Workplace Mindfulness: A Solution For The Stress Epidemic?

4 ways to build a mindful workplace culture

The health benefits of regular mindfulness practice are long known and well-documented.
 

  
Numerous clinical studies have demonstrated the physical and mental health benefits of mindfulness practice,¹ which can be described as the simple act of focusing attention on the present experience and removing judgment. Individuals practicing mindfulness have been shown to experience reduced stress and rumination, resulting in a therapeutic effect that slows the sympathetic nervous system response, leading to measurable physical and mental health benefits.² 
 

The Covid-19 pandemic has put even more pressure on an already stressed-out American workforce. The American Psychological Association notes that stress related to work and the economy has increased significantly during the pandemic, with 7 out of 10 adults indicating that work is a significant source of their stress. The APA also estimates that 550 workdays and $500 billion USD are lost to stress each year.
 
Given the propensity of mindfulness to alleviate stress, it would seem obvious to introduce more mindfulness into the working experience. However, much like going to the gym, mindfulness is an ongoing practice that requires continued effort to achieve results.
 
With so much going on, how do we encourage an overburdened, displaced, and stressed-out workforce to devote time to mindfulness regularly?
 
In recent years, mindfulness has become a much larger initiative at LinkedIn, as we’ve continued to increase the number of mindfulness resources available to team members, we have also seen a proportional increase in engagement, fostering a global mindfulness culture within the organization’s ~16,000 employees.
 
Based on our experience, here are 4 tips for making mindfulness accessible and enticing to your workforce: 

1. Start Your Own Mindfulness Practice, and Lead by Example

A mindful culture starts with just one person—you. Through your continued actions and examples, others will follow.
 
I started as a volunteer, leading regular practices with my colleagues. Progress was slow but I stayed hopeful and committed.
 
If you’re new to mindfulness, there are plenty of short courses you can take to learn the practice and how to share it with others. Many mindfulness and meditation apps also provide free 30-day courses for beginners if you need a low-cost starting point.
 
If this feels daunting, remember that mindfulness practice takes only 5-10 minutes a day. For many of us, all it takes is replacing one of our many visits to social media apps we make each day with a short mindfulness practice. 

2. Find Your People and Build an Internal Community

Once you start to raise the issue of mindfulness, you’ll be surprised how many others come forward who have been quietly practicing on their own for years.

It didn’t take long for my volunteer work to produce a number of equally-committed volunteers who were eager to help foster mindfulness.
 
Taking on an extracurricular activity such as mindfulness not only gives you a renewed sense of purpose at work, but also provides a professional development and leadership opportunity which many are eager to add to their resume.
 
Communication is another key aspect for building a mindfulness community, so make sure you’re keeping the conversation going on a Slack or Microsoft Teams Channel, weekly email thread, or even an internal company web page. 

3. Provide a Space for Learning

Despite its rise in popularity, mindfulness and meditation are not yet widely-understood or accepted concepts, especially in the corporate world. Be prepared to share the science³, and provide outlets for the skeptical to do their own research.
 
The community you’ve helped build can be a powerful source of inspiration and a welcoming environment for others. Make sure you tap into this group for personal stories, useful articles, and more.
 
Getting buy-in from top leadership will greatly help to normalize and approve mindfulness practice at work. Having internal leaders endorse available mindfulness tools or become an active voice in your mindfulness community helps tremendously. Teams will feel more comfortable engaging when they see executives getting involved.
 
Finally, keep your mindful community inclusive. Regularly encourage others to join, reminding everyone that mindfulness is a secular activity that requires no prior knowledge or training to enjoy.  

4. Gamify Mindfulness Practice with a Little Healthy Competition

Providing incentives such as prizes and recognition can help drive engagement among your colleagues, which is why for 4 years LinkedIn has participated in a month-long “Mindfulness Challenge” where employees are encouraged to record their personal mindfulness practice.

During this time, we see a substantial increase in the number of people using mindfulness apps and attending programs that often lasts for several months following. This yearly boost has continued to grow in size, as we’ve made it a bigger part of our annual programing.

During a time when stress and pressure at an all-time high, providing resources for employees to build and embrace a mindfulness practice will uplift and motivate others, ultimately resulting in success for your workforce and company. 

Scott Shute is the Head of Mindfulness and Compassion at LinkedIn and Founder of the Mindful Workplace Movement, a group of business leaders dedicated to developing mindfulness in the corporate world. He is the author of The Whole Body Yes: Change Your Work and Your World from the Inside Out. Visit www.scottshute.com Connect Scott Shute Follow @scottshute1