The Power of Mindfulness

In the latest installment of Management Minutes With Mika, government transformation expert Mika Cross chatted with Mindful NOAA co-founder and program manager, Garth Smelser, discussing the meaning of mindfulness and strategies to apply it in agencies to become better public servants.

So let’s start with the basics — what is mindfulness? According to Mindful NOAA, mindfulness is “active, open attention in the present moment to cultivate greater self-awareness.”

“It’s paying attention to the way we pay attention,” said Smelser, who leads meditation sessions, interactive engagements introducing mindfulness, and offers resources for continued study at Mindful NOAA.

Some mindfulness practice benefits that the organization touts include improved attention, better memory, lower blood pressure, improved sleep, greater patience, and reduced anxiety.

Smelser said more than 2,000 people attend his ongoing mindfulness sessions and attendees who were surveyed said that their overall stress levels were lower and sense of empathy and compassion were higher.

To learn more about Mindful NOAA and mindfulness, check out this video interview.