Many organizations already offer mindfulness training programs or meditation programs. In fact, over 20% of organizations currently offer mindfulness training programs, with many more expected to follow suit soon.
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But are meditation training programs truly valuable to employees and your organization, and should you implement them?
Unpacking the Benefits of Meditation
Meditation has been known to reduce stress, enhance relationships, build resiliency, boost the body’s immune system, improve memory and cognitive functioning, and more. It’s also been linked to better decision-making and to a person’s overall emotional intelligence.
So, in theory and according to research, meditation in the workplace should develop high-functioning learners and employees who are less anxious and more collaborative, who don’t call in sick that often, and who are highly satisfied, productive, and engaged at work.
Understanding the Drawbacks of Meditation in the Workplace
Although meditation has many benefits, it may not be very beneficial in the workplace. Additional research has revealed that meditation in the workplace doesn’t necessarily yield ideal results for employers. In fact, it can end up demotivating employees who are motivated by compensation and competition.
Meditation and mindfulness forces employees to be present in the moment, while many work tasks demand anticipation and excitement for the future for them to be carried out successfully. Many employees who become calmer and more serene, might cooperate more, for instance, but they will likely be less eager to innovate and tackle their tasks and projects.
Another study even revealed that bad moods can bring out employees’ more analytical and problem-solving natures, as opposed to calm meditative states. So, always striving to be calm, cool, and collected at work all the time could lead to fewer employees who have the ability to solve real problems on an average day.
Conclusion: Finding a Balance
Just because meditation doesn’t necessarily have a place inside every work environment every single day, doesn’t mean your employees can’t benefit from mindfulness training programs.
Have employees explore meditation and its many benefits in their personal lives or when they’re in the midst of stressful tasks or projects. And offer mindfulness training programs that will help them both inside and outside of the office.
Essentially, you’ll want to consider incorporating mindfulness training programs into your overall workplace wellness programs or offer yoga classes and meditation classes as a workplace perk.
But you might not want to encourage employees to take group meditation breaks or yoga classes in the middle of the day every day at work if you want them to remain motivated, engaged, innovative, and productive.