Project members: Aylin Montes de Avila, Alessandra Secchi, Anna Patricia Martínez, Anyela Fiorella Ponce Lanza, Jessica Paola Velázquez, Luisina Casas Berge, Mariana Patiño

Article by: Augusto Laprovitta

In today's demanding world, finding a sense of balance and clarity can feel like an elusive dream. But what if there was a secret tool that could enhance your productivity, improve your focus and create a more harmonious work environment? Get to know mindfulness, a practice that is revolutionizing the way we approach our jobs.

Mindfulness focuses on the present moment, it is a method to achieve full attention, thinking about what is happening "here and now", without trying to change or judge anything. Meditation is used to concentrate on what is happening inside and around us without distractions.

In InkuA, our goal is to improve the mental health of workers and that is why a team from Organizational Psychology made a project to teach about the benefits that this technique can provide.

What is the project about?

The team's main goal was to promote mindfulness within different organizations with the intention of benefiting employees, helping them with their health as well as enhancing productivity and improving the organizational climate. 

The research was carried out under a descriptive approach using reliable bibliographic references through scientific articles, magazines, and books that refer to mindfulness, its origin, and its benefits. 

The specific goals were: 

1. Describe its background and its practice
   Mindfulness arose 2,500 years ago in ancient Buddhist religious meditation practices, focused on comprehending human suffering. Even in the beginning, it was known as part of religious rituals developed in many parts of Asia, where it was taught as a universal cure for problems. However, its relevance was demonstrated at the end of the 19th century with the British colonization of India until reaching the present day where it is used in various work environments.
2. Identify its relationship with the psychological and physical health of workers
   With its use, good results have been obtained in reducing stress and anxiety levels, promoting engagement, strengthening physical health and improving attention, creativity and job satisfaction. These are techniques that are used taking into account that there are continuous changes at work, limited delivery times and external factors that can affect the health of workers. Companies like Google, Amazon, Apple or Starbucks have been developing this for years
3. Determine the importance of its practice in workplaces
   The project advises how to carry out this practice, the risks of doing it incorrectly and what is its relationship with psychological and physical health. Knowing these risks and limits is important because many people believe that their worries will disappear or that they will stop experiencing fear or anguish, but these results do not depend on one because unpleasant emotions are an inherent part of life.
   A key concept that the team makes clear is that mindfulness is understood as a lifestyle and not just as a technique implemented to obtain a result.

One thing is clear: a revolution has begun in the workplace. Companies and individuals alike are starting to recognize the immense value of mindfulness in their daily professional lives through its positive effects. However, there is still a lot to be explored on this journey. The path ahead may be long, but with each step taken mindfully, we pave the way for a brighter future of work.