Emotional Intelligence

Building a Mindful Group Assignment

Group- 04

RASHIM ANAND HRB005

VAIBHAV CHAWLA HRB011

ANKAN DUTTA HRB016

MOHD RAMISH KHAN HRB029

HARSHIT PANDEY HRB039

SHUBHANGI HRB052
SHUBHADARSHINI

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Introduction

Mindfulness is a trainable state of awareness in which one is aware of their present experience and
responds to it without judgement or reactivity. Mindfulness is commonly related with psychological
balance and wellness. To cultivate mindfulness, one should not strive to acquire a specific mental
state, such as relaxation or focus. Instead, become aware of each thought, emotion, and sensation as
it arises in the present moment and let it to pass without attachment. Even though this is a simple
strategy, it has the potential to be groundbreaking and challenging. Our typical condition consists
of reliving historical events and formulating preparations for the future. Mindfulness is a practice
that teaches our thoughts to be fully present with their immediate surroundings.

Benefits of Mindfulness:

It has been discovered that mindfulness alters the physiology of the body and brain in ways that
strengthen, heal, and protect the body and brain. All of the numerous benefits of mindfulness have
been scientifically established.

● Reduced anxiety: It has been shown that mindfulness significantly reduces anxiety. This is
achieved by increasing activity in the brain regions responsible for processing cognitive,
emotional, and worrying-related information.
● Reduces stress: Because mindfulness reduces physiological indications of stress, it improves
the brain's capacity to control stress. This is achieved through mindfulness by strengthening
the connections in the brain region in charge of attention and executive function.
● Restores emotional stability: Situations involving emotion have the power to knock us off
balance. The extent or duration of the damage is what causes harm. Mindfulness can assist
in the recovery from stressful events by controlling the emotional brain.
● Slows down the ageing process: By focusing on the present moment, one can slow the
progression of dementia and other age-related cognitive disorders like Alzheimer's. It has
been demonstrated to improve connections in the brain regions that light up when people
consider the past or the future.
● It relieves depression: By utilizing mindfulness techniques, depression symptoms and
recurrence can both be diminished.
● Overall mental health improves.: It protects against the development of stress, anxiety, and
eventually depression.
● Reduce fatigue and improve sleep quality: Regular mindfulness practices can help you sleep
better and feel less tired.

Group Activity: Mindful listening

Mindfulness is just the state of being attentive. It's the ability to pay attention and be present in
the moment. Mindful listening entails being fully present when speaking with others rather than
worrying about your to-do list, what you're going to do this weekend, or answering emails while
talking to your mother on the phone. Mindful listening forces us to focus on what the other
person is saying rather than operating on autopilot and giving in to distraction. When someone
says something, we frequently jump to conclusions before they have finished and store it away,
paying no attention to the details. If we can genuinely focus on them in the present, we will be
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 able to relate to them in a deeper, more meaningful way. As you would in meditation, the first
step in developing attentive listening is to make an intention to be a better listener so that you
may gently remind yourself to do so if your thoughts stray during a conversation. When you
realize your mind has wandered, take a deep breath, smile, and start listening carefully again.
The ultimate aim of this meditation, as with other breathing meditations, is to become aware of
and come back to the present. Each member shared their troubles, feelings, hopes or anything they
want to tell us about.

List of Individual Activities

1. Meditation: By meditating, we can feel calmer, concentrate better, and become more
focused. Not instantly becoming completely relaxed is not the goal of mindfulness
meditation. The objective is to focus. As is customary, there will be diversion, boredom,
irritation, discomfort, agony, and even pleasurable feelings. You don't get rid of all those
emotions and thoughts by meditating. We don't respond to them as we normally would; we
just watch them. You will be amazed at their independence in changing and disappearing.
We become more adept at responding rather than reacting when issues arise in other aspects
of our lives.

