A Closer Look at The Benefits of Workplace Meditation

Corporations have been exploring the effectiveness of Mindfulness and want to know what the benefits of Meditation in the workplace are. Do Meditation & Mindfulness programs have any value to them? Corporations have watched as companies including Apple, Google, Nike and so many more have hopped on the corporate Meditation bandwagon. What do the corporations that have initiated these programs know and why should other organizations take notice? Or is this just a current trend that is ultimately destined to run its course? There is factual evidence of the benefits of Meditation and Mindfulness programs within corporations. This article will help HR managers understand the value of these programs.

Before looking at the benefits of Meditation in the workplace, let’s look at some of the claims and complete falsehoods being reported about Meditation and its value in the corporate world.

Falsehood: Only the largest corporations have Meditation/Mindfulness programs.
Reality: Companies as small as 10-person organizations have Meditation/Mindfulness programs in place and the number of small to medium size corporations starting Meditation and Mindfulness programs increases each week.

Falsehood: Only the largest corporations can afford Meditation programs.
Reality: There are very qualified organizations and teachers offering Meditation to small businesses at rates that are well within their budgets. Once a company factors in how a Meditation program saves the corporation money, they find that it is an excellent investment.

Falsehood: Corporate Meditation programs start at $1,000+ per class.
Reality: Most organizations/teachers offering corporate Meditation classes charge between $200 and $500 per class. The fee is based upon the number of people and the size of the class.

Falsehood: There is no scientific way to measure the effectiveness of a Meditation or Mindfulness program.
Reality: There are well documented studies showing the impact of Meditation programs on employees. These are programs that have been run for 3-6 months with surveys that have asked employees to document their experiences. These surveys have shown measurable changes that prove that Meditation programs are effective in corporations. These results include a reduction in absenteeism, reduction in tardiness, a more positive feeling about work, increases in productivity, and so much more.

How do you measure the benefits of Meditation in the workplace?

• Employee absenteeism and tardiness is dramatically reduced:
  As employees participate in a Meditation program, they wake up in the morning feeling more positive and look forward to going to work.
• Employees demonstrate less stress:
  A study at Harvard University indicates that people that utilize mindfulness skills feel less stress and think clearer. Employees with greater focus are more productive.

• A decrease in turnover and burnout:
  Mindfulness can lower the incidence of burnout and turnover at work.
• A newfound (or rekindled) passion for work:
  Meditation reconnects people with their jobs. People begin to once again (or for the first time) love what they do and want to find ways to contribute.

• Productivity increases:
  One of the most reported benefits by employees is an increase in productivity. Employees find that after Meditation classes, they regain the focus that they start the day with and all the distractions fade away. This allows them to focus very precisely on specific tasks thereby allowing them to direct their full attention on these tasks and get more accomplished.

• Creativity returns and grows:
  One of the other most reported benefits by employees is calmness and clarity after Meditation classes. Employees find that they think more clearly and creatively and can tap into areas of their brains that are dormant as the day wears on.

• Managers become better leaders:
  Meditation helps managers to better connect with people because they start looking upon and treating their staff as an extended family. They take a more active interest in their staff which brings about a greater sense of belonging in the staff. This connectedness brings happiness and more productivity to staff members.

• Troubleshooting:
  In addition to creativity, Meditation will allow troubleshooters to look at situations that are extremely challenging and enable them to see not just one, but several possibilities and solutions.

• Positive atmosphere, workforce, workplace:
  Meditation will bring a very positive atmosphere to the workforce. I have directly experienced how Meditation can take a very negative environment and turn this completely around. Employees start to become much happier. They take an active interest in and enjoy working with other employees in a group setting.

The Problem with Meditation Outside the Workplace

People try to attend Meditation classes when they get home from work and/or on the weekends. The problem is that for the average person, attending Meditation classes after work and/or on the weekend is not sustainable. The average person comes home from work very late. He/she has too much to do when they get home and is too tired to go to a Meditation Center to meditate. On the weekends, most people have their chores and they want some downtime. Given the choice of doing chores and having some downtime or meditating is a no-win situation. Most will choose to take care of their chores and have some downtime.

How Can a Corporation Determine the Effectiveness of a Meditation Program?

A corporation can start with a 3-month (once a week class) Meditation program. At the end of the 3 months, they can look for specific markers that will indicate to HR people whether the program is yielding any beneficial results. These results can be extracted from surveys as well as empirical evidence. These markers are:

• Increase in productivity
• Increase in creativity and/or problem-solving
• Increase in job satisfaction
• Reduction in absenteeism
• Reduction in tardiness

Corporations have an opportunity to not simply give a “perk” to employees but initiate a progressive solution that will keep their employees happy, healthy and productive. Just as an investment in technology can dramatically improve a company’s productivity, an organization can see the benefits of meditation in the workplace Meditation via the money saved, an increase profits, and the creation of a superior environment for people to work. Where do you start? Book a Corporate Mindfulness Meditation class and experience Meditation taught online via Zoom or in your office.