Meditation at Work

Meditation at work has been proven to lower stress levels and meditation at work has also been proven to increase productivity and harmony in the work force.

Over the past ten years, a new form of business has been welcomed by the corporate world, meditation companies that specialize in delivering meditation at work practices are now in great demand. Research has shown that with only 10 to 15 minutes of meditation each day, employees can be much more productive and promote much safer workplaces.
Many large corporations are now employing these meditation companies to come into the workplace and conduct classes focusing on a non spiritual or religious approach of meditation in an effort to lower stress levels and boost productivity and it has been shown that less mistakes are made after meditation sessions.  Apart from the obvious stress relief, it has also been noted that when people are relaxed there is less likelihood of injury and accidents. The number of sick days taken by staff also fell dramatically with the benefits of meditation such as the lowering of blood pressure, the strengthening of the immune system and general feelings of well being increasing more and more with regular sessions.

There are many triggers to stress in the work place including meeting deadlines, dealing with customers and also colleagues, overtime issues as well as the many changes faced in the workplace today, such as cutbacks, job sharing, etc. From upper management down to even casual staff, all benefit from meditation at work and over a period of time, these benefits will increase significantly. Staff reported that they are less anxious about promotions and other managerial issues and feel they can relate better to colleagues and feel more confident in themselves. Much of this also spills over into home life as those who practice meditation show a greater capacity to deal with stress.
Meditation at work can be presented by companies that specialize in teaching meditation in the workplace, although sometimes trainers from training and motivational companies will be employed by management to run these sessions. In some instances, one on one meditation training can be beneficial initially, yet this is not always time or cost effective. Group sessions are much more common and are generally accepted well. Staff are instructed in breathing techniques that are useful to the entire body, teaching the group how to focus on a single thought or icon and tune out to thoughts and problems, which increases relaxation and has a positive effect on both mind and body. Some companies are actually building or at least converting a room into a meditation room where these classes are held, away from the noise of the rest of the workplace and free of distractions such as phones, mobile and computers.

There is no doubt that the more technology advances the more people will come under increasing levels of stress and meditation at work will in fact become as much a part of our working life as the old “smoko” which it is fast replacing. The benefits of meditation are becoming more and more popular and beneficial in the workplace.

By Roy Powell