Mindfulness and Productivity During the Pandemic Covid-19
Dr. Dhirawit Pinyonatthagarn
Shinawatra University, Pathum Thani
dhirapin@gmail.com
Dr. Phisit Kotsupho
phisittha@hotmail.com
Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University, Chiang Mai
Dr.Tipaporn Yesuwen
Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University, Chiang Mai
Abstract
The cultivation of mindfulness has roots in
Buddhism, but most religions include some type of prayer or meditation
technique that helps shift your thoughts away from your usual preoccupations
toward an appreciation of the moment and a larger perspective on life.
Mindfulness improves well-being. Increasing your capacity for mindfulness
supports many attitudes that contribute to a satisfied life. Being mindful
makes it easier to savor the pleasures in life as they occur, helps you become
fully engaged in activities, and creates a greater capacity to deal with
adverse events. By focusing on the here and now, many people who practice
mindfulness find that they are less likely to get caught up in worries about
the future or regrets over the past, are less preoccupied with concerns about
success and self-esteem, and are better able to form deep connections with
others.
Keywords : Mindfulness,
Productivity, the Pandemic
Covid-19
Introduction : The Magic of Mindfulness
In our fast-paced, multitasking world, focusing
on anything for more than a few moments at a time can be challenging. But
learning to focus your attention on the present moment can have benefits that
affect not only your attention span but also your health. That's why a practice
called mindfulness has become a popular meditation technique for everything
from stress reduction to chronic pain management. "It's the mind-body
effect that's getting a lot of press and research, and for good reason. It
works, and there's scientific support behind that," says Harvard Medical
School professor Dr. Herbert Benson, a pioneer and world-renowned expert on the
physiological changes that occur during meditation.
Benefits of Mindfulness in Time of Covid-19
Mindfulness improves physical health. If
greater well-being isn’t enough of an incentive, scientists have discovered
that mindfulness techniques help improve physical health in a number of ways.
Mindfulness can: help relieve stress, treat heart disease, lower blood
pressure, reduce chronic pain, improve sleep, and alleviate gastrointestinal
difficulties.
Mindfulness improves mental health. In
recent years, psychotherapists have turned to mindfulness meditation as an
important element in the treatment of a number of problems, including:
depression, substance abuse, eating disorders, couples’ conflicts, anxiety
disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Mindfulness Techniques
There is more than one way to practice
mindfulness, but the goal of any mindfulness technique is to achieve a state of
alert, focused relaxation by deliberately paying attention to thoughts and
sensations without judgment. This allows the mind to refocus on the present
moment. All mindfulness techniques are a form of meditation.
Basic mindfulness meditation – Sit quietly and focus on your natural
breathing or on a word or “mantra” that you repeat silently. Allow thoughts to
come and go without judgment and return to your focus on breath or mantra.
Body sensations – Notice subtle body sensations such as an
itch or tingling without judgment and let them pass. Notice each part of your
body in succession from head to toe.
Sensory – Notice sights, sounds, smells, tastes,
and touches. Name them “sight,” “sound,” “smell,” “taste,” or “touch” without
judgment and let them go.
Emotions – Allow emotions to be present without
judgment. Practice a steady and relaxed naming of emotions: “joy,” “anger,”
“frustration.” Accept the presence of the emotions without judgment and let them
go.
Urge surfing – Cope with cravings (for addictive
substances or behaviors) and allow them to pass. Notice how your body feels as
the craving enters. Replace the wish for the craving to go away with the
certain knowledge that it will subside.
Mindfulness Meditation
Mindfulness can be cultivated through mindfulness
meditation, a systematic method of focusing your attention. You can learn to
meditate on your own, following instructions in books or on tape. However, you
may benefit from the support of an instructor or group to answer questions and
help you stay motivated. Look for someone using meditation in a way compatible
with your beliefs and goals.
Productivity During the Pandemic Covid-19
For many of us who are generally productive
academics, we are now finding ourselves trying to work at the same level we
have always done before. But the trouble is that now we are working during a
pandemic. Things are not normal. We are not in our usual routines. We may have
family or roommates at home with us. We also may have pets who want attention.
We hear distressing news daily. Our life has changed completely from the old
normal to the new normal. Likewise, many of us are finding it difficult to
concentrate, to produce, at all, much less at the same rate we were doing
before. However, many of us want or need to do research. We may have a passion
for it. We may have jobs that demand it. We may simply have something we want
to say. Following are a few suggestions for maintaining productivity in a time
of crisis.
Ensure that you’ve Got Life Basics Attended to
You will likely be more successful in achieving
your goals if you first make sure to take care of yourself. Bowen and Watson (2017) recommended that students follow
the SWEET acronym (sleep, water, exercise, eating, and time) for
maintaining life balance, and the same acronym can work well for scholars. We
need to attend to life basics, to sleep, eat, and exercise, in order to
function so that we can then engage more fully in the work process.
Acknowledge the Stress
Most of us have not lived through a pandemic
before, and it is likely that even those who have cannot remember such an
experience as this. Many of us likely have loved ones or friends who have been
sick or have died. Many of us feel the loss of the freedom to see friends or
colleagues or simply to go to a restaurant or library. Many of us have added
responsibilities of childcare or eldercare. Just accept the stressful
situation.
As the famous Nike ad suggests, a big part of
success is just doing it. In order to just do it, we may need to let go of our
usual habits and rituals, such as working at our most productive times or in
our favorite spots. It simply may not be possible to achieve the ideal working
circumstance, and getting something done in a less than ideal situation can be
better than getting nothing done at all. Boice (1994) offered the following advice: Start before you
feel ready. Stop before you feel done.
Try to work in brief but regular sessions. If you
are a writer, this means also trying to write just a little each day, whether a
page or a half a page, or an amount based on time, such as 30 min of
writing. You may be surprised at how quickly it turns into something useful.
Stop when you need to, preferably in the middle of something, whether a
sentence, paragraph, or argument. Doing so will give you a place to pick up for
the next writing session and thus can make it a more productive time.
Have Confidence
Be confident that it is possible to continue to work
even in the face of adversity. Challenge yourself to work, and see what works
best for you. Think of any time you can put into work now as an investment for
the long term, as it will help you not only be a better worker, but also a more
confident and productive one over time.
Conclusion
Some types of meditation primarily involve
concentration—repeating a phrase or focusing on the sensation of breathing,
allowing the parade of thoughts that inevitably arise to come and go.
Concentration meditation techniques, as well as other activities such as tai
chi or yoga, can induce the well-known relaxation response. In addition to
formal meditation, you can also cultivate mindfulness informally by focusing
your attention on your moment-to-moment sensations during everyday activities.
For your productivity during this pandemic
period, however, follow these pieces of advice: Ensure that you have got life basics
attended to, acknowledge the stress, just do it, pace yourself, and have confidence.
References
1. Boice, R. (1994). How writers journey to
comfort and fluency: A psychological adventure. Westport, CT: Praeger.
2. Bowen, J. A. & Watson, C. E. (2017). Teaching
naked techniques. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
3. https://www.helpguide.org/harvard/benefits-of-mindfulness.htm (Retrived on 17 September 2020
4. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-magic-of-mindfulness(Retrived on 17 September 2020.
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