Mindfulness training may seem like the newest trend in corporate coaching. Many leaders struggle to make the connection between mindfulness training and business success. In this week's podcast episode, I spoke with Cecilia Howard, Mindfulness-Meditation Instructor, and workshop leader. On the podcast, she debunks myths around mindfulness and explains the benefits of this practice.
The results of Mindfulness Meditation can range from increased motivation to reduced anxiety and stress within the organization. This blog will discuss the toll of stress and burnout in the workplace and share a few mindfulness practices that organizations can use to get started.
The actual cost of stress in the workplace:
Prolonged stress in the workplace is the contributing factor of job burnout - costing organizations hundreds of thousands to recruit, hire, and train employees—the cost of burnout impacts more than an organization's bottom line. So much so that the World Health Organization (WHO) has classified burnout as an occupational phenomenon. Mindfulness Training can provide an organization with proven tools and techniques to modify behavior and support individuals in coping with stress in ways that lead to greater productivity and overall ease.
Increased Attention To Detail
Attention to detail is a highly coveted skill in any organization. It ensures tasks are performed with diligence and efficiency. Unfortunately, when employees are under prolonged periods of stress, attention to detail is lost. Stress leads to a lack of clarity which negatively impacts decision-making.
The clarity needed for employees to perform their jobs cannot be overstated. No organization understands this better than the U.S. Army, which has been invested in researching the benefits of mindfulness training since as early as 2015. Soldiers who participated in a 2015 study conducted by Dr. Amishi Jha were given mindfulness training to manage stress for better performance. Dr. Amishi Jha explained how "stress depletes the basic mechanisms of attention." a critical skill for soldiers. Organizations can borrow a few tips from Dr. Jha's study to improve their employee's attention to detail by urging workers to simply take time to breathe during the day. Mindfulness practices such as deep breathing slow down the physical response to stress providing almost instant clarity.
Productivity
"There are times when you're just so overwhelmed by whatever it is that's happening, whether it's happening at home or happening at the workplace. There's this sense. I'm overwhelmed, and when you get overwhelmed, productivity goes down." says our expert and podcast guest Cecilia Howard.
Loss of productivity leads to loss of profits and our greatest resource - people. Leaders can increase productivity by encouraging habits that allow employees to recognize stress (there are several tips in this week's podcast episode) and use specific mindfulness tools that help to manage stress in difficult moments. Workplace habits can be as simple as encouraging employees to walk during their breaks to designating quiet rooms to decompress in. Mindfulness practices don't have to be overly complicated to be effective.
To determine if Mindfulness training is right for your organization, we suggest leaders attend a workshop or consult a Mindfulness expert. Shifting workplace culture starts with the decisions made by leaders. The best leaders model the behavior they want to see. Motivation, productivity, and greater attention to detail may be as simple as taking time to close your eyes and breathe.
Resources used for the blog post:
https://blog.generalmills.com/2013/01/mindful-leadership-debuts-at-world-economic-forum/
Improving Military Resilience through Mindfulness Training. https://lab.amishi.com/wp-content/uploads/U.S.-Army-Medical-Research-and-Materiel-Command-June-2015.pdf
https://chopra.com/articles/how-breathwork-benefits-the-mind-body-and-spirit
http://www.simplywellblog.org/2019/06/24/what-stress-does-to-the-body-and-how-mindfulness-can-help/
https://www.who.int/news/item/28-05-2019-burn-out-an-occupational-phenomenon-international-classification-of-diseases
