Mindfulness: a key to maintaining focus during confinement

ince last year, COVID-19 has been shaking up our 'normality'. From the confinements at home, to the fear of broadcasts, millions of people have been living under the pressure of panic. Mindfulness can help us soothe this "mental pain" we suffer and direct our focus so that we can be more productive and, above all, happy.

What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is often defined (according to Dr John Kabat-Zin) as "the awareness that arises by deliberately paying attention to the present situation without judgement". The concept originates from Vipassana, a meditation technique first taught by the Buddha, which emphasises Mindfulness and Equanimity as a means of developing Wisdom (through understanding the law of impermanence) and thus eliminating suffering. Most spiritual traditions emphasise similar concepts: from the contemplative early Christian fathers and mothers of the desert, the mindful dance of the Sufis, to the disciplined rituals in the Koran. The resulting mindset is to find happiness in moments uncontaminated by our desires and aversions. Gratitude follows quickly. And even in cases of great pain, the mental suffering, which usually accompanies and increases that pain, is greatly reduced or even completely dissipated.

Many scientific investigations surrounding this technique lack rigour, but among the most consistent ones, several conclusions can be safely formulated. It has been scientifically proven that the regular practice of Mindfulness brings benefits at various levels, namely:

• greater ability to focus;
• improvement in memory capacity;
• ability to stay calmer under stress and metaconsciousness;
• "good corporate citizenship".

A three-step problem-solving methodology

The stress of everyday life is overwhelmed when coupled with the feeling of being trapped in confinement, being bombarded with news of economic and social crisis. The uncertainty of the durability of this lockdown can create even more anxiety. However, know that you can continue to create value for your employing institution and society by relying on this three-step problem-solving methodology:

Step (i) "Framing and analysing the problem: we have to ask ourselves "what is going on here?" In a context of confinement, there are many benefits of focusing our mind on understanding what the real problems we are facing are:

• Are we already infected? If so, how can we cure ourselves without infecting anyone else? If not, how can we reduce the likelihood of being infected while at the same time taking care of those who live with us?

• What kind of remote work can we do in confinement? What would be the best conditions for this? What adjustments can we make from now on?

• How can we make the most of our 'forced retreat' for relationships with those we live with? And for the relationship with ourselves?

Stage ii) "Generating ideas / hypotheses for solutions": this is where creativity comes into play to discover ideas that may not be so obvious, but have a great impact. In confinement, creativity to find solutions within four walls is key, for example, for each of the above questions respectively:

• Strengthening the immune system with a healthy and creative diet, regular exercise and a confident outlook (the link between fear and a weakened immune system has been scientifically demonstrated) is fundamental;

• Finding creative solutions to the challenges of 'forced' remote working is essential.

Stage iii) "Buy-in and solution implementation": this is where it starts to get more challenging! Making it happen. Moving from ideas to action. With COVID-19, this can mean:

• Cook healthy meals and set a time for a daily yoga practice (every day even);
• Contact the telecommunications company to increase the speed of the Wi-Fi to ensure higher quality video (and contact them again when they don't show up);
• Courageous conversations with those with whom we live. Starting by thanking them for their presence in our lives, and moving on to ask for their help in making this time together more productive.

Can Mindfulness help us with problem solving during confinement?

The answer, unequivocally, is: yes, it can. We can then ask "Why" and "How", the additional questions that this short article answers. If you are convinced that you can, start practising meditation for 10 minutes every day. To help you, we leave you a meditation class, by Professor Constança Casquinho, that you can find in this LINK (the audio is available exclusively in English).