Practising Mindfulness

[Faerie]

Im doing a masters course through a UK varsity for further accreditation. Im walking on tiptoe as my chosen career is filled with potholes of fluff and headgames. Every "tool" Im given, if not outright discarded, needs to be tested before I am inclined to absorb it in my daily life. Its frustrating as I watch how my fellows embrace the woo and the facilitators look proudly upon the magic they bestow... its exhausting to sit amongst this nonsense and look enthusiastic. If the accreditation didnt hold a proper bump in salary, Id have left two months ago.

At any rate, the new buzzword is "Mindfulness". Not in the sense that one needs to consider others but akin to meditation and reflection on one's thoughts. It creates these situations where you are planted on a chair in class whilst some sod takes you "lets leave our earthly bodies, embrace the feelings in the room, let us now travel outside, hear the wind rustling in the trees... MY GODS, THERE'S THE FRECKING MOON! LETS GO THERE!" And yours truly sits there with her eyes wide open wondering where I went wrong in life having to endure this - a different mindfulness if you please. Then you go home and am obliged to write a 3000 word essay on your experience. Just as well I have a good imagination.

Needless to say (but saying it anyway) this particular "tool" is on the ever growing discarded heap. We are assessed on a continual basis and in one session I was probed as to my Mindfullness experiences, upon which I responded "I practice mindfulness in the same manner as prayer"... I passed the module, and Im mindful to be grateful. Fuck. I dont even feel guilty. I was mindfully honest.

[BoogieMonster]

I admire that you are able to recognize the irony that these fools are not self-aware enough to realise they're being taken for a complete ride yet espouse to be unusually "mindful". Clear thought like that is so disturbingly rare.

where I went wrong in life having to endure this

You thought. You could be in 1000's of other situations and still experience the same feeling. The problem is you had thoughts.

[brianvds]

Then you go home and am obliged to write a 3000 word essay on your experience. Just as well I have a good imagination.

I'd be tempted to write something so over the top that even they would begin to suspect that I'm joking with them. :-)

Anyway, what kind of job do you do that expects you to attend this sort of thing?

[Faerie]

Lets call it psychology in the workplace, and to drill it down further, coaching, life coaching. Where I find myself at this point of time is enabling people to think for themselves, a truly wondrous thing in some instances, but horribly enlightening in others where you come to the conclusion that some grown-ass people are utterly incapable to do so.

The frustrating thing for me personally Boogie, is the fact that this type of shit actually works on most people, which is why its peddled and why an executive coach can ask R7500 for an hour session. Its my pension plan, I can do this bullshit with my eyes closed until Im 80. Not saying I like it, just saying I can.

[BoogieMonster]

The frustrating thing for me personally Boogie, is the fact that this type of shit actually works on most people

Some people are really fucking stupid.

I can do this bullshit with my eyes closed until Im 80. Not saying I like it, just saying I can.

Yeah, I've often wondered how many BS peddlers believe what they say. I mean, It's tempting even for me, knowing how this all works could be really, really profitable.

[Mefiante]

Yeah, I've often wondered how many BS peddlers believe what they say.

If woomeisters are aware that they’re peddling nonsense, they’re mercenaries; if they aren’t aware, they’re morons.  An episode of South Park memorably made the underlying point:

John Edward: Look, what I do doesn’t hurt anybody. I give people closure and help them cope with life.

Stan: No, you give them false hope and a belief in something that isn’t real.

John Edward: But I’m a psychic.

Stan: No dude, you’re a douche.

John Edward: I’m not a douche! What if I really believe that dead people talk to me?

Stan: Then you’re a stupid douche.

'Luthon64

[Faerie]

Yeah, I've often wondered how many BS peddlers believe what they say. I mean, It's tempting even for me, knowing how this all works could be really, really profitable.

