Mindfulness is especially valuable in conflict situations, or other situations that present challenges to central components of one’s perceived safety, self-concept, etc. One recent study by Natalia Karelaia, Assistant Professor of Decision Sciences at INSEAD in France, suggests four central ways in which mindfulness can foster improved decision-making;
- Framing the Decision: As Dr. Karelaia explains, research demonstrates that mindful individuals are more likely to base decisions on their core ethical principles and, in so doing, take action that tends to be more authentic. Others making decisions with less mindfulness are more likely to find themselves led to a point at which they would prefer not to be;
- Gathering Information: While Dr. Karelaia notes some studies suggesting that mindfulness may serve to narrow one’s focus, she emphasizes the value of mindfulness in helping individuals better tolerate uncertainty and be more decisive when the time comes for action;
- Coming to a Conclusion: Mindful individuals, because of heightened clarity of their own core internal values, are better able to ferret out extraneous information. This ability facilitates actual decision-making and can lead to more timely resolution of conflict;
- Learning from Feedback: Perhaps the greatest value of mindfulness in the decision-making context is an improved ability to learn from experience. Because mindful individuals are less identified with conditioned thinking and thus more freed from egoic constraints, the are more likely to lear from their experience. In this way, they are less likely to repeat patterns that may have led to or exacerbated the situation at hand.
Each of these abilities can be cultivated by my Holistic Law Counseling Program, a multi-session program that incorporates mindfulness exercises prior to arriving at a concrete legal strategy. For more information, visit http://www.holistic-lawyer.com, or call Holistic Attorney and Mediator Michael Lubofsky at (415) 508-6263.