Working in an agency is both challenging and a source of great enthusiasm, although it can also create anxiety and stress. The fast pace, constant deadline pressure and last-minute changes are part of everyday life, leaving little room to care for relationships between team members. When people don’t have the time or availability to listen to and support each other, these relationships can become weaker, and over time, this exhaustion can become visible.
However, the true success of an agency depends on much more than the creative ideas or technical skills of its team. Above all, it depends on the quality of the relationships built between people. Teams in which there is mutual trust, where people listen to each other and where challenges are faced together, are stronger, more creative and better able to resist daily pressure.
It is precisely in this context that the concept of grown mindfulness arises. Contrary to what many people think, it is not just about taking ‘breaks to breathe’. Mindfulness can be defined as ‘the awareness that emerges when paying attention intentionally and without judgement to the present moment, moment by moment’ (Miller, Fletcher & Kabat-Zinn, 1995, p. 145). This concept involves three fundamental components: intention, attention and attitude.
In recent years, social, work and organisational psychology has been paying particular attention to job satisfaction and mindfulness attitudes. A growing number of studies highlight the positive impact of mindfulness in the workplace, showing that this practice improves efficiency, promotes physical and mental health, and creates more balanced and healthy work environments. In addition, research reveals that there is an inverse correlation between the stress people feel and their level of mindfulness: the greater the mindfulness, the lower the stress perception.
One of the key factors in reducing stress is the ability to regulate one’s emotions, i.e. the ability to recognise, understand and manage one’s own emotions. This skill is essential for responding to challenges and tensions in a balanced way, avoiding impulsive reactions that can damage interpersonal relationships. Managing emotions is therefore one of the central aspects of mindfulness, especially in the workplace. Its benefits are particularly evident in situations of greater emotional demand, which are often the main source of team tension. Developing grown mindfulness helps to create more conscious and controlled responses, strengthening relationships both inside and outside of work.
Finally, growing mindfulness within agencies means building an environment where emotions are recognised and managed, where difficulties are faced with calmer and understanding, and where individual growth goes hand in hand with collective growth.
For all these reasons, I believe that investing in grown mindfulness is actually making a commitment to the future of teams and agencies. It is giving priority to an environment where we feel safe and valued, where stress and pressure can be channelled and transformed into learning. Ultimately, it is realising that true growth begins when we cultivate attention and care, not only towards our work, but above all towards each other.
Bibliografia:
Miller, J. J., Fletcher, K., & Kabat-Zinn, J. (1995). Three-year follow-up and clinical implications of a mindfulness meditation-based stress reduction intervention in the treatment of anxiety disorders. General Hospital Psychiatry, 17(3), 192–200