2. Going for a nature walk: Walking can be a healthy form of exercise, but when we're lost
in our thoughts, it's simple to get distracted. As you walk, pay attention to how your feet rise
and fall. Observe how your body and legs move. If our thoughts begin to stray, we must
bring them back to the sensation of our motion.

3. Journal: A great way to process your emotions and thoughts in a totally private and safe
setting is by journaling. Think about keeping a bullet journal or just writing down your
daily emotions. This enables you to monitor your mood over time and take stock of your
daily emotions.

4. Workouts: Exercise can strengthen and nourish our muscles while also allowing us to
become more aware of our bodies, control our breathing, and be present in the moment.

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Developing collective mindfulness:

In order to develop collective mindfulness, we did a few activities as a group and as individuals. The
activities are listed below for each group member:

Member 1: Rashim Anand

Individual Activity: Journal

What worked: I could set priorities for my work and keep tabs on my development. I wrote down
everything I felt that day so that I could go to bed with a clear mind and make plans for the following
day. Writing about both positive and negative experiences helped me deal with my emotions more
effectively on the days when I felt them strongly. I did this to help me remember how I felt at the
time.
What didn’t work: What didn't work was that I didn't always have time to keep a daily entry, even
though the most difficult times were always mentioned because the journal became a place for me
to express my emotions.
Challenges: Maintaining a daily journal, I occasionally overthought things, which made it difficult
for me to concentrate on the cause of my feelings and think clearly.

Group Activity: Mindful Listening

What worked: It was satisfying to have a sense of camaraderie with my teammates, and I could
relate as they each recounted their struggles.
What didn’t work: The experience was quite good except for the fact that the members could have
been less apprehensive about sharing their feelings with others.
Challenges: Fixing time and sitting with each group member due to hectic schedules and
commitments.

Member 2: Vaibhav Chawla

Individual Activity: Meditation

What worked: My thoughts become more focused as a result of meditation, which also helps me
to relax down. My thoughts get clearer and I am able to see things from fresh angles thanks to it.
What didn’t work: One activity that takes a lot of perseverance and practise to master is
meditation, but when I don't see the results I want right away, I get impatient and stop trying.
Challenges: I find it difficult to sit still for longer than 5-7 minutes while meditating, and instead
of trying to focus my thoughts, I find that they increase.
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Group Activity: Mindful Listening

What worked: This was intriguing since it gave us all the chance to hear one another's opinions
and ideas on a range of subjects, and that is something I am particularly interested in learning about.
Our relationship became stronger as a result of the many issues we faced, problems we solved
together, and lessons we learned. We are all quite different people in terms of attitude and
personality, so it was fascinating to see how mature and intelligently we all responded to each other's
points.
What didn’t work: There was an issue with setting up time for the activity considering the college
schedules and personal timings. Also, opening up before others without any fears was a challenge
for me.
Challenges: I take a while to warm up to people. Although I felt at ease speaking with some of
them, I was hesitant to talk to others because I hadn't interacted with them much before (groups had
changed in the second year).

Member 3: Ankan Dutta

Individual Activity: Going for walk

What worked: I made a habit of walking as I could escape and listen to natural sounds and take a
breath of fresh air every day. I spent this time not thinking about anything and let my mind focus
on just walking movements.
What didn’t work: Finding a clean place to walk during the monsoon was a challenge.
Challenges: Some days were skipped due to ill health, college programs and Mumbai rains.

Group Activity: Mindful Listening

What worked: It felt good to feel connected to my teammates, and I could empathize as each shared
their own troubles.
What didn’t work: Time schedules weren’t suitable.
Challenges: I feel hesitant while talking to people outside my close group about my feelings or
perspectives.

Member 4: Mohd Ramish Khan

Individual Activity: Workout

What worked: I feel like I'm accomplishing something and getting better when I work out. I like
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the feeling of pushing my physical limits to the point where my muscles are exhausted. I adore the
feeling of blissful exhaustion that comes after a workout.
What didn’t work: When I work out hard, I get exhausted and it takes a lot of time to recover,
which interferes with my work.
Challenges: I frequently feel as though exercising is an added responsibility. Not only does it take
time to complete, but I also need to bring the right attire, plan the activity, use energy, and take a
shower afterward.

