Mindfulness at Work - What are the Benefits?

There has been a focus during Mental Health Awareness week on workplace wellbeing. Reports suggest that mental ill health is estimated to cost UK businesses £35 billion annually, with 1 in 4 UK workers struggling with problems such as anxiety, low mood and stress at work.

The Heads Together and Mind Charities have recently announced a Workplace Wellbeing Programme, with information and toolkits to help both employers and employees address this growing problem.

Tools such as mindfulness within the workplace can be beneficial with positive effects reported on health, efficiency and productivity. Indeed organisations such as Google, Apple and even the NHS now offer mindfulness programmes to their employees. Mindfulness expert Mirabai Bush, co-developer of Google’s ‘Search Inside Yourself’ program’ said:

“Introducing mindfulness into the workplace does not prevent conflict from arising or difficult issues from coming up. But when difficult issues do arise… they are more likely to be skillfully acknowledged, held, and responded to by the group. Over time with mindfulness, we learn to develop the inner resources that will help us navigate through difficult, trying, and stressful situations with more ease, comfort, and grace.”

The neurological benefits of mindfulness have been linked to an increase in emotional intelligence, specifically empathy and self-regulation and studies have shown that mindfulness is fundamentally connected to many aspects of workplace such as:

  • Wellbeing, resilience and stress management
  • Improved relationships creating more effective team working
  • Performance – including positive effects on leadership, decision-making and creativity and innovation

In our digital world where it can sometimes feel impossible to escape from emails, messages and online intrusion, it is worth remembering a quote from US Buddhist teacher Sharon Salzberg –

“Meditation is the ultimate mobile device, you can use it anywhere, anytime, unobtrusively”

Our full range of employee wellbeing courses will help both you and your colleagues maintain a healthy work environment and balance.

Posted on May 17 2019 by Sarah Spanswick

 

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