Introduction to Mindfulness_349810_bookemon_ebook.pdf Coaching and Practising Mindfulness | Page 28

According to Marchant, although attentional control is well
understood and well researched in sports, it is only recently that it has
been applied in the working world.
Another study by Kabat-Zinn found that people who had completed
an eight-week MBSR program scored highly on a number of resilient
traits. Participants felt happier, more energised and less stressed. They
felt their lives were more meaningful, that they had more control over
their lives and were more likely to see challenges as opportunities
rather than threats.
One of the reasons mindfulness helps people become more resilient,
less stressed and more creative is because it brings us into "approach
mode".
When we believe we are under threat, we switch to "avoidance mode"
- think running away from a sabre-toothed tiger. But we can often
remain stuck there even though we are no longer under a real threat,
such as when we have the sensation that an avalanche of emails is as
dangerous as the sabre-toothed tiger.
Mindfulness helps people cope with change and uncertainty, avoid
rigid or scattered thinking and become more comfortable with not
knowing. It improves a person's ability to respond rather than react
and to think more clearly and strategically.
Moving into "approach state" improves confidence and the ability to
trust our own decisions, as well as noticing more data.
And those who meditate are more able to make rational rather than
emotionally charged decisions, according to research by Kirk et al.
Research by the Institute of Mindful Leadership found that for 93%
of leaders surveyed, mindfulness training helped them create space
for innovation. Some 89% said it enhanced their ability to listen to

27