[Special Feature: Japanese "Ways of Resting"] Those Who Rest Well Work Well

2019/04/05

I am engaged in organizational and leadership development for corporations and other organizations, and I have seen an increase in requests for training and lectures on the themes of work-style reform and health management. Leading Western companies such as Google have implemented numerous organizational and leadership development programs utilizing the state of mindfulness. Our company has introduced these programs to over 100 Japanese companies, and awareness is spreading that mindfulness is also effective for the physical and mental health of employees.

Research by Mr. Killingsworth and others at Harvard University shows that when people are working, they are thinking about something other than the task at hand 47% of the time. In other words, the mind is unable to concentrate on the current work and is in a "cluttered" (scattered) state. Have you ever found yourself irritated while working on a PC because you remembered how a subordinate reported something earlier, or failed to focus on the agenda during a meeting because you were checking emails or reviewing your own presentation materials? We often fail to focus on what is right in front of us, and our attention becomes scattered.

At such times, the brain is in a state where multiple regions called the Default Mode Network (DMN) are active, which is said to consume a lot of energy. In other words, when the brain is in a cluttered or zoned-out state, it is not resting. In modern times, where we are chased by schedules and tasks and face an uncertain future, we often unconsciously harbor anxiety and fear. This makes the mind even more prone to clutter, leading to the accumulation of significant stress.

Mindfulness is attracting attention as a response to these physical and mental states. It is permeating among global executives, with mindfulness sessions being held at the Davos World Economic Forum and Bill Gates introducing it in his own articles. Mindfulness refers to a "state of being aware of the present." To put it another way, it is a "state of paying attention to one's current mind, body, thoughts, and surroundings without criticism or judgment," and it is a state of being focused while relaxed. When attention is paid to what is right in front of us, the prefrontal cortex, which governs executive functions, is active in the brain. Maintaining a state of mindfulness increases attention and concentration. Furthermore, as a result of focusing on things, unnecessary anxiety and fear decrease, leading to stress reduction.

Meta-analyses of mindfulness research suggest that mindfulness promotes improved attention and concentration, emotional regulation, and increased self-awareness. It is also said to be effective in improving empathy-based communication, reducing stress, and boosting immunity. Self-awareness is also pointed out as the most important ability for leaders to develop. I believe that mindfulness is essential for fostering psychological safety, which is attracting attention as an element of an effective organization.

So, how can one maintain a state of mindfulness? The simplest training method is to direct your attention to your breathing. For one to five minutes, while relaxing, focus your awareness only on the breath you are currently taking, following the process of "inhaling" and "exhaling." The state of directing awareness is simply a state of feeling the breath, which can also be described as a state of observation. As a result, unnecessary thoughts and emotions, so-called "distractions," decrease. If you try to force distractions away, they become further distractions, falling into a paradox where the distractions continue indefinitely. Therefore, simply return your awareness to feeling and observing the breath.

By continuing this habitually, you will be able to achieve a state of mindfulness in just one to five minutes. Some people describe this as a state of clear thinking and a clear mind. If possible, I recommend taking a little longer—5 to 10 minutes—to continue focusing on your breath and making so-called mindful meditation a daily habit.

The business owners and executives of the companies I support often say that mindfulness is essential. This is because they understand that for them, having to make important decisions every day while handling numerous schedules and tasks, whether or not they can maintain clear thinking without being misled by unnecessary emotions will determine the future of their companies. By taking just five minutes of rest in a busy daily routine and directing attention to breathing, it becomes easier to maintain one's physical and mental state. Furthermore, the many insights born from clear thinking will surely enrich not only work but life itself.