Significant stress is not \u201cjust part of the job,\u201d either. The same studies show that these conditions lead to problems at home, losing tempers at work, and unplanned time off, along with an overall decline of work quality. The reverse is also true \u2013 an Oxford study from 2019 reported that <\/span>happy workers were 13% more productive for their organizations<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n There\u2019s also good news: Stress levels in North America have been decreasing in recent years, and HR can play an important role in encouraging less stress in the workplace. That brings us to mindfulness, and how \u2013 with a little workplace encouragement \u2013 the practice can help employees manage day-to-day stress. Here\u2019s how it works.<\/span><\/p>\n The word \u201cmindfulness\u201d may sound like something from a meditation class or Buddhist study. While that\u2019s where the word originated, it has a much broader application for employees and their organizations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Let\u2019s <\/span>turn to Berkeley University<\/span><\/a> for a concise definition: \u201cMindfulness means maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment, through a gentle, nurturing lens.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n That may sound like something you would hear in a meditation class, and it\u2019s no surprise that mindfulness techniques are also used to decrease stress. But employees don\u2019t need a quiet room or a lotus position to do it \u2013 practical mindfulness programs have been used in businesses since the 1970s.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Key parts of mindfulness include:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n When introducing mindfulness to employees, especially in fast-paced environments, they may push back on the idea with opinions like, \u201cMy job requires multitasking, I don\u2019t have time for this,\u201d or, \u201cI actually thrive with a little bit of stress and chaos when I\u2019m working.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n However, workplace stress is not a positive development. As Dan Harris, author of the meditation guide <\/span>10 Percent Happier<\/span><\/i>, <\/span>told the New York Times<\/span><\/a>, \u201cMultitasking is a pernicious myth that is preventing us from getting our work done.\u201d When humans try to multitask, they tend to lose track of the details and make more mistakes, or become frequently distracted and struggle to meet their own goals.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Additionally, as we noted above, stress has a direct, measurable impact on employee performance, and it\u2019s <\/span>not positive<\/span><\/a> (positive stress is associated with things like planning a vacation, not work). Stressed employees have lower productivity, more health issues, and a much higher risk of absence, even <\/span>absences related to accidents and illness<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Stress is also correlated with lack of sleep and trouble with personal relationships, which can negatively affect work-life balance and lead to workplace issues as well. It\u2019s also a mistake to assume stress only affects employees in high-pressure, decision-making roles: Every kind of employee can experience stress, from office workers to those in manual labor.<\/span><\/p>\n Finally, from a leadership perspective, focusing on ways to deal with workplace stress can also help companies improve workloads, spot problems in workflow, and address employee concerns.<\/span><\/p>\n Decision-making capabilities improve<\/b>. Mindfulness techniques work very well at eliminating distractions and focusing on what\u2019s important. That helps employees avoid making bad decisions out of fear, anger, or tunnel vision on the wrong factors.<\/span><\/p>\n Employees can reduce their anxiety<\/b>. The calming effects of mindfulness are excellent at dropping anxiety levels. This can help employees provide better customer service and avoid making mistakes during their jobs, from getting orders wrong to getting into accidents. It also helps relieve some of the unhealthy consequences of stress.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n It allows employees to take important breaks from their work<\/b>. Even a few minutes of mindfulness practices can help employees return to their tasks with renewed focus, determination, and peace of mind. These small breaks can be very helpful for employee satisfaction \u2013 and if employees don\u2019t feel comfortable taking breaks like this, mindfulness practices can be easily incorporated into mandatory break times.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Mindfulness helps employees identify unconscious bias and similar problems<\/b>. It can be difficult for employees to uncover their own unconscious biases and other ways that they may be making the wrong assumptions or poor interpretations. This makes mindfulness training an effective add-on for training on diversity and inclusion, among other initiatives.<\/span><\/p>\n Employees learn new techniques for avoiding workplace arguments<\/b>. Workplace tension and arguments often stem from underlying stress, a buildup of anger, or serious miscommunications. Mindfulness can help employees to take a step back, review their own emotions, and avoid escalation that can lead to workplace fights and related problems that can create toxic work environments.<\/span><\/p>\n Mindfulness can improve energy levels.<\/b> A <\/span>study of a mindfulness program at the Dow Chemical company<\/span><\/a> revealed employees who participated reported more vigor and resilience in their jobs. These techniques can give employees more energy, help them pay attention for longer periods, and reduce fatigue, especially when it comes to repetitive tasks.<\/span><\/p>\n Leaders benefit from practicing mindfulness<\/b>. A leader\u2019s stress levels have a direct impact on how productive their employees are. <\/span>As Berkeley\u2019s Greater Good guide reports<\/span><\/a>, studies have shown that when supervisors practice mindfulness, their employee\u2019s emotional exhaustion decreases as well.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Not only that, but their work-life balance appeared to improve and they received better overall job performance ratings. This suggests that mindfulness has a significant impact on how supervisors treat employees and help them with their responsibilities.<\/span><\/p>\n Mindfulness and stress-reducing techniques can improve recruitment<\/b>. When companies prioritize stress-reducing activities, outside talent sees this as a sign that the business cares about its employees and that jobs are less likely to be taxing on their health. That can help improve talent pools and recruitment results.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Let’s take a look at some ways to ensure a successful shift to a more mindful way of thinking.<\/p>\n Mindfulness techniques are often new to busy workplaces. KnowledgeCity\u2019s easy-to-access training videos are a great place for HR experts to start.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n You can use these videos to learn more about applying the techniques to the workplace, or showing them as a direct guide for employees. Think about beginning with a video lesson like <\/span>Key Foundations of Mindfulness<\/span><\/a>, or the applications you can find in <\/span>Mindfulness in Daily Life<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" How Practicing Mindfulness in the Workplace Can Ease Stress and Improve Productivity Did you know that half of the workers in North America reported feeling significant…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":15626,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[4001,4003,4000],"tags":[1339,146,2287,1333,1589,1963,3798,1285,1863,3389],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"Relaxed](\"https:\/\/www.knowledgecity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/old-woman-1000x667pix.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nWhat is Mindfulness?<\/b><\/h3>\n
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Why is Mindfulness Important?<\/b><\/h3>\n
Benefits of Mindfulness at Work<\/b><\/h3>\n
Getting Started with Mindfulness<\/b><\/h3>\n
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Conclusion<\/b><\/h3>\n