Office managers across the globe focus on creating workplaces free of unnecessary stress and anxiety for their employees. One effective strategy that’s making headlines and dominating workplace training seminars is implementing mindfulness activities into the day. Being mindful, or fully present and aware in the moment, creates a sense of calm and increased awareness.
Why is Mindfulness in the Workplace Important?
With deadlines, projects goals, and office tension weighing down employees each day, it’s important to give them the tools to relieve stress and release negative thoughts and worry. Hello, mindfulness activities!
Science Daily reported on research from Case Western Reserve University that indicates mindfulness in the workplace helps the staff:
- Improve focus and attention on tasks
- Manage stressful situations effectively
- Work productively with others in groups situations or during one-on-one interactions
- Be more empathetic and compassionate leaders
Would these benefits make a difference in your office culture?
4 Ways to Incorporate Mindfulness into the Workplace
Fostering a more present and focused staff doesn’t require sending each employee to a special training seminar. Instead, try a few of these activities and watch for a shift in workplace satisfaction and mood.
1. Offer lunch break yoga classes. Whether you invite a certified instructor to the boardroom or partner with a nearby studio, hosting free yoga classes will help your staff physically unwind and mentally reset their focus though controlled stretching, breathing exercises, and guided meditation.
Inquire about gentle yoga, chair yoga, or a yin practice to accommodate a range of physical abilities in the office. There are many modifications for those who worry about getting on a yoga mat. If you can close your eyes and breathe, you can do yoga!
2. Create a quiet room. Sometimes we just want to take our afternoon break in a serene area away from ringing phones and office conversations. This getaway room should have a no-cellphone policy and focus on relaxation.
A large fish task to admire, soothing music to encourage meditation, a small library of paperback books to read, a stack of colorful stationery for journaling, windows to look out at nature, and plush furniture that invites relaxing are great touches.
3. Declutter the office. Is it time to do a thorough purge and reorganization? Piles of paperwork, messy desks, and overstuffed offices create anxiety and agitation for some. So, clean up!
Donate unneeded office supplies to a local charity, create an archive for files that don’t need to be readily accessible, and encourage employees to take home the things they don’t use, like that broken bike stashed behind a desk.
4. Schedule weekly creative breaks. Channeling our inner, curious child can help us break up the clutter of stress and tasks that fill our minds. Once a week, plan activities that encourage employees to get cut loose.
Here are some creative ideas you and your employees could do together:
- Paint rocks as part of The Kindness Rocks Project
- Build gingerbread houses (then enjoy them with milk)
- Make homemade unicorn slime to squish for stress relief at desks
- Dress up with old Halloween costumes and taking silly photos
- Create vision boards with pictures and words cut out of magazines
- Completing a fiction writing prompt
Helping your staff shed the stress of the day through mindfulness opens them up to being more focused on their work tasks and satisfied with their job. If you need to stock up on colorful stationery for writing and drawing projects, browse the PaperDirect online store today.
