In an attempt to handle the overwhelming stress brought on by a demanding corporate culture that expects professionals to be reachable and connected 24/7, many have turned to mindfulness meditation as a means of coping. What was once a more obscure practice from a distant land, mindfulness meditation has now been firmly planted in the spotlight of mainstream media, backed by scientific research and celebrity figures from a variety of fields.
Many companies, both large and small, have introduced meditation programs for employees as one of several perks with the aim of helping their people excel in their roles. According to David Gelles, the author of the recently published book “Mindful at Work”,mindful employees have been shown to be less stressed, healthier, happier, and more productive. These claims, backed by a growing number of scientific research studies, have led to an increasing number of employers introducing mindfulness meditation to their teams. In his new book, Gelles demonstrates how mindfulness in the workplace leads to lower levels of stress and happier, more productive employees.
Gelles explained, in a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal, that there are actually financial benefits to incorporating mindfulness meditation into the workplace.
I think the real counterargument is that there are monetary gains [with mindfulness]. For example, when Aetna rolled out its big mindfulness program, after the first full year, they saw out-of-pocket healthcare costs go down. In other words, they found cost-savings to introducing these programs. It wasn’t a drag on the bottom line, it was a boost to it.
On a personal level Gelles talks, in his book, about how an escalation in his own work related stress and the emotional toll his wife’s miscarriage had on him led to enrolling in a Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction course.
There is no doubt that mindfulness meditation can have a significant impact on an individual level and it has now been shown to positively affect business organizations as a whole. If you’re looking for more concrete facts and examples from leading businesses, look no further than Gelles’ “Mindful at Work.”
Meditation instructor Alice Lash offers mindfulness meditation in Miami. Want to explore the options for introducing mindfulness meditation into your corporate benefit programs for employees? Contact Mindfultime today.
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