Work Smarter, Not Harder: Unlocking Productivity With Mindfulness In The Workplace

We live in a world deeply anchored in “hustle culture”, which equates success with long hours and constant motion. But hard work alone doesn’t guarantee results. The real key? A happy and healthy workforce.

According to a 2023 McKinsey report, the Indian workforce has the highest rate of burnout symptoms in the world almost 60%. International Labour Organization data shows that more than 50% of working Indians work 49 hours or more per week, 9 hours longer than the 40 hours mandated by Indian laws.

What Do These Numbers Tell Us?

Our workforce is in deep distress and needs support. There’s an urgent need to sharpen the focus on workplace wellbeing and make it the centre of all business decisions. By harnessing technology, like wellbeing apps, CHROs and managers can deliver personalized wellbeing solutions to employees to ensure a happy and productive workforce that drives innovation and growth.
The change has already started. Although investments in workplace wellbeing have not witnessed a corresponding jump, there’s every reason to celebrate this change in mindset and leverage it to make workplaces more enabling and productive.

Put More in Each Hour, Not Just More Hours

While long work hours are a reality for millions of corporate workers, there are ways for employees to increase their productivity by harnessing well-being practices such as meditation and mindfulness. These practices are proven to improve focus, attention, and mental resilience. Studies have found that practising mindfulness increases the efficiency of brain pathways for processing information and helps employees focus better on tasks by ignoring distractions.
Meditation provides a crucial restorative break for an overwhelmed mind and a restless heart. Through meditation, we cultivate focus, active listening, and relaxation essential qualities for our health and happiness that often take a backseat while chasing deadlines and professionalism.
Goals. Daily meditation and mindfulness can improve our well-being at work and beyond. And meditation needn’t be another chore.

Manage Stress And Anxiety Breathe!

No matter how much you love your work, there will be days when you feel stressed out and anxious. Breathwork can help you acknowledge and manage these negative emotions. When I feel stress creeping up on a difficult day at work, I practice the 4-7-8 breathing technique, a natural tranquillizer for frazzled nerves.

Breathe in for 4 seconds.
Hold that breath for 7 seconds.
Exhale slowly as you count to 8.
Repeat as many times as needed and feel the stress melting away.

Prioritize To Be More Productive

Box breathing is another highly effective relaxation practice. Repeat this cycle until you feel better and clear-headed. Research has shown that Box Breathing can strengthen our capacity to regulate emotions and heighten performance. It profoundly impacts employee mental health and is crucial for work productivity.