Collective mindfulness: How group practices enhance team wellbeing

When we describe someone as mindful, we mean the person is present at the moment and attentive to what’s happening to their surroundings, mind, and body while staying curious and compassionate. Mindfulness is a powerful tool that helps us make the right choices and respond to the best possible outcome. 

But practicing mindfulness isn't easy. It can be boring and lonely, especially if you’re starting out. 

That’s why this article will discuss the concept of collective mindfulness, explain how it can be introduced in a workplace setting, and the benefits of practicing mindfulness collectively. 

But let's first understand what collective mindfulness is.

Defining collective mindfulness

While anyone can learn mindfulness through books, apps, or videos, its benefits double when practiced collectively. Group mindfulness creates a sense of belonging, reduces stress, and opens up opportunities for deeper and more meaningful conversations. An HBR study also found that the higher the level of team mindfulness, the lower the level of conflicts persisted between team members. 

How to integrate mindfulness practices into team activities

If you’re new to this but excited to introduce it to your team, here are some suggestions to try!

Introduce a gratitude meeting table

Gather your team around a table. Keep thank you notes on the table and encourage your team members to write a thank you note to anyone they wish to. This will create calmness and self-reflection. At the end of the meeting, you can mail the thank you notes!

An exercise for the mind

If you’re introducing the mindfulness concept to your team for the first time, try doing this exercise with your team members. Give them a topic and ask them to approach it with a fresh perspective. This exercise reduces judgment and makes employees more open-minded while boosting creative collaborations. 

Grounding activity

Our minds race throughout the day, juggling responding to emails, work stress, family pressure, an argument with a colleague—you name it. Practicing a 2-minute grounding activity before a meeting can help employees calm their minds and be more present during the meeting. 

Guided meditations and relaxation

Conducting guided meditations and 2-minute relaxation is a great way to help teams gather their thoughts and stay composed. During the meeting, encourage team members to listen to each other's perspectives without judgment and with an open mind while paying full attention. You can end the session with a gratitude exercise where team members can thank each other and reflect on their perspectives.

Benefits of collective mindfulness

Teams that practice collective mindfulness bond well and receive many other benefits. 

Better focus and productivity

Mindfulness teaches you to live in the present moment. It removes the surrounding noise so employees can focus better on the task. When you have a better focus, productivity improves automatically. It also serves as a powerful tool for the mind to settle down and preserve mental energy. 

Improving employee wellness

Practicing collective mindfulness daily helps improve employee wellness. This strategy works because it allows one to cut out all negative thoughts, set aside stress, and focus only on the present moment. Even a small session of mindfulness, when practiced daily, can magnify the team’s physical, mental, and spiritual wellbeing. 

Building resilience

Practicing mindfulness helps to build resilience in teams. As employees learn to untangle complex feelings and get vulnerable, they will learn to identify opportunities from obstacles. Collectively, this will help build a culture of resilience for driving growth across the organization. 

Tips for facilitating group mindfulness exercises

While there’s no doubt that collective mindfulness has a deeper impact than individual mindfulness, conducting it in a team setting can be challenging. Moreover, it gets more difficult as more teams work remotely in a diverse language and cultural setting. 

What organizations can do to create a practice of collective mindfulness is:

• Create a nonjudgmental work environment where everyone’s ideas are welcomed
• Encourage respectful communications
• Gather responses or information before processing them. This will allow time to respond to them more mindfully rather than impulsively
• Begin with short, accessible mindfulness exercises that can be easily integrated into existing team meetings
• Consider creating a predictable schedule, such as a weekly mindfulness moment, to help team members develop a habit and feel more comfortable with the practice
• Recognize that mindfulness is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Offer a variety of mindfulness exercises and actively seek feedback from team members about what works best for them. 

Getting started with a collective mindfulness program at your workplace

Building a holistic wellness program at the workplace is probably the best way to introduce employees to the concept of mindfulness. Through a holistic wellness program, employees will not only learn to practice mindfulness but also be equipped with other tools, techniques, and resources that can help teams reduce work stress, improve focus, and become a better version of themselves. 

Manah wellness can help you in this journey. Get started today.

FAQ

What if some team members are skeptical about mindfulness practices? 

Start with short, low-pressure activities and provide scientific evidence of benefits. Offer optional participation and share success stories from other teams to build credibility and interest.

How can we measure the impact of collective mindfulness on team performance?

Use qualitative feedback, employee engagement surveys, productivity metrics, and stress level assessments before and after implementing mindfulness practices.