Cultivating Workplace Engagement
Mindfulness – The ‘Heart of Engagement.’
There is now scenitific evidence to show that mindfulness meditation can improve mental and physical health. Evidence has also shown that the use of mindfulness within the workplace can improve sickness and productivity. As a result, the Mental Health Foundation has called for mindfulness to be offered more widely.
Current statistics point to an alarming trend in workplace stress, for example in 2006/7, absenteeism accounted for 13.8 million days lost due to mental illness including stress, anxiety and depression. However, since 2006/7 absenteeism has been steadily reducing, giving rise to what has become known as ‘presenteeism’ (McLeod, 2009). Presenteeism has been defined as ‘the act of attending work while sick’ and has been cited as one of the main factors in reducing company growth and effectiveness due to an un-well, stressed workforce. Presenteeism is prevalent within both private and public sectors of business, in particular the ‘caring profession’ is experiencing some of the highest levels of staff ‘burnout’ due to stress and stress related illnesses. Presenteeism results in ‘disengagement’ from the task at hand, from family, from friends and gererally from life. Resulting in the breakdown of personal relationships, unable to manage change effectively, loss of creativity and restricted growth (DWP, 2007).
Research undertaken by Gallup (2006) clearly points to the negative effects of disengagement. Fifty-four per cent of the actively disengaged expressed that work stress caused them to behave poorly with friends or family members in the previous three months, against 17 per cent of the engaged. More alarmingly, 54 per cent of the actively disengaged say their work lives are having a negative effect on their physical and psychological health, versus 12 per cent of the engaged.
Studies in this area have shown that individuals maximise their psychological well- being when they are engaged in meaningful work, meaning relationship, having a zest for living, which provide positive emotional experiences. Engagement has also shown to correlate with performance, innovation, creativity and a sense of life satisfation.
Some of UK’s biggest employers such as Barclays, Deloitte, Marks & Spencer and Veolia have joined forces with the mental health charity MIND, in an attempt to address mental health in the workplace. Mental distress such as anxiety, stress and depression within the workplace is soaring, but people are not addresing it in the most skillful, either denying they are in difficulty or either self medication through drug or alcohol. The state of mental health within the UK is costing both private and public sectors of business, an estimated £26 billion a year. Despite this, mental health is still not given the same priority as physical health (BACP, 2011).
It is now time to act on cultivating mental wellbeing within the workplace (www.hse.gov.uk/stress). There is a growing body of evidence to suggest that companies who invest in wellbeing programmes enjoy financial benefits, including reduced sickness absence, improved productivity, and reduced staff turnover. In addition to this employees who actively participate in wellbeing programmes offered in the workplace have reported feeling more ‘engaged’ in their work, significantly impacting on creativity, performance, happiness and work life balance.
Training staff in the 'methods' of mindfulness meditation could significantly improve their mental health and overall wellbeing. McLoed (2007) has suggested that the business sector should take a lead in alleviating stress in the workplace by providing an environment which is supported by management. An environment which enables people to relax and return to an equilibrium. Mindfulness meditation is the answer, although not specifically undertaken to induce a relaxtion response, mental relaxtion is one of many outcomes including; heightened mind body awareness, resulting in clarity and focuss of the mind, increased emotional processing, empathy towards others.
Mindflow offers a range of Mindfulness Meditation Programmes:
Cultivating Workplace Engagement
Lunchtime Mindfulness Meditation Sessions
One 2 One Mindfulness
Mindfulness Counselling
Please contact Geraldine for further details.