Group Activity: Mindful Listening

What worked: It was a very enjoyable experience as we interacted and shared our private thoughts,
which helped us empathize with one another and strengthen our internal bonds.
What didn’t work: Had a bit of hard time to develop the ability to listen to others patiently.
Challenges: I feel hesitant while talking to people about my inner feelings.

Member 5: Harshit Pandey

Individual Activity: Journal

What worked: I found that keeping a journal helped me organise the thoughts that were racing
through my head. I was worrying about things without knowing if they were important.
What didn’t work: There were times when nothing noteworthy occurred, but I was still aware of
it and gave incidents importance simply because I knew I had to return home and write an entry.
Although it ought to be natural, the procedure was occasionally rigged in this manner.
Challenges: It was challenging to organise my thoughts because they were scattered ideas and
incidents, and I was constantly concerned that I might be overthinking just because I was keeping a
journal.

Group Activity: Mindful Listening

What worked: In my second year, my group changed, making me a new member of this group. It
made me a little bit more intimate with each of them.
What didn’t work: Would have been better if I knew other members well before the activity.
Challenges: Being new made it a little challenging for me to openly share. This, in my opinion,
also applied to other members.

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Member 6: Shubhangi Shubhadarshini

Individual Activity: Meditation

What worked: Intense meditation helps me gradually reduce my self-centeredness limitations. As

I become more relaxed in the activity, my mind changes to a more delicate kind of awareness. I start
to feel more at ease. A profound and long-lasting sense of serenity may appear as physical
discomfort and mental tensions temporarily subside.
What didn’t work: When I have a busy work schedule, I try to avoid doing meditation because it
takes a lot of patience.
Challenges: I had a weakness of overthinking, which greatly disturbed me when I first started
meditating, so it was difficult for me to focus with a calm mindset.

Group Activity: Mindful Listening

What worked: It was a very enjoyable experience as we interacted and shared our private ideas,
which helped us empathize with one another and deepen our internal bonds.
What didn’t work: I have tough time trusting people and have biases about being judged harshly.
This is a reason I was skeptical while sharing thoughts.
Challenges: We had a difficult time scheduling the activity because of time restrictions.

INDIVIDUAL DISCUSSIONS

RASHIM

When I am mindful of my community, what do I notice?

When I'm conscious of my neighborhood, I learn about everyone's agenda and what drives them to
support common objectives. In order to remove judgement and defenses, I get to challenge both my
own beliefs and those of other people.

When I am aware of myself, what information do I gather?

Through reflection and introspection, I can see myself clearly and objectively when I'm aware of
myself. It encourages initiative in me, increases my capacity for acceptance, and enables me to
consider other people's viewpoints. I think it's critical for team members to communicate more
effectively and to work together.

What activities and other factors are preventing me and others from fully and mindfully
engaging in community building?
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My work, day-to-day problems, and chores are the usual things preventing me from participating
mindfully in community building. I try to refocus my mind and bring myself back to the
conversation when my inner chatter and perceptions start to take over.

How does this awareness empower my community-building ability?

This awareness gives me the power to improve my listening abilities, which are crucial for fostering
a sense of community. I try to pay attention with all of my attention and to keep my thoughts free
of bias, judgment, and my own perceptions. I open up more to people, giving them my full attention
and wholehearted listening.

VAIBHAV

When I am mindful of my community, what do I notice?

I don't naturally pay much attention to my surroundings. With time, I've come to understand how
critical it is to be conscious of your surroundings and how other people perceive you.
However, I've started making conscious efforts to pay attention to things that I usually neglect.
Now that I'm conscious of my community, I usually pay attention to how those around me act. I
see how they exhibit their emotions, whether they are ones of joy, rage, or grief.

When I am aware of myself, what information do I gather?

