We are pleased to share our latest, and final, podcast, Mindfulness in Practice. This podcast concludes our Wellbeing series, where we have discussed wellbeing and provided practical advice on how to actually be well.

Click here to listen to our latest podcast.

This short series hosted by Head of People, Suzie Ruffley, and Foresight’s leadership coach, Dr Alex Morris, has focussed on some of the theories around wellbeing and discussed practical advice on how to actually be well, in the context of the workplace and the Covid-19 pandemic.

In previous episodes we’ve discussed wellbeing, uncertainty, lack of human interaction, sleep, stress and anxiety. To round-up the series, in this episode we talk about the importance of mindfulness practice for our general wellbeing.

Mindfulness and the Present Moment

As a society, we are easily distracted. There are many pressures of modern living at the moment; the ‘new normal’ work routine, stress, digital connectivity. With so much going on, it’s very easy to neglect our wellbeing and allow ourselves to be distracted. A recent Harvard study suggested that we are distracted 47% of the time, which in turn can hinder creativity and productivity and can be detrimental to our general wellbeing.

So, why is it so important that we interrupt ourselves and bring our focus back on the present?

Forcing ourselves to pause and allowing ourselves to be mindful can improve our concentration, reduce ruminative thinking and challenge negative feelings like tension, frustration and stress. There are many quick and effective mindfulness practices that we can introduce into our daily routines to help. Breathing exercises and meditation are both well-known forms of mindfulness, but it could be engaging with thoughts, physical sensations, or the sounds and smells around us. Any focus on the present moment can help to restore balance and bring things into perspective and mindfulness can work as a protective factor against the stresses of life.

For more insights on how to effectively practice mindfulness, the final episode is available to listen to here. Please do give it a listen, comment and let us know what you think.

The podcast is also available on Apple Podcast and on Spotify, subscribe to stay up to date with any future releases and please do share.

We hope the conversations throughout our series have empowered listeners to recognise their thoughts and feelings, and boost their wellbeing.

If any of the themes discussed over this series particularly resonate with you and you would like to discuss anything further, please don't hesitate to get in touch with Foresight's HR team on HR@ForesightGroup.eu.