Over the last several decades, mindfulness has gone mainstream. To be mindful means to be fully present in the moment, and it is a quality that can be enhanced through a broad set of activities that help us focus more intently on our physical and emotional states in the here and now. Mindfulness practices such as meditation, breathing exercises, and other techniques can be applied to anything from reducing stress and anxiety to quitting smoking, losing weight, and resolving conflict — and today, they’ve become so popular that more than half of large corporations offer some form of mindfulness training to their employees.
Where Mindfulness Falls Short
Today, more than half of all large companies offer their employees some form of mindfulness training — a broad set of practices and techniques focusing on increasing awareness of the here and now. But new research suggests that these programs don’t always improve people’s wellbeing or their job performance. Specifically, for employees whose roles require them to act inauthentically (such as salespeople, waiters, or customer service representatives who often have to smile through unpleasant interactions with customers), becoming more mindful of their emotions in the moment can actually have a negative effect on their mental health. Based on these findings, the authors offer four strategies to help organizations successfully implement mindfulness programs at work while limiting these negative side effects. Ultimately, the authors argue that mindfulness is an important tool in the managerial toolbox, but it is not a cure-all, and it must be applied thoughtfully to be effective.