The majority do believe it.  Its a complete fact.  In my whole career (30 odd years) I've come across two people who have the same outlook on it as I and we sassed each other out very thorougly before we admitted it, to do otherwise is to commit career suicide.  I'm certain psychology "out there" is still on the right path, but here in the corporate world, its gone back to the days of selling bottled miracles, all fluff, getting in touch with yourself, reaching out and embracing your inner miserable sodding self and understanding why you are a dirty arsed bitch to your subordinates.  Which helps absolutely bloody nothing as said bitch is now super aware of her actions and able to justify it because "its who I am". 

Im exagerating, but its pretty much what goes on, the underdog will remain the underdog regardless of the amount of fluff being fed to it. No amoung of teambuilding, analysing personality types and spouting inspirational quotes will "fix" a group of people that dont like each other at work.  The only permanent fix is when the one or two problem children leave and relative calm returns.

Anyway, I'm concious that I'm rambling.  Let me go work.

[BoogieMonster]

On second thought it doesn't sound that much different to this shit I posted in shoutbox.

Any "techie" who gets a Wiccan to exorcise problems with their servers deserves to be shot on sight. Bloody hell.

[BoogieMonster]

... No amoung of teambuilding, analysing personality types and spouting inspirational quotes will "fix" a group of people that dont like each other at work.

My pet peeve recently is when things are getting hectic, workloads skyrocket, stress builds up, people become snippy, overtime is starting to clock up, and things are getting to breaking point.  And then management, in it's infinite wisdom, steps in and go "We've noticed you all in here are getting stressed and the mood around here seems tense. So to solve this problem we're going to take you all on a mandatory teambuilding. During working hours, of course. So now you have even less time to deal with all your work, and probably need to do more overtime. You're welcome."

EDIT: And no, a humble employee never, ever dares question the awesomeness of the Grand Poobah's efforts, especially if that means appearing to be a "wet blanket" for "morale". BIG no no, and so the disincentivisation program continues unabated.

[Faerie]

http://www.npr.org/sections/13.7/2015/07/21/424948567/does-mindfulness-mean-anything

A bit more about concerns re this new fad.

[brianvds]

You're focusing on the negative. Be mindful of your thoughts, my young Padawan... :-)

[Faerie]

You're focusing on the negative. Be mindful of your thoughts, my young Padawan... :-)

At the moment Im hard pressed to find anything positive when it comes to my studies. A load of crock and I have to plough through another 8 modules. What possessed me to start studying at my age only the venerable FSM knows.

[brianvds]

Some years ago I started doing a post-grad diploma in education. I lasted only a few months - the field of education has been heavily infiltrated by post-modernist thought, and it was utter torture.

Now I teach anyway, without any formal qualifications in the field. If they now try to force me to do the diploma, I'll leave the field. There is no torture like having to study stuff you're not interested in...

[Mefiante]

Ya-a-a-a-aay, something to do (for which you should not, er, mind paying others some money)!

'Luthon64

[BoogieMonster]

Regular mindfulness practice is said to promote cognitive flexibility and help you sleep better

Oh freck no! My main problem is not getting my fucking mind to shut the freck up at night. THE LAST thing I need is MORE mind ANYTHING!

Psychology Festival

This is actually considered psychology? Edit: I mean, I already have a low esteem for the profession, but god damn that's a new low.

Johnson and Madden offer an Interpersonal Mindfulness Programme designed for coaches, counsellors, mentors and others in the helping professions

If only Julius Ceasar and Einstein and Curie had life coaches, just imagine how awesome they would've been. Alas, the never caught on to how amazingly ... Sorry I can't do it. The above sentence says everything you need to know about the "helping professions". 'Scuse me, being an MD or shipping food to famine areas... that's a "helping profession".

Mindfulness-based coaching is simply coaching that uses mindfulness as a core method in the coaching process

Tautologies are tautological.

I tried to read further, but became helplessly mindful of the current pile of bullshit I found myself in. Holy crap!

[BoogieMonster]

FYI