Mindfulness in the Workplace – the benefits

Mindfulness in the Workplace came about following the Mindful Initiative report by the UK Government.

Extract from The Mindfulness Initiative

In 2015 the Mindfulness All-Party Parliamentary Group (MAPPG) published the Mindful Nation UK (MNUK) report – the culmination of over a year of research and inquiry into the impacts of mindfulness training, including eight hearings in Parliament…  The report concludes that while there is still much research to be done, mindfulness is already a promising innovation in the workplace context with an early but rapidly evolving evidence base.

Studies by the National Institute of Health UK, the University of Massachusetts, and the Mind/Body Medical Institute at Harvard University, have found that practicing mindfulness at work:

• Reduces employee absenteeism and turnover.
• Improves cognitive functions (concentration, memory, and learning ability).
• Increases employee productivity.
• Enhances employer/employee and client relationships.
• Improves job satisfaction.

Evidence from employees who practice mindfulness include improved innovative thinking, better communication skills, and more appropriate reactions to stress.  They also say that they are better able to handle conflict at work and experience improved teamwork and team relations.

The document is primarily intended as a resource for those developing a business case for mindfulness training within their own organisation.  It provides an updated summary of the research evidence, narrative rationales addressing different organisational needs, case studies and a range of toolkits to help with programme planning, implementation and evaluation.