a set of practices inspired by meditation and although they were developed as form of therapeutic intervention, in recent years its use has expanded to many other areas due to its effectiveness and versatility.

That is why, today, there are many companies that take advantage of the potential of Mindfulness to promote ways of working. optimal, promote habits that serve to improve performance and comfort in the work context, and to promote a good climate organizational.

In this case we interviewed a person with a lot of experience when it comes to adapting the use of Mindfulness to the world of organizations and companies, the coach Nieves Rodriguez.

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Interview with Nieves Rodríguez: this is how Mindfulness is used to help professionals

Nieves Rodriguez She is a personal and executive coach, as well as an expert in Mindfulness and other forms of intervention related to personal and professional development. From her FasTrackToRefocus platform she promotes initiatives such as the "8 Weeks Live Program: Mindfulness at Work", online course with live sessions that begins on November 4, 2020. In this interview she talks to us about the way in which Mindfulness can bring benefits to the world of companies and professionals.

How would you describe what Mindfulness is?

It is an ancient technique that is based on mindfulness. The objective of Mindfulness is to train our attention, observe and be aware of what is happening in the present moment so we can choose our next steps and avoid the pilot automatic.

But there are many definitions of this ancient technique, and although it is true that it comes from Buddhism and Initially it was used in the personal sphere, today it is used in different non-spiritual areas as well as professionals.

What distinguishes Mindfulness from the general concept of “meditation”?

Meditation is a form of Mindfulness, of Full Attention, but there are many other forms of Mindfulness.

We can practice Mindfulness in any activity we are doing, and that is the beauty of Mindfulness, that it neither takes time nor costs money. You can do it by walking, exercising, working... It is a skill that we all have but that we have stopped using due to the culture of “always being connected.”

In your opinion, what has made Mindfulness go beyond the field of psychotherapy and is also applied in the professional and business context?

Stress is considered the disease of the 21st century. It affects almost 25% of workers and the percentages continue to rise, especially in this time of uncertainty where In addition, demands have increased with teleworking and being connected 365 days a day, every day of the week and almost 24 hours a day. hours.

This “always on” culture has put our attention at risk. Previously, multitasking was considered a strength, but it is beginning to be a weakness in a professional, and of course in the domestic sphere.

We have constant interruptions, unrealistic deadlines, video calls, incessant emails that make our minds jump. one task to another without achieving full attention, and therefore with a very limited ability to focus, which leads to errors or even blockages. mental.

How does mindfulness help when it comes to boosting productivity at work?

Researchers have shown that multitasking is the worst possible reaction to information overload. Because truly when we jump from task to task due to lack of attention, we get the feeling that we do more but we do less and worse.

Mindfulness helps you be aware and focus on the tasks that are important, doing them with higher quality by being present and attentive. It is a state contrary to multitasking caused by the addiction to action that is being created in many environments. work, which gets things done not because they are important but because “they make you important, or feel good".

When carrying out a Mindfulness session at a time when we are affected by high levels of work stress, what happens in the mind that allows us to regain an adequate emotional balance?

Our mind has a great ability to go to the past or the future. We ruminate and sabotage ourselves about things that have already happened in the past or we worry about things in the future that are not real. What mindfulness allows is being aware of the present. Stress can have many causes, and one of the main causes is worry about what may happen. To what is outside my area of ​​control.

Stress activates our 'flight or fight' reaction to defend ourselves from danger. And having this constant reaction makes us suffer from stress for something that has not even happened.

With mindfulness we learn to collaborate with our mind and be present. Be aware of the present and create a space to observe and evaluate our next movements. It allows you to see options and choose from a space of greater awareness.

And what are its long-term positive psychological effects if you practice Mindfulness regularly on a daily basis?

Thanks to Mindfulness, companies and employees achieve multiple benefits: stress reduction, intelligence development emotional, better time and priority management, greater concentration, creativity and general well-being, which helps reduce sickness labor.

As we can see, positive effects in both our personal and professional lives.

From what you have seen, are there specific profiles of professionals for whom Mindfulness is especially beneficial?

It can be especially beneficial for leaders and entrepreneurs due to their responsibility profile, but today Mindfulness is beneficial for any person and professional, as we are all impacted by the high volume of interruptions and lack of attention.

What is the main objective that you have set for yourself when designing the 8-week Mindfulness at Work program, in relation to the benefits it can bring to the participants?

On the one hand, demystify the concept of Mindfulness, remove the baggage of spiritual practice and create awareness in the company to take care of its employees, since they are its best capital.

And for any person and professional, help them introduce that full attention into their daily lives, reduce autopilot and thus be able to more consciously manage the demands of work. My goal is to share mental techniques that you will be able to introduce into any area of ​​your life and also super simple techniques to have full attention to manage the work day, emails, meetings, set objectives, changes, communications, video calls, creativity, interruptions, etc In each session we will introduce techniques that you can put into practice and see the results immediately.

Nowadays, Mindfulness is a skill that any professional must have in order to be successful personally and professionally. Instill that less is more. Less but better. People who attend this program will have quantitative results such as clarity, greater focus and effectiveness, as well as a higher quality of life, lower stress and better well-being.