top of page
Search

Mindfulness Meditation in the Workplace

Writer's picture: Patricia FaustPatricia Faust


The Impact of Extreme Stress in the Workplace

The workplace is a novel and complex environment and our brains love it. Except - when we are too stressed out to think clearly. Corporations spend 60% of their after-tax profits on healthcare for their employees. This is a direct result of workplace stress. Stress causes havoc within our bodies and brains. It can be directly responsible for high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, lower immune function, and psychological disorders. The leading causes of workplace stress include:

· Low salaries

· Heavy workload

· Lack of opportunities

· Uncertain job expectations

· Long hours (Francis,C. 2013)


The impact on the bottom line comes down to these assumptions:

· Stressed out employees generally are less productive.

· Stress leads to poor health and greater healthcare expenditures.

· There is less cooperation and teamwork leading to greater inefficiency.

· More interpersonal conflicts among employees which is counterproductive.

· Stress leads to poor communication, which then leads to inefficiency.

· Stressed out employees are more preoccupied with their personal problems than the company’s objectives.

· Stressed out employees aren’t capable of seeing the bigger picture (i.e. company goals).

(Francis, C. 2013)


Does this resonate with you? I know I have worked in this type of environment. It is brutal to go through day after day with this stress weighing you down. The ultimate result is burnout. No one wins in this environment. If we want to contain healthcare expenditures, we need to live healthier lifestyles by reducing stress levels.


Mindfulness Meditation Can Make a Difference

Companies cannot afford to assume these losses consistently. Wellness programs are designed to measure physical indicators of chronic disease health problems. They are able to counsel employees and put together action plans for a healthy lifestyle. Although wellness programs can save healthcare dollars there is a problem with employee engagement. These programs can actually turn out to be another source of stress. Wellness programs still don’t address the initial cause of workplace chronic disease because they don’t address the stress component of the workplace. However, when a mindfulness meditation program is integrated into the workplace culture, there is a chance of reducing stress levels on an individual basis. The employee can learn to be resilient in the face of stress. A mindfulness meditation practice has the ability to:

· Lower stress

· Improve immune system function

· Live a healthier lifestyle

· Improve cognitive abilities

(The Mindfulness Meditation Institute)


The Benefits of Mindfulness Meditation

Incorporating mindfulness meditation training into organizational development strategies will pay off in numerous ways including employee performance.


Employees practicing mindfulness meditation will have:

· Increased ability to cope with stress and be more resilient to workplace pressures


· Increased ability to focus - a core element of mindful practice is training for concentration


· Improved cognitive abilities – think with a clear mind which can lead to greater complex problem solving and decision-making capabilities


· Better communication skills – deep listening and mindful speech will improve communication


· Greater systems thinking – employees are able to understand wider implications of their actions; an understanding that things are interconnected


· Improved self-confidence – through greater self-awareness employees will discover their true potential


· More effective leadership – they will become people with the necessary skills and integrity to take on more responsibility


The Harvard Business Review recently added a couple more benefits to a mindfulness program.


1. Mindfulness helps to build resilience; decreases the effects of anxiety and stress.


2. Mindfulness can strengthen emotional intelligence. It helps to improve our levels of patience and ability to regulate our emotions. An inner sense of calm makes it easier for us to cope when things don’t go our way.


3. Mindfulness promotes creativity. Mindfulness enables greater insights and more out-of-the-box innovative thinking.


4. Mindfulness enhances personal relationships. Practicing mindful techniques including meditation, makes us a bit more tolerant and compassionate.


5. Mindfulness helps you focus. Mindfulness with its emphasis of staying in the moment helps us to stay more focused and improves our ability to concentrate.


The Challenges of Introducing Mindfulness into the Workplace

Just to be clear, there are many benefits of mindfulness but there are also some challenges to integrating it into the workplace. The following are some of the pitfalls of practicing mindfulness meditation.


- Mindfulness should be voluntary. Employees shouldn’t feel pressured to practice if mindfulness doesn’t work for them.


- Mindfulness isn’t a productivity tool. Employers, introducing mindfulness as a productivity tool, are not being transparent. About the benefit. Yes, mindfulness promotes different ways of thinking and acting in the workplace, and that may very well increase productivity as a result.


