Did you know that meditation makes you more productive? Sure, you may be wondering, “how can sitting here doing nothing make me better at doing lots of things more efficiently?"
That’s a really good question. But here's the interesting thing. It works! I’ve tested this proposition myself, and I’ve found that meditation is one of the best productivity hacks in my tool chest.
But don’t take my word for it. The science is there to back it up and so is the social proof.
The Science and Social Proof
Studies have shown that knowledge workers trained in meditation stay on tasks longer and make fewer task switches, while also reporting less negative emotion after task performance.
In such super competitive environments like the financial services industry, top hedge fund managers attribute their success to meditation, and firms like Goldman Sachs encourage their employees to meditate.
So why is this the case and how does it work?
Meditation Is Training For Your Attention
In an age when we’re all distracted, it’s important to nurture and develop your capacity for one-pointed attention.
Think about it. Everything you do requires your attention. It's the all-encompassing canvas for all your thoughts, desires, and decisions. The quality of your attention often determines the direction and quality of your life.
Meditation is one of the very best practices for refining your attention. With practice, the art of meditation teaches you how to stay relaxed and focused on one thing at a time.
It keeps you rooted in the present moment. In that space of present moment awareness, we are free from the stress response, which is perhaps the greatest bane of productivity.
Instead, that state of relaxed focus is conducive for creative breakthroughs, increased self regulation, and flow states.
Marry Your Meditation and Your Intention
Here's how it works for me. When I meditate in the morning, meditation calms my nerves, settles my mind, and opens my heart. From this ground, I look out on the day ahead and decide what's most important to accomplish.
Where will I get the biggest bang for the buck on my energy and engagement?
In this way, I tether my meditation practice to my daily intention and goals. As a result, I maintain a calm focus that keeps me on course through the day. This practice helps me let go of activities that aren't aligned my daily intention.
The bottom line is that I'm always more productive and more focused when I marry meditation and my daily goals and intention.
Try This Meditation-Based Productivity Hack
So are you interested in trying an unconventional productivity hack? If you are, I recommend you start with a simple 5 minute meditation followed by 5 minutes of setting your daily intention and goals.
Do this for a few days and see what happens. I think you’ll be amazed at the results.
How has meditation made you more productive? Share with us below!
