Meditation works to help us master our emotional reactions to stress. Click To Tweet
In case you’re still wondering if mindfulness is just a passing fad or some sort of strange mysticism, know this: The science says mindfulness is here to stay.
I’ve already mentioned the scientific proof that people who meditate have more gray matter. For those who meditate, things like learning, memory, emotional regulation, empathy and compassion come more easily simply because the areas in the brain responsible for those functions are more developed.
Meditation actually changes your brain.
It’s research (and results) like this that provided the impetus for Google to launch an organization-wide mindfulness initiative back in 2007. The mindfulness program offered at Google focuses on using mindfulness to increase emotional intelligence, creativity, collaboration and productivity.
Why is Google investing in a program that encourages employees to get in touch with their inner selves? Because they’re scientists and engineers—and they know it works.
Research by the Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback found that those who meditate show an average gain in IQ of 23 percent. And another study in Consciousness and Cognition showed that just 4 days of daily 20-minute meditation helped improve participants’ memory, cognition and stress levels.
You can delve into the science of it all here, but the gist of it all is that meditation works to help us master our emotional reactions to stress. It also works in amazing ways to completely change the brain’s approach to the world.
If emotional intelligence (EQ) is defined as the ability to regulate your emotions AND identify the emotions of others, then it’s easy to see how mindfulness directly relates to developing and honing our ability to perform well on the job. Those with higher EQ work better in teams. They’re flexible, self-motivated, empathetic and more engaged and committed. In short, having a team with high EQ means you have more productive teams. Google, Disney, Target, General Mills—they all know and understand this, and it’s why they’ve incorporated mindfulness into the fabric of their organizations.
So, if you want to become a better team player, react less often, take more meaningful action and leverage your insights–then know this: Meditation works!
Take good care : )
Meg
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