According to the American Institute of Stress, 80% of workers feel stress. Nearly half say they need help in learning how to manage stress. And 42% say their co-workers need such help.
The feeling of stress is a serious epidemic. People are being asked to do more with less and work long hours with increasingly heavy workloads.
And with our smartphones constantly in our hands, there are more and more reasons not to be living in the present moment. Our lives are filled with distractions and this leads to fear, depression, anxiety and eventual burnout.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. Mindfulness is a wonderful tool to combat this, both gently and effectively.
Here are some great articles that dive deeper into how companies are implementing mindfulness programs.
Why Companies are Promoting Mindfulness at the Office, via Wall Street Journal
Mindfulness, Meditation, Wellness and Their Connection to Corporate America’s Bottom Line, via Huffington Post
How Mindfulness Has Changed the Way Americans Learn and Work, via Huffington Post
For this C.E.O., Mindful Management Means Yoga for Employees, via PBS
At Aetna, a C.E.O.’s Management by Mantra, via The New York Times
Here are the results reported by Aetna in the above New York Times article:
Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini offers his 50,000+ employees mindfulness training via yoga and meditation classes, that are both free and optional. Nearly 1/3 (13,000) of their employees who take advantage of the mindfulness classes have reported the following:
28% reduction in stress levels
20% improvement in sleep quality
19% reduction in pain.
In addition, employees also become more effective on the job, gaining an average of 62 minutes per week of productivity each, with Aetna estimates is worth $3,000 per employee per year.
Learning comes from practice. And practice can build a new habit that can change people’s lives.