When I am conscious of myself, I can regulate my emotions and wait before I respond. I take care
to consider various viewpoints and gain perspective. I do keep track of my actions, especially in
extreme situations, and I inquire of others about the same. I actively work to avoid repeating it and
to change it. I record this in my diary and consider various behaviours I might use to respond in the
future if the same circumstances arise. As a result, it helps me to understand more about myself and
the things that either positively or negatively affect me. Additionally, I learn more about who I am
and what matters to me while meditating.

What activities and other factors are preventing me and others from fully and mindfully
engaging in community building?

I think one of the things that keeps me from getting involved in community-building activities or
being open with people is the worry that people won't be as welcoming to you and might judge you
on different things or say things about you. However, having experienced both a competitive and a
friendly world, I have come to realise over time that you will undoubtedly be treated as you treat
others, so being polite, respecting others' feelings, and acting in a respectful manner to others is
essential.

How do these awarenesses empower my community-building ability?

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Yes, I feel more empowered and motivated to be more involved in whatever way I can now that
I'm more conscious of my actions and the part I need to play in the community. I believe that my
actions have an effect on how people act and feel. This would then cause a favourable
transformation inside of me. I can be more reflective of my emotions and thoughts when I'm more
conscious of them when I'm alone. It offers me the possibility to make a brief difference in the
lives of others.

ANKAN

When I am mindful of my community, what do I notice?

Normally, I can sense the energies of those around me. I can quickly tell if someone close to me is
not as energetic as they usually are. I also take note of how people interact with one another,
including who they talk to most frequently, where they hang out, etc. I used to be essentially non-
observant, but over time I was able to cultivate this capacity for awareness and mindfulness of my
surroundings.

When I am aware of myself, what information do I gather?

I try to approach the development of self-awareness from a detached standpoint, focusing on the
causes of emotional experience rather than the emotional experience itself. This improves my
capacity for human understanding. It helps me comprehend why they respond the way they do and
to empathise with their predicament. It broadens my perspective and makes me less conceited. It
enables me to evaluate the circumstances, balance the benefits and drawbacks, and respond to them
more logically.

What activities and other factors are preventing me and others from fully and mindfully
engaging in community building?

I think it is very challenging to be oneself and be vulnerable in this social media world where
everything appears to be perfect. Simply assuming that the other person won't be receptive to your
thoughts or opinions makes it difficult to fully open up. Additionally, since most conversations now
take place over chat, it can be challenging to be open to other people, which serves as a barrier to
mindfully contributing to community building.

How do these awarenesses empower my community-building ability?

I was able to observe my emotions in an honest and unbiased manner because to awareness. My
senses, desires, and behaviours are all given more attention. Negative emotions are not relieved by
me, but recognizing them and taking lessons from them increases my awareness of myself. As a
result, I become more conscious and am better able to sympathize with others.
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RAMISH

When I am mindful of my community, what do I notice?

I am a social person who enjoys talking to people, so I have made it a habit to watch those around
me. I've always paid attention to my surroundings so that I could act appropriately and be prepared
to approach people if necessary. As a result, I find that my behaviour tends to drastically change
if I believe that those around me are understanding and open-minded. Despite the fact that I take
my time opening up to people, I start acting and speaking in a much more casual, loose manner.
Similar circumstances existed in my group; initially, I could understand people before
progressively opening up to them to the point where I could spend hours with them.

When I am aware of myself, what information do I gather?

I frequently consider times in the past where I have experienced the same emotions when I am
conscious of what I am feeling and why I am feeling it. For instance, if I experience anxiety before
a crucial project at work, I usually reflect on how it affected my actions and how that circumstance
turned out. This is occasionally useful since it provides me some assurance that I have experienced
a situation such to this before, but if the outcome was particularly disastrous, it might have a
negative effect.

What activities and other factors are preventing me and others from fully and mindfully
engaging in community building?

