'When we are in the moment, we calm down.
You cannot control everything that happens to you, but you can control your reaction to it. Such an overload is why mindfulness is gaining traction in the West and, more gradually, here as well. And it seems that many people are dissatisfied with their current strategies of handling stress, such as multitasking,' said Singapore Management University's Associate Professor Jochen Reb, who is studying the role of mindfulness in the workplace and in leadership here. 'There is a lot of (work) stress in people's lives now, caused substantially by overload in terms of information, projects and tasks. You forget things, even what you ate for lunch. The routine repeats itself and you go into autopilot mode.
To de-stress, you hit the bar and unintentionally drink too much, such that you have to nurse a hangover the next morning. You attend countless meetings and reply a never-ending stream of e-mail or text messages while trying to meet deadlines. You yell at the kids to hurry up, gobble down a hasty breakfast while scanning the newspapers and drive the children to school before going to work. The mad rush of the day begins once the alarm clock rings.
