How Vedic Meditation Can Reduce Workplace Stress
“I’m stressed. I quit.”
That’s what nearly 70% of the workforce is thinking to themselves, according to the 1,000 US workers Gallup interviewed for their State of the Global Workplace 2023 Report.
Here are their key findings:
- 52% of US workers in their survey experience A LOT of daily stress.
- 57% of US women feel the burden of stress, compared to 48% of men feeling daily stress.
- Managers feel more stress than their employees by a delta of 5 points.
- 69% of employees are in their era of “quiet quitting” or “loud quitting” – aka phoning it in.
- About 1/3 of global employees who feel they are “thriving” at work – the cream of the crop – still feel affected by daily stress.
My work is dedicated to workplace stress reduction – teaching Vedic Meditation to stressed professionals so they have better tools in life to eliminate exhaustion and overwhelm, and these findings amazed me. These survey numbers are BIG!
In the years following the peak of the pandemic, workplace stress is an issue that is being taken more and more seriously by employees and corporations alike.
Corporate wellness is a significant line item in every annual budget, with yoga and meditation programs becoming available within corporations big and small.
Effects of Workplace Stress and Burnout
A recent study featured in Fast Company confirmed that nearly 90% of employees interviewed stated that their work life was getting worse.
Here are some additional stats:
- 85% said their well-being had declined.
- 56% said their job demands had increased.
- 62% of the people who were struggling to manage their workloads had experienced burnout “often” or “extremely often” in the previous three months.
- 25% felt unable to maintain a strong connection with family, 39% with colleagues, and 50% with friends.
- Only 21% rated their well-being as “good,” and a mere 2% rated it as “excellent.”
A Gallup poll responder further stated:
“By the time I’m done with work, I’m so exhausted that some days I don’t have the energy to hold a conversation. So, over time, I’ve had family [and] friends accuse me of not being socially receptive when they try to reach out.”
With many pressures and professional demands, it’s no wonder that the residue of fatigue infiltrates our personal hours outside of work in such a dramatic way.
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ATTEND A FREE INTRO TALKEffects of Workplace Stress for Employers
Stressed individuals make for a stressed collective. This is true in a work environment, where the collective stress of a team or group can decrease workplace productivity dramatically.
According to a recent study, companies spend around 75% of a worker’s annual salary to cover lost productivity or replace workers. When workers are tired and overwhelmed, the negative ripple effects cascade through the company, with financial consequences.
In addition to reducing productivity, workplace stress results in a reduction in morale and enthusiasm for the job. The Gallup poll’s finding demonstrates that there is a direct correlation between one’s stress levels and their engagement at work. With less engagement, companies lose the very important aspect of communication and the collective mission to continue to carry the team forward.
In another study, the cost to replace a single worker can be 1.5 to2x the annual salary of the employee. With increases in turnover of which 49% is attributed to burnout and lack of healthy work-life boundaries, it’s important for organizations to take proactive steps in addressing these issues like implementing workplace meditation techniques.
Without a plan for workplace stress reduction, corporations will continue to lose $1 trillion in lost workplace productivity and permanent departures because of corporate burnout.
Stress: Born of the Work or Exacerbated By It?
A common question asked when looking to provide solutions to the issue of employee stress and burnout is – is it the workplace causing the stress, or are other personal and home factors contributing to it?
While the studies mentioned in this article don’t get into the details about the source of stress, we do know one thing – working long hours can cause fatigue and exhaustion that is hard to overcome.
While remote work has afforded many benefits to employees, in a recent study conducted by Oracle, 41% of employees polled stated that there was a longer distinction between personal and professional life, and that boundaries of acceptable work time versus time off were blurred more than ever. Productivity continues to climb, and the demand on workers is stronger than ever.
The gain in productivity, however, came at a cost. In a previous CDC report, feelings of anxiety and depression have experienced sharp increases among the working-age group since the beginning of the pandemic and continue to climb.
This high-paced, non-stop dynamic for an employee creates a high risk for stress to build up, whether it originates at the workplace or at home.
“No employer has the right to get workers fresh in the morning and send them home tired at night. Give them 15-20 minutes of meditation and send them home fresh in the evening.”
– Maharishi Mahesh YogiCorporate Wellness Is on the Rise
Wellness programs in corporate America have improved leaps and bounds over the last two decades, and In the early 2000s, an employee would be lucky to receive a discount to the local gym as a company benefit. Now, one can generally find more wellness options available, and companies are also heavily invested in the mental well-being of their employees.
Leaning into wellness as a tool for employee retention and workplace stress reduction is the topic du jour. 80% of all businesses that employ over 50 people now offer a corporate wellness program such as workplace meditation.
It’s a smart move on the corporations’ part – Sixty-seven percent of employees who have access to wellness programs like their jobs more, and they are more likely to recommend their firm to others for employment opportunities.
Workplace Stress Reduction Through Corporate Meditation Classes
One of the most popular forms of wellness offered are corporate meditation programs.
Meditation at work has significant benefits for both the employer as well as the employee. Studies have shown that meditation helps every team member, from the entry-level intern to the CEO, perform better at their task. Meditation improves creativity, increases reaction times, and sharpens one’s ability to make fast, highspeed, accurate decisions that do not stress the body.
Meditation can also increase one’s ability to feel empathy, compassion, and friendliness. With all the benefits of meditation combined in one practice, bringing meditation into the workplace strengthens the culture organically. It’s genuinely a win-win practice that should be implemented in every company environment.
On the budget end of the spectrum, many companies offer free downloads for introductory meditation apps such as Calm or Headspace.
For any employers looking to get the most out of a meditation program, consider bringing in an expert teacher who can train the company in guided meditation and help create a culture around balance, well-being, and happiness.
Having a live teacher take employees through in-person training will build that consistency in meditation and provide a valuable resource that gives back manyfold to all stakeholders involved.
Vedic Meditation For Workplace Stress Reduction
I regularly teach corporate teams who are looking for an evidence-based and powerful mental technique to quickly improve the well-being of their employees, increase productivity, and foster cohesiveness within their organization.
Vedic Meditation is a mantra-based 20-minute, twice-daily practice and delivers the deepest amount of rest possible when compared to other styles of meditation. It is efficient in terms of time needed to practice to receive benefits.
Having been around for thousands of years, Vedic Meditation has been battle tested to be effective to all walks of life. There is no employee who is too stressed, has a racing mind , or is too anxious to be able to learn.
Learning Vedic Meditation is a great team-oriented activity, as groups learn together at the same time. Corporate meditation classes structured in this way, such as Vedic Meditation, make team building and empathy a much more valuable experience. Employees feel appreciative that their company values their well-being in such a high-touch, expert way.
Unlike mindfulness or breathing-based techniques, Vedic Meditation is unique in that it allows the meditator practicing to release stress rapidly during a 20-minute meditation session. With the regular release of stress built into an employee’s daily routine, the employee feels fresh coming into work and has enough creative capacity and adaptability to feel resilient, productive, and solution-oriented throughout the day.
With an increased positive attitude, well-rested nature, and feeling more satisfied with their state of health and well-being, employers can enjoy a decrease in turnover, increased efficiency, and a happier and healthier employee base.
To learn more about Vedic Meditation and how it can help your company perform, click here to get in touch.
