Mindfulness drives innovation

What if the key to your next big idea isn’t hard work — but it is mindfulness? What if I told you mindfulness could be a great precursor to “innovation” — the buzzword used 24x7 in the recent time.

Over the past few years, I’ve been iteratively striving to become a more mindful person. I’ve been inculcating mindfulness in doing the daily chores.

What exactly is Innovation?

In today’s fast-paced world, many terms tend to become nebulous, and “innovation” is one of them. However, at its core, innovation is simply about fresh thinking — finding creative ways to solve problems by looking beyond the obvious and bringing new ideas to life.

An innovator is a person who brings novel ideas to life and tackles real-life problems. The good news? Everyone has the potential to be an innovator if they dare to think differently and a break away from the crowd.

Today, there are more monotonous trends and few innovative ideas that push us all forward. While it’s a cakewalk to imitate what others are doing these days, it takes a mindful spirit and leadership to forge new destinies and create something meaningful & original.

One of the major reasons we tend to run behind fads is that we are constantly bombarded with information and entangled in the pseudo-glamorous nature of social media. This distraction often pulls us away from core issues, making it difficult to focus and find viable solutions to the problems we encounter.

Moreover, today’s devices are designed to keep us constantly engaged, trapping us in a never-ending loop.

Metaphorically, we can think of ourselves as caged hamsters in a wheel with our devices because we often run in circles, constantly engaged but not making any real progress. We often feel trapped in a never-ending cycle of experimentation and dependency on technology.

What does mindfulness even mean?

Mindfulness is simply being in the present moment, relishing it without getting entangled in the distractions of the past or future. It involves experiencing thoughts without judgment — not reacting to them or holding strong opinions. Instead, we allow thoughts to come and experience them equally.

Being mindful today is often seen as just another superficial trend, but it is truly one of the most foundational ways of living.

Mindfulness is the essence of a fulfilling life, it is how we are all ultimately designed to live.

How mindfulness can help you become innovative?

I’ve mentioned before that being mindful acts as a precursor to being innovative. The way we learn to be more mindful through various techniques is depends on us. It’s a tough pill to swallow, but the truth is, we have to take control of our minds to shape our own realities — whether that’s lying in bed, scrolling endlessly, or staying active and striving to be innovative and make real change, at least in our own world.

Here are a few pointers on how mindfulness aids us in becoming more innovative:

1. Enhances focus & clarity: The heightened awareness, perhaps fleeting, can significantly help innovators easily identify and solve problems.
2. Enables us to declutter within: While most of us frequently declutter our physical spaces, it is also crucial to declutter our minds as well, and mindfulness helps you achieve that effectively. With a decluttered mind, we can be more open-minded, allowing for more creative and innovative ideas to flow.
3. Promotes resilience & fuels stress reduction: Being stressed and anxious are common barriers to innovation, and practicing mindfulness helps us build a resilient mindset, enabling us to tackle challenges without becoming overwhelmed. This, in turn, contributes to stress reduction.
4. Fosters collaboration & empathy: Over time, being mindful cultivates empathy and an ability to listen actively — two of the crucial qualities when collaborating with others or leading a team. Effective collaboration brings in new perspectives, helping us successfully drive the innovation process.
5. Regulates emotional responses: Being mindful can improve emotional intelligence, helping individuals manage their emotions better. This allows for more constructive feedback to flow in, which eventually helps in an improved performance and innovation.
6. Cultivating a Growth Mindset: Mindfulness helps develop a growth mindset, where individuals view challenges as opportunities for growth rather than obstacles. This mindset is crucial for driving innovation as it encourages experimentation and risk-taking.

Meditation & Mindful by Mano Thomas

How being mindful has enabled me to be more innovative over the years?

Over the years, I’ve myself experienced the wonders of being present in the moment, rather than wanting to rush to the next without fully appreciating with what I’ve right now.

From mere walking to eating my meals, I’ve tried to fully experience and cherish the process without being distracted by the surroundings.

With distractions pulling us in every direction, it can feel hard to slow down and be mindful. However, once you get the hang of how to be more mindful, it starts to feel natural — something that gently weaves into your daily life and helps you with whatever you’re trying to achieve.

