Many workplaces aim for cultures that support mental health, but it can be difficult to identify effective techniques. Mindfulness practices offer a unique option. They can be done almost anywhere, at anytime. And even very short practices (~10 minutes) support positive mental health changes.
The research reveals that with practice, stress management skills can be significantly improved. This skill acquisition is important because in the last two decades, surveys confirm high stress in US workers. Given the strength of the evidence, more employers are now beginning to offer mindfulness training.
Teamwork is integral to success, but stress can makes us more hostile and less cooperative. Mindfulness training promotes positive social interactions. This is especially important for work environments that rely on effective communication. In addition to better teamwork, studies show that mindfulness better prepares workers to serve their customers.
Mindful practices offer a chance to reign-in scattered attention and find a calm state of mind. This translates to calmer interactions and can benefit communication in the workplace. When team leaders embrace mindfulness at work, it can enhance the quality of their relationships with employees. And studies on workplaces that introduced mindfulness practices to employees have shown that they can “directly increase work engagement … and indirectly improve job performance.“
One of the growing concerns among employers is the amount of time teams spend off-task. Some of this may be social networking, but much of it is productivity lost due to distractions and lack of engagement. Studies on this idea show that mindfulness helps employees to learn self-regulation techniques that help them keep their teams on-track for better workplace productivity.
The tendency for more positive social interactions after mindfulness training can help employees in their own interpersonal relationships. Employee work-life balance can be enhanced by just three weeks of online mindfulness training. This is reflected by greater job satisfaction and lower work–family conflict.
Employees with advanced mindfulness skills may have less difficulty achieving personal and professional goals. The main reason for this is because mindfulness reduces distractibility and mind-wandering. Mindfulness practices help us gain awareness of our thought patterns. By repeatedly directing attention to the present moment, mindfulness strengthens the habit of regaining focus.
Focus improves with repeated mindfulness sessions. For instance, almost thirty randomized trials have found mindfulness interventions enhance our ability to pay attention. This is a dose-response effect, meaning that with more mindfulness sessions, ability to remain on-task continues to improve.
Demanding jobs create high perceptions of stress among employees. Workplaces that incorporate mindfulness training improve employee resilience. Many studies support this idea. For example, two months of regular mindfulness practice can significantly improve quality of life and self-compassion. And in another study, six weeks of mindfulness practices is sufficient to reduce employee perceptions of stress.
Stress matters at work. Offering mindfulness training as an option can address employee burnout because according to the World Health Organization, burnout is the direct result of mismanaged workplace stress.
Studies show that for those who feel a lack of control at work, mindfulness practices “can reduce work stress, anxiety, depression, and other negative emotions.” The employee experience truly benefits from the stress-coping skills available through an awareness practice.
Providing a variety of options can help to satisfy diverse employee needs and desires. Even though there are many ways to be mindful, these practices share the ability to heighten awareness of the inner experience. Attention is guided toward an anchoring idea, mantra, movement sequence, or the breath.
1. Paced Breathing: Slow breath work techniques can enhance relaxation and focus.
Breath work also offers advantages to managing one’s emotions. Treo offers many of these guided practices based on common themes. For example, some of our most popular on-demand breath work videos address gratitude, self-forgiveness, coping with stress, and healing a heavy heart.
2. Mindfulness Meditation: Increase present moment awareness while minimizing the tendency toward self-judgment.
Although some individuals prefer silent sessions, many find that guidance is really helpful, especially in the beginning. Guidance can help to draw attention to anchors, such as focusing on a word, idea or the flow of your breath. Treo offers mindfulness options led by health coach and personal trainer Vanessa Teff and world-class mediation guides from Healthy Minds. Some of our most popular titles include Body Scan, Gratitude for Better Sleep, Family Stress, and Mindful Exercise audio tracks.
3. Yoga, Qigong and Tai Chi: Ancient practices enhance the mind-body connection by coordinating physical movements with each inhale and exhale. These classes offer a high level of variety and can range in exercise intensity. During the session, mindful encouragement helps to keep the focus on the present moment and the sensations of the body. Treo offers on-demand yoga sessions as well as Workouts of the Week in that category. Yoga classes are available in short and long format and three levels of challenge to accommodate all endurance and fitness levels.
As Treo’s Global Wellness Researcher, Karlie uses recent research findings to support healthier daily habits. Karlie earned her doctorate in Neuroscience and Behavior and bachelors in Health and Exercise Science.
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