In highly demanding and ever-changing work environments, employees have to go through new challenges and deal with workplace stress every day. Workplace meditation is a helpful approach to reset your mind, enhance your performance, increase your productivity, and deal with work-related stress. According to Harvard Medical School researchers, meditation programs can help employees cause alterations in brain areas involved in learning and working memory ability.
A study conducted at Stanford University School of Medicine found that people who practice mindfulness meditation have less stress-related symptoms and a greater sense of control over their life. Mindfulness meditation helps to reduce stress symptoms by 30 percent in those suffering from a serious disease. Mindfulness meditation at work can help with problem-solving and innovative solutions while also promoting creative thinking. During a typical 9-to-5 workday, 5 minutes of deep breathing, reflection, and emotional release can help reduce stress, promote happiness, and boost productivity. Meditation helps people around the world to take some time out of their day to engage in a millennia-old tradition and clear their minds, find a moment of calm, and be kind to their minds in the midst of the day’s storm.
Why is Meditating at Work a Good Idea?
The relentless digital overload with 24-hour connectivity is resulting in more stress and pressure than ever before. As a result, we are facing all sorts of short and long-term health consequences, like anxiety, low immunity, headaches, poor sleep, and high blood pressure. Meditation can act as a life-saver for our busy lifestyles, allowing both the mind and the body to recharge and relax.
Whether you’re working at the office or working from home, the overall health benefits of meditation are countless. According to a recent report by Meditation Works, businesses save $4.58 for every $1 spent on wellbeing, particularly for those who meditate at work. Researchers have also discovered that meditating for 15 minutes a day can minimise tension by 40 percent. The other advantages include decreased staff absenteeism, enhanced cognitive skills, and increased efficiency.
The practice of mindfulness is gaining traction among leading companies such as Google and Apple, where they encourage their employees to meditate at work to combat workplace stress. In the midst of the pandemic, employee wellness has become a big concern among various businesses. Employers recognise that in order to survive in today’s competitive work environment, they must ensure the health and safety of their employees. Here are some tips to assist employees to enhance their physical, emotional, and mental health. After all, improved staff health is critical for boosting productivity and promoting a healthy work culture.
4 Reasons Why you Should Meditate at Work Daily
1. Increased productivity and focus
Daily meditation at work can help you perform better! Meditation helps in boosting your concentration and attention, as well as your ability to multitask.
2. Higher job satisfaction
Meditation helps in building better relationships with co-workers, lowers stress, and increases emotional balance and positivity. You’ll feel more optimistic and confident which leads to enhanced engagement and job satisfaction.
3. Less stress
Meditating is a simple way to relieve stress and anxiety in the workplace. A 10-minute meditation break results in a 22% reduction in mind-wandering, helping employees who meditate at work to clear their minds and be more relaxed.
4. Better teamwork and communication with colleagues
Employee health and wellbeing rely heavily on social collaboration and relationships. Practicing meditation as a group is a simple way to encourage social interaction and build a sense of unity.
Meditation Exercises for Work
Here are four meditation exercises you can do at work to incorporate mindful moments into your day and perform at your best.
1. Breathe awareness meditation
Posture
- Find a comfortable position on a chair, bench, or floor cushion
- Sit with your back straight
Breathing
- Pay attention to the normal sensations of the breath and where you feel it in the body
- Don’t keep your breath under control. It makes no difference whether it is short and shallow or long and wide
Pay close attention
- Follow the breath through complete cycles, from the start of inhalation to the end of an exhalation, and then start on to the next cycle
2. Fingertip meditation
- Simply sit or stand erect, elongating the spine, and begin to observe your breath
- Touch each fingertip to the thumb on the same hand
- Repeat the phrase ‘Peace Begins With Me,’ while touching each fingertip
- If you like, you can come up with another four-word phrase that can help you soothe
3. Progressive muscle relaxation
- Sit back or lie down in a relaxed position. Shut your eyes if you are comfortable
- Take a few minutes to take long, deep breaths in and out
- Shift your focus and pay close attention to your whole body, from head to toe
- Be mindful of any sensations, impulses, or thoughts that are connected with each part of your body
4. Walking meditation
- Locate a peaceful area and start walking slowly
- Focus on the sensations of standing and the little movements that keep you steady when you walk
- Turn around and walk again as you reach the endpoint, paying close attention to the sensations
The workplace is often seen as a source of intense stress, anxiety, and burnout, which takes a toll on employees’ mental health and wellbeing. On the other hand, your workplace can also be an ideal place for practicing mindfulness and meditation. As, meditating at work can help employees focus, be compassionate, have more energy, and be more productive.
