Times are changing, with a move towards employee wellness becoming a key part of more and more companies policy
We mentioned in our last article that the emphasis on improving employee productivity and reducing absenteeism as well as maximising individual’s skills such as decision making and leaderships qualities has shifted well in to the wellness model – with a focus on improving physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing at work.
When we talk about spiritualism in the workplace, you can be sure we mean showing kindness and tolerance towards your colleagues, and being mindful in your working day which enables you to become aware of your contribution to the workplace and how you affect others at work around you.
The main tenets of mindfulness and meditation include these key areas of kindness and tolerance and aim to work on reducing the mental clutter our minds carry, which improves our mental clarity. Yes, there is plenty of qualitative research to show that mindfulness and meditation in the workplace positively impacts on stress and anxiety levels, allowing better decision making experiences, good leadership choices and a happier workforce. The evidence is so clear in fact that you will find that mindfulness and meditation practice is happening in all the big companies including Google, Apple, the Home Office, GlaxoSmithKline, Price Waterhouse Cooper and Transport for London. Here at Back to Balance, we are already working with teams within the British Airways contact centre as well as others to introduce mindfulness to the workplace.
You don’t have to be a big corporate multinational to be able to introduce mindfulness and meditation into the workplace, the outlay for the cost of running a programme easily balances with the increase in profitability from savings in sickness absenteeism (temp cover and sickness pay) and improved productivity.
But how do you know that you are getting a properly trained teacher with the right experience to ensure the quality of the instruction, and the experience which ensures that the classes are tailored and adapted to those who are in them? Because there are many techniques and approaches to take when it comes to mindfulness and meditation, your teacher should be able to tailor the class to your needs – like most things – one size does not fit all. There is a pandoras box when it comes to meditation techniques, the variety is vast. The evidence however, shows that it doesn’t matter what type you do, just that you find an approach which suits the individual or team to enjoy the benefits. Mindfulness brings the awareness of your thought processes at that moment and how it is impacting on your environment and surroundings. The mindfulness tools will teach you to still your mind and disconnect and give your brain a rest. This in turn creates space in your mind meaning that you can put your worries into perspective, your work day becomes more efficient and you show more kindness and tolerance towards your colleagues.
So, in the absence of a total reform of our working lives with a shorter workday and improved holiday allowance (think Denmark with the happiest workforce) the next best thing is mindfulness and meditation because employers in the UK are seeing the benefits on their workforce.
Our mediation and mindfulness teacher is Nicky Robertson, who is co-director at Back to Balance. Her vast knowledge on wellness, and expertise in mindfulness and mediation comes from 20+ years of learning and teaching in the subject both nationally and internationally.
We would be happy to have a no obligation chat with you about how we can help meet your companies wellness needs.
