With so many things competing for our attention, it’s easy to lose focus on what’s truly important. Mindful living – a way of life that finds us deliberately making choices for where to put our energy and attention — could hold us to the centre amid the chaos in the periphery of our lives. Mindfulness is a state of mind and a trait that allows us to focus, cherish, and live truly in the moment while shutting down distractions.
Mindful living has been increasingly challenging to practice because as adults, we generally have so many things requiring our attention. We split our lives into so many ways: careers, ambitious life goals, marriage, family, friends, and business. Our lives can get so hectic that it is easy to get sucked in a tornado of frenzy, which can be paralysing in many ways.
Mindful living is not only a need, it is our anchor if we are to thrive in the workplace and survive our busy lives.
What are ways to practice mindfulness? Behavioural therapists refer to techniques that start with focusing on self-awareness, to increasing awareness of the environment. Experts also point to acknowledging and naming triggers that deviate us from our focus, and to acting on these distractions. When so many things crowd our minds, we might need to step away, breathe deeply, regroup, and then move back in to act on what we intended to do in the first place.
Engaging in activities that boost our focus, creativity, and sense of the now. This may include hobbies like building models of buildings, solving puzzles, and baking.
How a corporate baking class in Singapore promotes mindful living among employees
Palate Sensations Team Building offers culinary-inspired team building activities that help teams develop leadership and communication skills, nurture employee wellness, and enable companies to give back to the community.
A corporate baking class in Singapore has the potential to help employees practice mindfulness. Baking requires one’s attention to the ingredients and to the process, and it is best enjoyed by not rushing. Baking requires one to take time to slow down, leave other things or tasks for a while, and focus only on creating a scrumptious treat.
People who want to rush baking might miss how satisfying and relaxing this activity could be. The reverse could be the effect – if one rushes out baking, then the end result might not be satisfactory and the experience might cause more stress.
Here are three ways a corporate baking class in Singapore could help your employees practice mindfulness:
- Baking requires precision. You can season a steak to your own liking, adding a dash of salt and pepper to your taste, but baking requires sticking to time-tested recipes. Adding a teaspoon more of baking soda will change the outcome of a cupcake entirely. When the recipe calls for a levelled spoonful of flour, then you must give it a levelled spoonful of flour for best results. A heaping spoonful of flour will be change everything.
A corporate baking class in Singapore will teach your employees the importance of giving attention to details. It would ease your employees out of the habit of overloading themselves or their daily planners. While it is important to get a lot of work done, highly productive teams know when to set aside time to sharpen their saw. All work and no play or rest can make any person dull.
- Baking requires time. This might scare many employees who feel that they are too busy to bake, but the point here is not about baking per se, but learning to set aside time. This could be time for rest, time for family, or time for personal care. The lesson here is about accepting that there are other things that we need to devote our time to, so that we can continue to be productive at work.
At a corporate baking class in Singapore, your teams will understand that after the preparation and mixing of ingredients, after popping the batter in the oven, baking then requires time for the magic to happen. During this “waiting” time, it would be good for the teams to reflect on the experience. For others, the ‘baking’ time is also used to clean up the space. First time bakers would especially create a lot of mess – flour spilling out of the bowl when mixing, melted butter splattering all around are just among those. Use the time while the batter is in the oven to get organised in the kitchen again. Play some relaxing piano music as you go.
- Baking for others teaches mindfulness of things to be grateful for, and ways to serve the community. Palate Sensations Team Building’s Bake for A Cause is a beloved corporate social responsibility (CSR) activity for many companies. Not only do employees learn mindfulness as they bake cookies, cupcakes, and other treats, they also learn to be mindful of the privileges and blessings they enjoy – like the gift of work, or the gift of being in a position to help others. They learn to be mindful of ways they could serve the community, and bring smiles to many people who may be going through rough times. After baking, employees are asked to write personalized letters for the recipients of their baked goodies.
Looking for a corporate baking class in Singapore? We’re happy to help. Reach out to us today and introduce your teams to the wonderful world of baking and explore meaningful ways to give back to the community.
