Awareness, attention, and acceptance lead to a good work

The concept of mindfulness is something that Buddhists often hear about regularly, both in the context of learning and practicing religion, and even in everyday life. In essence, mindfulness refers to an individual's ability to perceive the current state of their being in the present moment. It also involves being aware without complicating this state with other thoughts.

Although general psychology studies often attempt to separate religious beliefs from psychological knowledge due to the cultural differences originating from religious contexts, in the last 20 years, psychology and Buddhism have converged in research studies in Western countries. The English term most closely related to this concept is "Mindfulness."

Studies with substantial empirical evidence have found that personal mindfulness leads to happiness and positive mental health. Beyond its impact on personal well-being, mindfulness also influences work-related aspects. For instance, it can reduce workplace stress, increase positive emotions, decrease negative emotions, enhance job satisfaction, and foster stronger workplace commitment. It also has minor impacts on improved job performance.

Mindfulness in the context of work, beyond general mindfulness, has been studied by researchers such as Zheng and colleagues in 2022, who identified three facets:

1. Awareness: Employees have the skill to comprehend experiences occurring within themselves, other employees, or the surrounding environment during work. This includes recognizing their current activities, understanding their emotions, observing their body posture, and noting their work environment, colleagues, or other surrounding elements.

2. Attention: Employees have the ability to focus on the current state during work and can discern various interfering elements, ensuring their presence in the moment. It's akin to meditation, which is different from the concept of mindfulness, which emphasizes acknowledging mental states that interfere with concentration.

3. Acceptance: Employees accept events that occur, both internal psychological experiences and external occurrences, and open up to be with these experiences. For example, if an employee perceives an error in their work, they accept that these mistakes occurred. Or if they encounter differing opinions from colleagues, they accept these viewpoints.

Mindfulness is not an inherent trait; it can be developed as a skill. One way to cultivate mindfulness is through Buddhist practices such as meditation. However, it can also be trained through psychological techniques. Numerous research studies suggest that it has several positive impacts in various dimensions of life.

From the extensive body of research, it is clear that being mindful has beneficial effects on work performance, particularly in the context of human resource development. Hence, initiating a focus on mindfulness training, whether through Buddhist methods or psychological approaches, with research-supported programs can optimize personnel and contribute to a favorable work environment. Furthermore, offering courses that can be easily performed within the workplace would improve convenience for employees and contribute to creating a positive working environment.