Mental health is set to be a big issue in the upcoming election with items such as depression and stress taking centre stage and bringing with them the benefits of undertaking a mindfulness training course.

Despite the facile comments from the likes of Katie Hopkins, stress and depression affect at least one in five people in the UK and are the biggest causes of sickness in the UK. It is estimated that this costs UK businesses 11.3 million days of labour and £1.24 billion per year.

Mindfulness training for small and corporate businesses alike can help prevent burnout, lack of productivity and loss of key members of your staff and top talent. Mindfulness techniques have been scientifically proven to aid neuroplasticity, resulting in the sharpening of problem solving skills, increased confidence in decision making and the ability to manage reactions to stress and stressful situations.

Many techniques for in-office exercise and meditation can be, frankly, impractical. Mindfulness training empowers employees to take control of their mental and emotional state whilst working under pressure and deadlines, resulting in higher levels of self esteem, personal pride and ultimately productivity within their role.

Here are three top tips for starting to introduce the culture of mindfulness into your work space.

Set Your Intention

This simply involves you mentally setting the intention to stay calm and productive throughout the day. Start the day with a few deep breaths, focusing on the day ahead and start the day positively and proactively.

Do One Thing At A Time

This may sound obvious but it is all too easy to become flustered and unproductive when we’re spinning too many plates. Make a commitment to only deal with one task at a time, in segmented chunks if necessary, until complete. This will help to focus your energy and attention and ultimately increase your productivity.

Be Present In Your Interaction With Others

Really paying attention to those interacting with you will benefit not only your perceptiveness but again will help to channel your mind into focusing on the task or discussion at hand. There is also the manners factor here – no one likes an email, computer screen or phone appearing more important than what they’re trying to say to you.