Now that we’ve learned how mindfulness can drive innovation, it’s the perfect time to explore how we can easily integrate mindfulness into our daily lives. Based on my prior experience, I’ve outlined a few simple ways to help you get started with being more mindful:

1. Mindful breathing: Take few conscious deep breathes without being distracted for 10 minutes (yes, even 5 minutes work). Just feel the sensation of the air coming in and out of your body.
2. Practicing guided meditation: This has really helped me connect more with my body and my surroundings. One of my favorite ways to get started with guided meditation is by listening to this playlist.
3. Morning stretch (Yoga): Yoga has truly worked wonders for my mind, body, and spirit — though that’s a topic for another article! However, stretching in the morning and enjoying the simple act of breathing really helps me tune into my limits. It sets a calmer tone for the rest of my day and brings me a sense of joy and clarity.
4. Moving mindfully: Even just when you’re walking from one room to another, notice the sensation of your feet touching the ground, the rhythm of your steps, and your surroundings. This helps you ground and makes you feel alive and grateful to be able to just walk.
5. Body scanning: Before bed or after waking up, take a moment to mentally scan your body from head to toe, noticing any areas of tension, and just try to relax. Here is a great body scan routine I follow.
6. Mindful music listening: For many of us, listening to music has become more of a background noise, which we can just jig about to these days. We rarely take the time to sit still and truly appreciate what we’re hearing. However, if we listen to a few songs with full awareness — paying attention to the instruments and the layers of sound — we can deepen our focus and really appreciate the intricacies of the music, or perhaps find ourselves relishing the sounds of birds chirping outside. Some ambient music would be a great way for you to segue into this experience.
7. Mindful eating: Being able to eat is a truly wonderful experience because it engages all our senses — those enticing aromas, delicious flavors, beautiful colors, interesting textures, and even the sounds of crunching or sizzling. Instead of engaging in distractions while eating, we should strive to eat slowly and savor each bite. This not only makes any food enjoyable but also helps with proper digestion. Let’s take a moment to appreciate our meals and truly connect with what we’re eating! Another important aspect to consider, which can be a little challenging for many, is practicing being aware of everything we put into our mouths. It’s taken me some time to get here, but I’ve come to embrace the idea that “our bodies are our temples.” Because of that, I try to avoid junk food and processed foods, sticking instead to an organic vegetarian diet. This journey has helped me feel better about my choices and connect more deeply with what I eat.
8. Art creation: Creating physical art helps me concentrate and keeps me anchored to the present moment. The repetitive nature of making art encourages us to enter a meditative cycle that sharpens our focus and allow us to process our feelings mindfully.
9. Mindfulness reminders: Setting reminders on the phone or using sticky notes around the workspace to pause for a mindful breath or stretch, this makes a huge difference if work on your desk majority of your day.

These practices can be easily inculcated into your daily lives, making mindfulness a part of your routine without needing a lot of extra time. There are many more practices that you could learn to be more mindful from, but these are the ones that have worked the best for me.

Incorporating mindfulness into our daily lives can have a powerful impact on how we think and work. It encourages creativity, strengthens collaboration, and builds resilience, all of which are key to driving innovation.

I know there’s still a long journey ahead to becoming a truly successful, innovative individual. But even with small projects, I always strive to be as creative and forward-thinking as I can. Slowly and steadily, I’m learning to be more mindful of my surroundings and how I engage with them. This has definitely enriched how I live and experience the world around me.

I’ll be signing off now, but before I go, remember to take a deep breath, enjoy the moment, and don’t forget to be “very demure, very mindful”. Ciao!

Here are some excellent resources that have guided me in articulating my ideas and inspired me to explore this topic:

RRTC Healthy Aging with a Long-Term Physical Disability, “How to Reduce Stress Through Mindfulness”

Harvard Health. October 4, 2024 “Benefits of Mindfulness”

(1) Potenza, Marc (PhD, MD). March 21, 2023 “Study Probes Connection Between Excessive Screen Media Activity and Mental Health Problems in Youth”, https://medicine.yale.edu/news-article/yale-study-probes-connection-between-excessive-screen-media-activity-and-mental-health-problems-in-youth/

Mindful.org, “How to Manage Stress with Mindfulness and Meditation”

National Institutes of Health, “Mindfulness for Your Health”

Mindful.org, “The Science of Mindfulness”

Eno, Brian. 1983 “An Ending (Ascent)”

“Guided Meditation for Beginners”

“Meditation Mountain”