Mindfulness is the state of awareness of what you’re sensing and feeling in the moment, without interpretation or judgment. Practicing mindfulness can help you achieve your dreams by looking inside yourself to change the outside world.

Extensive research and studies over the past 50 years have provided us with solid, measurable evidence on the benefits of mindfulness.

The 8 life-changing benefits of mindfulness

According to the research, mindfulness:

1. Reduces overthinking
2. Reduces stress in the workplace
3. Boosts creativity and innovation
4. Improves focus
5. Improves memory
6. Lowers emotional reactivity
7. Improves relationships and communication skills
8. Helps achieve better health

Slow boils: The key to manifesting the benefits of mindfulness

Slow boils are small daily practices that have exponential benefits over time.

Slow boils can have big results. For example, walking one mile for only one day may not amount to much physical benefit. But walking a mile each day, or 365 miles in a year, could make a difference to your health.

In our daily mindfulness practices, slow boils such as gratitude, mindful movement, and meditation keep us open and foster Presence.

These practices integrate transformational growth into our being over time, and they continually give us rewards. While one day of meditation may not yield much in the way of results, meditating every day for a year will bring noticeable effects.

Remember, slow boil practices are both easy to do and easy not to do. But when done consistently, they will open you up to new possibilities and new ways of being.

If in the end all you do is start a minimal mindfulness and/or meditation practice, then accept that and know that the rest of the process is waiting for you when you are ready for it.

Slow boils and beginning mindfulness techniques get us started, and we can add methods to accelerate transformation by directly providing the experience of pure consciousness. Once we experience consciousness, or Presence, slow boil practices help us maintain access to Presence in everyday life situations.

In our Mindful Leadership Program, we begin our slow boil with just 2 minutes of meditation and build our practices slowly over the course of 9 months. 

This  journey is designed to teach heart-centered business professionals, entrepreneurs, and CEOs how to use mindfulness tools to guide their vision to reach new heights in a supportive environment. 

I wrote a book, Profit with Presence: The 12 Pillars of Mindful Leadership, which goes in to further detail about this topic and more.

Although the world is currently abuzz with the term “mindfulness,” some believe mindfulness is a fringe activity to be practiced before or after the workday, if at all. Too few business professionals take the time needed to be present and aware throughout the workday, which is counterproductive. Mindfulness is not only a path to personal success, but a sound business strategy.  

My hope is to positively impact the world through infusing more mindfulness into business -- and it starts with each of us individually. Together, we can create a future where mindfulness is deeply embedded in our work culture, leading to greater well-being, productivity, and meaningful success for all.

- Dr Eric Holsapple