I say that proximity is sometimes a factor because I had the chance to meet my group members
when I went to Mumbai. As chilly as they can be in academic groups, they were the exact opposite
when I first met them. I definitely learned something by getting to see the other side. The people I
travelled with now seem to form a sort of community, in my opinion. We constantly communicate,
exchange knowledge, and support one another.

How do these awarenesses empower my community-building ability?

In order to develop relationships with people, I have learned that it is crucial to spend some time
having conversations, preferably face-to-face. Therefore, I think it's important to spend some time
away from the project work getting to know each other well, their backgrounds, and how they see
the world. This will serve as a strong foundation for developing group mindfulness.

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HARSHIT

When I am mindful of my community, what do I notice?

Normally, I pay close attention to everything around me, especially the people. When I sense that
those around me are understanding and open-minded, my behaviour also tends to change quite
radically. My behaviour and speech become much more relaxed and unrestrained.
As was also acknowledged during the mindfulness group exercise, many of us team members can
view the same circumstance in a variety of ways. Because of this, I make it a point to notice any
signs of dissatisfaction in others right away to prevent any bad feelings from forming. I have always
found it extremely uncomfortable when there is a communication gap between me and anyone, so
I make a special effort to pay attention to other people's attitudes and behaviours to ensure that they
are feeling okay.

When I am aware of myself, what information do I gather?

My comfort and discomfort are the two emotions I become most conscious of. I tend to classify my
thoughts, feelings, and emotions into these two more general categories since I'm quite open to
them. Even while I was journaling, whenever I would write about a specific occasion, I would
automatically assume that having lunch with that particular set of people or attending a different
class would be pleasant. This typically denotes a variety of feelings and actions, including
eagerness, vigour, confidence, etc.

What activities and other factors are preventing me and others from fully and mindfully
engaging in community building?

Many people may be hesitant to participate in community building events because they worry that
other people won't be as accepting of them, in my opinion. However, I have seen from experience
that the majority of people are hospitable, and we must be aware that when we participate in
community events, we must also somewhat modify our behaviour to fit the community in order to
fully integrate with them. I think that maintaining a person's unique characteristics while also being
adaptable to the group or community surrounding would primarily require attention.

How do these awarenesses empower my community-building ability?

Being aware would make it easier to recognize and adopt the qualities and behaviors that the
community values. Additionally, knowledge would enable the individual to decide whether or not
that group is appropriate for them. For instance, I made a lot of intriguing friends in school, but
there were other groups where, despite liking the members, I did not feel at ease being a part of
them. This could be caused by a dissonance in attitudes or behaviors rather than by some
unfavorable factor.

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SHUBHANGI

When I am mindful of my community, what do I notice?

I am conscious of the needs of the community and the part I must play in achieving those requirements. This
brings to light the fact that my actions affect both me and other people. Therefore, awareness helps me to
shape my efforts to have a beneficial impact on my life and the community.

When I am aware of myself, what information do I gather?

When I'm conscious of myself, I make an effort to connect with the people I regularly interact with
and learn about the areas where I lack behaviours that aren't obvious to me but are obvious to others.
By routinely gathering data on such behaviors, I may work on creating an action plan designed to
address such concerns. It helps me become less egocentric and broadens my perspective.

What activities and other factors are preventing me and others from fully and mindfully
engaging in community building?

When it comes to the problems that can prevent people from taking part in community development,
I think the most obvious one is being more concerned with improving oneself than with developing
behaviours that advance society as a whole. I believe I can contribute to a more vibrant and long-
lasting community if I have an action plan that matches my behaviours with those of the community.

How do these awareness’s empower my community-building ability?

Yes, now that I'm more aware of my behaviours and the role I need to play in the community, I feel
more responsible and inclined to be more proactive in any way I can. This would then cause a
positive change in myself. Being conscious enables me to reflect my feelings and thoughts in front
of other people. Both self-awareness and awareness of your surroundings are crucial because by
interacting with others, being aware of the activities taking place in your society helps to build a
strong community.

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