What is it?

Mindfulness is the ability to focus your attention on the present moment, accepting it without judgment. The corresponding training is a form of meditation. Mindfulness has an emerging scientific foundation in medicine.

Sometimes the concept is confused with relaxation techniques. Mindfulness training is not something you do when you want to fall asleep---it is an active occupation which requires alertness to be effective.

In a large number of studies, Mindfulness training has been shown to significantly improve well being, mental and physical health. Since its 1979 introduction by Prof. Jon Kabat-Zinn, it has been the subject of increasing research interest.

What are the effects on productivity?

Pros

Significant productivity-enhancing effects of Mindfulness training include:

• stress reduction
• sleep improvement
• greater ability to focus on relevant tasks and discard distractions
• cognitive function improvement

Many companies have introduced Mindfulness training sessions in order to raise staff productivity. Mindfulness training has also been shown to help people suffering from various health problems (that is outside the scope of this answer).

Cons

Researchers have found implicit learning may be adversely affected.

How to do it?

There are different ways. A common approach is to sit down and focus on your breathing. This may be facilitated sitting alone in a quiet room, eyes closed and hands in your lap. If possible, hold your spine up instead of leaning against the chair back; use a cushion if necessary. You may count your breaths from 1 to 10 to help you stay on track.

Your attention should center 100% on your breathing. Don't actively change it---just observe it. Beginners will often find that distractions cause their minds to wander away. Whenever that happens, accept it and gently refocus on your breathing (start over at 1 if you lost the count).

How much training is enough?

Daily training is key---it is better to do a little often than much a few times. 10 minutes of training each day is usually considered enough, but the more the better. Use an alarm clock or Mindfulness smartphone app to know when to end the session.

Novices usually start experiencing encouraging results after only a few weeks of training. After six months of dedication, you may reach the highest echelons of mindfulness. Unfortunately, alike physical exercising the effects will subside if you stop training.

Recommended reading

• http://www.helpguide.org/harvard/benefits-of-mindfulness.htm

I took the course "Practicing Mindfulness: An Introduction to Meditation" from The Great Courses and found it was very helpful to walk you through the whole process of mindfulness.

The instructor is very interesting and his approach is very practical if you are serious about improving your skills in this area.

I am not associated with The Great Courses. I am just a student who benefited.