Busy hospital executive looking for the secret to successfully tackling today's multifaceted healthcare challenges should consider trying the ancient art of meditation, a Stanford scientist says.
"The research on mindfulness suggests that meditation sharpens skills like attention, memory and emotional intelligence," Emma Seppälä, Ph.D., science director of Stanford University's Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education, writes in Harvard Business Review.
The billion-dollar industry of mindfulness is increasingly popular with CEOs and senior executives, Seppälä writes, and meditation is one way to practice mindfulness. She says senior leaders who practice mediation will find it:
- Decreases anxiety and boosts resilience and performance
- Improves mood and increases empathy, compassion and a sense of connection with others
- Helps fight daily distractions and improves focus and even memory
There's "something to meditation that appears to benefit CEOs more than recreation or relaxation do alone," she says.
Stressed-out nurses, too, can benefit from using mindfulness meditation to reduce stress, anxiety and exhaustion, FierceHealthcare previously reported. Being more relaxed and satisfied with life can improve patient care and satisfaction, advocates say.
Some even argue that mindful meditation by healthcare providers can reduce healthcare-associated infections. The idea is that clinicians can avoid errors if they improve their concentration and focus which allows them to be more aware of their surroundings.
To learn more:
- read the HBR article