Three Reasons Mindfulness & Meditation Training is Important in the Workplace
Briana Bragg
By Guest Blogger: Briana Bragg, Founder & Meditation Specialist, Vacation of the Mind
Great employees are the life blood of any thriving organization. These dedicated members work for the overall good of the company ensuring deadlines are met, customers are happy, projects are progressing on time and teams are producing results that grow the business. When employees are happy the company is healthy.
However, when employees are stressed, overworked and overwhelmed with too many responsibilities the health of the employee and of the company suffers. Customer service representatives aren’t as happy and accommodating when dealing with customers, project deadlines are missed, creativity to produce solutions is stifled, and production is low. As a leader in the organization, have you recently asked yourself the question: “How is the health of my organization?”
The practice of mindfulness and meditation in recent years has become a mainstream trend in which many leaders such as Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and Oprah have professed benefits, both personally and professionally. With all the hype around this practice, many organizations are exploring how it can benefit their organization and teams.
Research around mindfulness and meditation practices in the workplace is showing real results. It’s an investment that produces a real ROI, when practiced consistently within a company.
3 Benefits of Investing in Mindfulness and Meditation Training for Your Company
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Mitigate the Risk of Burnout while Increasing Productivity
According to the American Psychological Association, $300 billion is spent annually in stress related health care costs and missed work in the US; whereas job pressure, work overload, and co-worker tension rank among the highest in sources of stress. Money, health, and relationships are a close 2nd, 3rd, and 4th. Our society thrives on multi-faceted external stimuli that perpetuates a reaction internally of constantly being “plugged in.” Plugged in to technology, responsibilities, family obligations, etc. We are taught to achieve more, have more, do more – without being taught how to relax, unplug, and give ourselves the time our mind and body needs to recharge.
As demand and pressure increases on our workforce, we need a counterbalance to the ever-persistent stress we are continuously bombarded with. Increased cortisol in the body keeps the body in a state of fight or flight which causes disease, health issues, depression, anxiety, insomnia, high-blood pressure, and the list keeps going.
Research shows that implementing stillness for even two minutes a day significantly reduces cortisol levels and stress in the body, helping us function at optimal levels. Mindfulness and meditation techniques retrain the body to think, process, and react differently.
Equipping employees with tools to help them calm their mind and body shows significant results in reducing stress and increasing productivity. When employees are provided techniques to help them relax their central nervous system and calm mind chatter, the result is better focus and concentration ultimately resulting in improved workforce productivity.
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Reduce Turnover and Attract Top Talent
In a tight labor market, attracting and retaining top talent is crucial to the success of every business. Employees are being more selective when choosing their next company to work for. Work flexibility, wellness programs, and competitive pay are among some of the top factors that are important to this labor force. Investing in a mindfulness program gives companies a competitive advantage in their prospective industry. When an employee is given the option to choose a company who invests in their well-being versus one that does not, most applicants will choose the company that has a wellness program over one that doesn’t.
Unwanted turnover is an expense to companies that can cost upwards of 200 percent of an employee’s annual salary. In one recent study, examiners found that employee commitment is higher when a company has a mindfulness training program as opposed to one that does not.
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Boost Creativity, Innovation and Engagement
When employees are stressed and overwhelmed, their job creativity is stifled. The ability to solve problems through innovative ideas and thoughts is reduced and employee morale and engagement tends to be low. Research shows that meditation is a tool for stimulating divergent thinking, allowing new ideas to be generated more easily. The practice of mindful moments in the workplace are a great way to move employees from stifled to stimulated. Dedicating time for the brain to reset and recharge is instrumental in re-engaging and re-energizing teams across various departments.
Utilizing visualization techniques at the end of team meditation is also a great way to have employees across multiple departments working toward the same goal for the overall benefit of company goal setting.
Implementing mindfulness and meditation trainings through workshops, presentations, team-building exercises, executive instruction and leadership training are all great ways to improve the bottom line of the company while also investing in the well-being of employees and their success.
Related video: Mental Health First Aid for Leaders
