What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is a state of being. It helps us focus by helping us return to the present moment. One way of accessing a mindful state is through meditation. To be clear, meditating is not a religious practise, though some religions do talk about meditation. It’s a technique used to silence the incessant chatter of the mind.

Why should you care?

Being mindful improves your focus,creativity and productivity. Day-to-day things like people talking loudly on their mobile phone in public or texting while walking into you, won’t bother you or turn you into a vigilante determined to rid the world of these menaces to society.

Backed by science

Brain scientists have measured the brain’s electrical activity by measuring frequency, power, and magnitude of brainwaves and the effect on the body. Results show meditation decreases the heart and breathing rate, lowers blood pressure and increases dopamine (the brain’s happiness chemical). Research also shows that meditators are more aware of external stimuli but display less anxiety or disturbance towards them.

Benefits of mindfulness

Mindfulness doesn’t stop stuff from happening, but it changes how we react to those things. This is quite profound if you unravel the implications.

David Gelles says:

Mindfulness can help us heal with our own reactions to negative events, either at the workplace or home, but they’re not going to prevent bad things from happening in the first place.

If you are often stressed, you will react to events from a place of stress, consistently creating negative circumstances and setting off a negative chain of events. However, when you are calm, you will make different choices, setting off a virtuous chain of events.

For example, I meditate almost every day. On those days that I don’t, things like tube and train delays bother me. A lot. My patience is short and I become a ticking time bomb. When things like this bother me, my brain operates at sub-par performance. I’m not as creative or inspired, and I’m not as joyful and happy as usual. If I talk to people in this state,, then I’m not as optimistic or constructive as I usually am.

How mindfulness will help you sell more

As author Gelles said in an interview,

We live in a capitalist economy, and mindfulness can’t change that. I think what it can do, hopefully, is give individuals, influencers of organisations, […] the perspective that’s needed to make decisions and changes, even, that are beneficial, not just to the bottom line but to our emotional, physical, and social well-being.

Most people selling their services are concerned about closing, commission and cash-flow. In other words, primarily selfish needs. This behaviour creates a negative experience for the people they’re selling to, causing prospects to feel stressed, distrustful and suspicious of salespeople.

However, when we’re mindful, we are compassionate. From a mindful state we can show up fully, listen completely and suspend our self-interest to be of service to our prospects. When our prospects experience this, they will want to do business with us because they can see we have their best interests at heart.