Traditionally the idea of work and wellness programs have been incompatible, with little or no connection with each other. However, things are changing now. With an ever-increasing emphasis on employee well-being and enhanced productivity, the idea of incorporating wellness at workplaces is becoming quite popular. Since employees with desk jobs typically spend around one-third of their lives at work, maintaining wellness at the workplace is now extremely important. And one of the wellness practices that is known for its incredible benefits is meditation.
Meditation, originally associated with spiritual benefits, is now known for its incredibly helpful benefits to physical and mental health. Meditation is a comprehensive wellness strategy that, when incorporated into the workday regularly, can produce tremendous results for individuals and organizations.
Yet, many individuals with desk jobs are unaware of the incredible benefits of meditation at work. And that's what we look at in this post. In what follows, we provide insight into some of the excellent benefits of meditation while you are at work. And if you're wondering how one can practice meditation at work, we also share a few tips on how you can get started with this wonderful wellness practice while you are at work.
So let's get started.
The Incredible Benefits of Meditation While You Are at Work
Today's happening workplace is a major source of stress for employees which has a significant negative impact on employees' productivity and motivation along with their physical and mental health. And that's why there is an ever-increasing need to introduce meditation programs at an organizational level because when you incorporate meditation into your daily routine, you can get the following benefits.
1. Improves Focus
Mindfulness practices such as meditation have been shown to improve an individual's attention by decreasing the impact of both internal and external distractions. According to research, meditation leads to changes in areas of the brain involved in working memory capacity and learning. Since working memory capacity is an integral aspect of the brain that helps you stay focused, meditation plays a significant role in helping you stay focused.
Improved focus can be a significant advantage, especially in high-stress work environments, as individuals who regularly practice meditation can stay at a task longer. Moreover, they also tend to manage their time better and generate more favorable outcomes, which are all by-products of improved focus while working.
2. Boosts Your Creativity
By regularly practicing meditation, the brain's areas related to problem-solving and creative thinking are activated, which helps enhance employees' creativity. Research suggests that certain meditation techniques help stimulate creative thinking, even if you don't practice meditation regularly.
When you can think better, and your brain's creative thinking and problem-solving centers are activated, your mind generates many new ideas which can help you come up with innovative solutions to problems at hand. By being a creative problem solver, you can stand out from the crowd and can also benefit your organization.
3. Better Decision Making
Since meditation improves focus and boosts your creativity and problem-solving, regular practice of this mindfulness technique will help you make better decisions at work and in life.
Good decision-making skills are a prerequisite for every job's success and a basic necessity for a happier life, and meditation helps you achieve that at your workplace and in life.
4. Fosters Mindful Leadership
Practicing meditation at work can improve your creativity and productivity as an individual; however, if you are in a leadership position, practicing meditation allows you to foster mindful leadership. By practicing meditation at the workplace, you can be more aware of your surroundings, including employees who work for your team. And when you are better equipped with your team members' feelings about work and life, you can better cater to their needs to enhance their productivity and morale.
Hence, if you are in a leadership position, regularly practicing meditation can help you become a better leader who has improved self-awareness and emotional intelligence and enhanced decision-making and problem-solving skills.
5. Enhances Your Mood
Individuals who regularly practice mindfulness techniques like meditation can experience an overall beneficial impact on their mood. Studies also suggest that meditation practices can even play an integral role in managing a wide range of mental health conditions, such as anxiety and depression.
By regularly practicing meditation, you can enhance your mood, and when you do so while you are at work, you carry positivity to your workplace that also contributes to enhancing employee satisfaction at work.
6. Aids in Reducing Workplace Stress
Stress remains an inevitable reality of human life that also serves an essential purpose. Stress helps us react in times of uncertainty which has remained an integral part of human survival. Typically, following a period of high stress, the body should relax, and that's how stress can serve a healthy purpose.
However, persistent stress can severely affect the quality of life. Moreover, stress related to specific areas of life, such as relationships and work, can lead to several physical and mental health concerns, including musculoskeletal disorders, including anxiety and depression.
Meditation serves as an effective way to manage and combat stress in all areas of life, including workplace stress. When employees regularly practice meditation at work, it helps them reduce unwanted stress that distracts them and hampers their productivity. Hence, with regular meditation, employees feel more in control of their lives while experiencing a boost in focus and productivity.
7. Helps Establish Better Workplace Relationships
When each individual at the workplace is involved in meditation and experiences all the benefits of practicing mindfulness techniques, it will help build a culture of collaboration which will eventually help establish better workplace relationships.
By practicing meditation individually and collectively, your organization can promote the spirit of teamwork by developing a sense of unity among employees, which contributes to improved work relationships.
8. Uplift Your Immune System
While most individuals are aware of the specific benefits of meditation, such as improved focus and productivity, one of the lesser-known benefits of meditation is its positive impact on the body's immune system. Since meditation enhances the function of certain areas of the brain and helps you manage stress more constructively, it helps you stay healthy by boosting your immune system. With a healthy immune system, you can enjoy better health and enhanced protection against infections and illnesses.
Tips for Employees to Get Started With Meditation at Workplace
Most individuals believe that you need a certain setting to practice meditation. However, that's not always the case. You don't require any special equipment or a certain set of instructions if you want to practice meditation at work. However, a few practical tips can help you get started with meditation while you are at work.
Choose an Appropriate Time
If you have a 9-5 desk job and want to practice meditation while at work, it's essential that you choose a particular time of the day when you can meditate regularly. Here it is important to remember that you should choose a time when you can meditate on most days of the week. If your first half is relatively slow, you can choose a slot from early morning, but if your job is such that your workload is lower during the second half, then you can opt for a specific time following lunch hour.
But that said, you should know that morning is the best time for meditation as it helps you prepare for all the tasks you have to deal with throughout the day.
Opt for a Comfortable Position
While working, you may not have the flexibility to choose a specific location for meditation. However, you can always opt for a comfortable sitting position. When you have comfortable sitting offered by FlexiSpot ergonomic office chairs, you won't have any problem practicing meditation at your desk.
However, while meditating, you will still have to practice specific ways and techniques that can allow you to meditate effectively. Some of the steps that can help you get started with meditation while you are at work include;
Closing your eyes,
Practicing deep breathing with a focus on each breath that you inhale through your nose,
Practicing mindfulness as you exhale the breath through your mouth,
Repeat deep and focused breathing 10-20 times while directing your focus on breathing only and not on anything else,
Gradually open your eyes.
You are now ready to resume your work.
If you are wondering how often you should practice meditation while working on getting the most benefits, know that you try this out two to three times every day during your workday.
Final Words
Given that there are several incredible benefits of meditation while you are at work, there's no reason why you should practice it. Practicing meditation while you are at work can help you be more focused and productive. Moreover, it also helps you cope with stress better and improve workplace relationships while boosting your immunity. So why not give it a try?
