Mindfulness

A workplace where mindfulness skills are used should experience higher overall levels of employee well-being and resilience. Based on research statistics, the common signs of high levels of stress in a workplace include:

• arguments and disputes between staff
• absenteeism
• an increase in grievances and complaints
• greater staff turnover

Mindfulness teaches how to take a step back and consider alternative perspectives rather than simply react to events; it helps us to flick the switch back to the smart parts of our brain to put us back in control of our emotions, enabling us to choose a more appropriate attitude and response.

Mindfulness Courses, workshops and presentations offer grounding in the theory and practice of mindfulness and are aimed at enabling participants to benefit by integrating mindfulness into their daily working life.

Participants can expect to learn how to work with challenging situations in a more creative, resourceful and skilful way. This is achieved through a combination of theoretical presentations, guided mindfulness practices, some discussion and a couple of homework assignments. On completion they should be able to:

• develop skills to respond to situations with greater understanding, openness and calm
• learn how to intentionally shift attention and focus their minds for periods of time
• have a more flexible approach to their own feelings, thoughts and behaviour
• take a step back from challenging situations in order to see the larger picture
• be familiar with a range of mindfulness practices for daily use to minimise stress
• understand the difference between nurturing and depleting activities and how to balance them
• develop a friendlier and more accepting attitude towards their own personal experiences

Our Mindfulness Taster Sessions are designed as an introduction to both the theory and practice of mindfulness. Taster sessions can help you discover whether mindfulness is something your organisation wants to explore further. They combine the theory of mindfulness with short mindfulness practices to experience how mindfulness actually feels, as well as offering a few take-home tips for applying mindfulness to your daily life.

Whether you want to introduce some simple mindfulness practices to your organisation, or are looking for in-depth mindfulness workplace training, TITB has the expertise and tools to deliver whatever you are looking for. Based on your requirements, we will work closely with you to find the best solution for your situation.

Transport for London (TfL) introduced its stress management course following an internal review in 2003, which revealed mental health to be one of the top two health issues affecting employees.

The company has seen improvements in relating to others and a reduction in absenteeism caused by stress, anxiety and depression since introducing the programme. Absenteeism caused by stress, anxiety and depression dropped by 71%; 84% of participants say they “are relating to others better”; 82% have increased the amount of exercise they do; 77% have improved their diet or tackled drinking and/or smoking problems; and 54% have improved their sleeping patterns.

Taken from: http://www.personneltoday.com/hr/mindfulness-helping-employees-to-deal-with-stress/

Further reading