2018 TASH Conference

Mindfulness is becoming a part of the day to day experience for many people and organizations. Fortune 500 Companies are teaching and encouraging their employees and successful leaders are embedding mindfulness into the workplace routine. The exciting news is that not only does the practice benefit employees, it has deep and far-reaching benefits for the people they support. How often are we told to remain calm in the face of crisis? Many of us do not have the skill set to do this or to stay calm when things begin to escalate. Currently, a program is being finalized in Ontario, that focuses on teaching caregivers the practice of mindfulness to better equip them to support others. In this presentation, we will be examining elements of this program and other modalities of mindfulness in the work environment. Through lecture, examples, video and active learning, participants will begin to understand how this simple tool can make a difference in our own lives and those that we support. In this session, participants will: • complete a simple mindfulness practice, • investigate how the fMRI’s and science are beginning to quantify how mindfulness works, • demonstrate how this practice is being used to support those who are perceived as “challenging”, • explore ideas for using mindfulness to support ourselves and others when things get difficult, • access a number of resources for continued learning and practice of mindfulness.