What’s the Verdict?

Meditation seems like it is the next best thing since sliced bread! These outcomes from meditation practice have been documented in companies like Apple, Yahoo, Google, Texas Instruments, McKinsey Consulting, Deutsch Bank, and Hughes Aircraft. It is hard to question the effectiveness of meditation when it has found success in very successful companies. Research is ongoing on meditation, but it continues to validate the outcomes of the practice. With our high intensity environment, speed of communication and overwhelming amount of information that we are exposed to everyday, meditation is the perfect practice for brain health.


References:

Francis, Charles (2013). Mindfulness in the workplace. http://mindfulnessmeditationinstitute.org


Team MyHub. (June 28, 2018). Mindfulness in the workplace: practical ways to introduce it. Retrieved from https://www.www.myhubintranet.com/mindfulness-in-the-workplace

6 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Comments


     What's Happening?

2025 has certainly started off with a BANG!  There is significant chaos surrounding the start of now President Trump’s term in office.  He described it as ‘Shock and Awe’.  I would agree with ‘shock’, but I am not in awe of the beginning of his term.  Time will tell how this all plays out.  It does force me to get serious about my meditation practice, however.

Then most of the United States was under, first – severe weather systems and then the incineration of Southern California.  In my particular neck of the woods (Ohio/Indiana border) we had 15 inches of snow, subzero temperatures made even colder by high wind.  My gas and electric bill will be out of this world after this month.  It has been a long time since we have seen this type of weather.  In 1978, we had a blizzard where over 30 inches of snow fell, the Ohio River froze over, and I had a blizzard baby 9 months later (to the day)! Nothing like that this time though!

The natural disasters to hit the US this year have been catastrophic.  There was Hurricane Helene that devastated Florida but also caused so much flooding in the Southeast State of North Carolina that the town of Ashville was left in shambles.  This is a mountain town where you would never expect torrential flooding to occur.  The recovery has been slow, but it is ongoing. 

Los Angeles California is the home of many famous and affluent people.  The Palisades and Malibu are two cities you might have seen on TV shows or in movies.  They are on the Pacific coast and were extremely beautiful.  There is nothing left. The damage is unimaginable.  It is hard to understand how people will bounce back from this.

No matter where you live or are reading this, please keep these communities in your thoughts and prayers.  If possible, check out sources where you may make contributions to their recovery.

On a lighter note, The Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles will play each other in Super Bowl 59 on February 9 in New Orleans.  These two teams played each other in the 2023 Super Bowl and The Chiefs were the winners.  Grudge match in 2025?  We will see.

Make sure you check out the activities going on at the Virtual Brain Health Center.  Krystal and LeAnne always have a month full of activities, the book club, podcasts and guests who bring their expertise to share.  It is free and is worth checking out.  www.virtualbrainhealthcenter.com

I am available to book speaking engagements for The Boomer Brain and The Inside Workings of the Aging Brain.  All Boomers are feeling brain aging losses – tip-of-the-tongue, lost word, forgetting things and the slow down of processing. Request information and open dates through patricia@myboomerbrain.com.

“Pat has written a comprehensive quide to understanding and navigating the intricacies of cognitive aging. ‘The Boomer Brain’ is a beacon of hope for those seeking to enrich their later years.” Dr. Sarah McKay (Founder of The Neuroscience Academy)

Over the past few years, I have had a friend, Carol Meyer, who has been a part of My Boomer Brain.  Carol has her own publication, InFlow that is published quarterly.  It is amazing.  InFlow Magazine - Your Digital Dose of Inspiration is just that.  She has chosen some of my blogs to publish in InFlow and I am grateful.  She wants me to extend an invitation to look at InFlow for yourself.  Here is the link and access information:

 

https://inflowmagazine.gumroad.com/l/Issue11

Scroll to ‘Name a fair price’                                                                                           Enter ‘0’ in the ‘name a fair price’ field to get it for free

 

 

THANKS for being a part of My Boomer Brain! 

PDFLOGO.jpeg
bottom of page