MINDFULNESS IS THE NEW CORPORATE TOOL

The world has gone through many seismic shocks during the past few years not least by the pandemic.

It has been a rollercoaster ride for people and business for Sri Lanka because of the socio-political upheavals.

Anger, fear and grief has always been prevalent in the workplace but the pandemic overwhelmed everyone in some way or the other.

Research indicates that 81 percent of workers face some form of burnout or mental health issue; while 68 percent of employees have their work cut out by these challenges.

It is in this scenario that mindfulness has become an important health tool to tackle mental challenges.

According to the 2022 ‘Employee Wellness Industry Trends Report’, 90 per cent of employers are increasing their investments in mental health solutions in 2022, an increase of 24 percentage points from 2018.

Although the concept of mindfulness has been around from ancient time, it is more relevant in this digital age with more companies switching to an agile way of working.

‘Mind full or mindful’ was the topic of an event organised by the Rotary Club of Battaramulla at One Galle Face in a project to raise funds for orphaned girls.

The panellists comprising FCBkl.lk Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Santosh Menon, Women in Management founder Chairperson Dr. Sulochana Segera, and Coca-Cola Managing Director and General Manager Sri Lanka and Maldives Pankaj Sinha gave some interesting insights on mindfulness.

The panel discussion moderated by Archana Law delved on mindful leadership, mindfulness techniques and practices, mindfulness based interventions and initiatives in the workplace to enhance productivity and well-being.

Law set the tone by asking the audience: “Have you ever wondered if there was a way to strike a balance in your life, which is so hectic, full of things to do, and a long to-do list? What if you were able to explore a way that you could integrate into everything that would make your life better, your work and effort more productive?”

Advertising guru Menon revealed that even he went through untold stress before setting up his business. “What if XYZ doesn’t happen?” swirled through his mind.

“The result of that thought in your head that something may not happen and that the consequences could be dire, is that the body responds in a completely different way,” he said.

“One of the key things I did at that time was reach out for help, and when I say I reached out for help, I mean I reached out to books. The first thing I did was start reading,” he recalled.

It changed his life for ever. “Too often, our future enslaves our present,” he opined.

“One of the biggest positives of mindfulness is the unleashing of creativity,” he said tackling the negative impact of meeting deadlines in the advertising business.

Affirming the views of Menon, Sinha asserted mindful leadership could bring the best out of employees.

“You lose sight in the corporate world that there are different ways to achieve the same objective. That’s something which, as a corporate leader, you have to be mindful about,” he opined.

“The other big thing which is challenging in the corporate world is that the corporate world lives in the past, not in the future,” he added.

He lauded today’s generation for thinking out of the box. “In today’s society, people understand that to achieve the same goals, you have various ways or means. And the kids of today, I would say, are more mindful than the kids of our generation,” he pointed out.

Dr Segera brought a different perspective on mindfulness after the challenges she faced personally as a single parent.

“I found my life purpose or why I am living. In Sri Lankan terms, to be a respected and successful woman, you need to be married, you need to have kids, and you have to have your in-laws. All these boxes have to be ticked. And we women are very mindful that we have to put all the ticks,” she said.

But she broke the norm by quitting her job at a multinational company and starting her own business. “Business is not for women, especially single mothers,” was the discouraging refrain she was confronted with when she tried to register her ‘Women in Management’ business.

“For me, success isn’t material. Happiness is my success. Anyone can be successful. Have a target, achieve it, and you are successful. However, every successful person cannot be happy, and yet, every happy person can be successful,” she said.