Is now the time for businesses to adopt mindfulness?

Nuffield Health, the UK’s leading employee health and wellbeing provider working with 60% of the FTSE 100, has created a new partnership with Mindlab, to deliver mindfulness training in the workplace. Research has shown that practising mindfulness changes the brain , helping to improve cognitive performance, emotional regulation and managing stress better.

With 15 million working days lost in 2013 due to stress, anxiety and depression and 1 in 4 people experiencing some kind of mental health problem in the course of a year , businesses are being encouraged to sign-up their employees to mindfulness training.

Mindfulness can be considered as an integrative, mind-body based approach that helps to increase self-awareness and an understanding of what we do and why? Through practice, people are better able to manage thoughts and feelings and are less likely to get caught up in them. Being in control means they are able to respond rather than react in the usual habituated way.

(London 7/7 bombings survivor Dr Gill Hicks MBE attended the Nuffield Health Mindlab mindfulness training programme for businesses. Gill spoke about how mindfulness helped her physically and mentally survive after the attacks).

Mindfulness practices include formal mindfulness meditations, as well as informal integration of mindfulness into everyday activities and within the workplace. Developing mindfulness in an organisation has benefits for both the employer and employee and can include improved efficiency, resilience as well as better communication and relationships.

The new partnership will see Nuffield Health and Mindlab help improve employee wellbeing by offering bespoke workshops, including ‘lunch and learns’ or themed days as well as a complete Foundation course to establish mindfulness practice. Sessions are delivered live, either face-to-face or via webinars to increase accessibility. Courses are also supported digitally by an app.

Doctor Davina Deniszczyc, Nuffield Health Wellbeing Medical Director said:
“Living in the 21st century means we now all lead such busy lives. We work longer and harder than ever before so it’s really important we take a step back and look after our mental wellbeing. Mental wellbeing is just as vital as being physically fit and we need more businesses to help their staff adopt mindfulness into their daily lives.”

Dr Gail Davies, Co-founder of Mindlab said: 
“Research shows that nearly half of the time we are living on ‘autopilot’ and are very reactive in our behaviour. This is detrimental to how we work, our health, wellbeing and relationships. Mindfulness allows us to be fully present and engaged with our lives.”

To coincide with this new partnership, Mindlab have created a book called Mindfulness Moments, featuring practical tips from previous participants of mindfulness sessions on how to integrate mindfulness into everyday life. Designed by students from the London College of Communication as part of their final year project and supported by Nuffield Health, businesses can receive the book as part of their mindfulness programme.

The book also features tips from mindfulness advocate and comedian, Ruby Wax, who talks about how she deals with stage fright and Dr Gill Hicks MBE, London 7/7 bombings survivor, who explains how mindfulness helped her both physically and mentally survive after the attacks.

Dr Gill Hicks MBE said:
“I was too focused on other people for a long time until I realised I was running myself ragged and had to take some time for myself. I use mindfulness practice as ‘me’ time.”

Funds raised from the book will go towards Mindlab’s not-for-profit organisation Mindlab Goodworks, which will enable students in higher education and charitable organisations that cannot afford mindfulness training to have free support.

This new mindfulness initiative is the latest in many clinical, fitness and wellbeing services Nuffield Health already provides to businesses and their employees. Nuffield Health was named ‘Best Provider of Workplace Wellbeing Services 2014’ at the Health Insurance Awards for the third year running.

For more information or to sign-up to a workplace mindfulness session visitwww.nuffieldhealth.com/corporate-wellbeing/heatlh-services For more information on other employee wellbeing support Nuffield Health provides visit www.nuffieldhealth.com

Last updated Tuesday 22 March 2016

First published on Wednesday 1 July 2015