Colin Duff, Head of Business and Research at Breathworks (United Kingdom) talks about how mindfulness can help workplaces manage stress, increase employee attention, reduce absenteeism and create greater leadership.
What is mindfulness?
According to The Mental Health Foundation mindfulness is an integrative, mind-body based approach that helps people to manage their thoughts and feelings.
Mindfulness skills are developed through systematic mindful attention training exercises, which can be based around awareness of body, breathing, movement, or everyday activities such as walking, eating or driving.
Scouring the Web to learn new ways to instill better health habits? Trying to find the best health app to lose weight or reduce stress? Or maybe you’re posting on Twitter and Facebook to try to build a supportive community for your healthy goals.
While stress is a near universal theme in people’s lives, for some, high or chronic stress can take a major toll on the mind and body. To help individuals deal with stress more effectively and to help employers reduce the impact of stress on their business, Aetna has announced the availability of two new mind-body stress reduction workplace programs – Mindfulness at Work™ (mindfulness meditation) and Viniyoga Stress Reduction (therapeutic Viniyoga).
While aspects of the U.S. economy have improved, money continues to be a top cause of stress for Americans, according to a new survey released by the American Psychological Association (APA).
The beginning of every year ushers in a fresh start and inspires the idea of improvement. "I'm going to lose 10 pounds." "I'm going to save more money." We believe that we will accomplish every goal set on New Year's Day.
1. Forget perfection - Stop obsessing over doing it all. 2.Take a whiff of citrus - Researchers studying depression have found that certain citrus fragrances boost feelings of well-being and alleviate stress by upping levels of norepinephrine, a hormone that affects mood.
Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) professionals have to make many decisions on a daily basis. These decisions can involve risk assessment methods, preventive workplace measures, workers’ health surveillance or even rehabilitation or return-to-work practices.
Google, eBay, Intel and General Mills offer classes on it. So do Harvard Business School, Ross School of Business and Claremont Graduate University, among other campuses. Mindfulness is not just a corporate trend, but a proven method for success. Mindfulness – being focused and fully present in the here and now – is good for individuals and good for a business’s bottom line.
