Mar 2, 2016

Should Mindfulness Training Be Mandatory at Work?

When western civilizations decided to find new ways to gain spiritual liberation, they discovered the ancient eastern meditation practice known as mindfulness. For those who are not familiar with the term, it’s a practice that makes the individuals involved aware of their present moment-to-moment experiences.

The truth is that this practice has been used by psychologists in the western hemisphere with great success. Nowadays, there is a debate about whether or not mindfulness training should be embraced by businesses and be mandatory at work.

Should we bring mindfulness to work?

The question of whether companies should support and encourage all-party team mindfulness training at work has its advocates and opponents. Let’s start at the beginning. Meditation can help you relax and feel centered within yourself. Think about how much information we absorb every single day, and how rarely we take the time to step back from it all. But is it a good idea to take it to work?

We are not talking about individuals of each working team taking small breaks to relax and stretch their bodies. We are talking about introducing longer sessions with a guru as the mindfulness training leader. That’s a completely different thought. And that’s when the opponents raise their voice.

The possible risks with company mindfulness

People fear that mindfulness training can turn into a new age cult with many followers and one questionable leader.

The main reasons behind the objections:

— Employees shouldn’t be forced to participate in mindfulness training sessions at work. Some of them might feel uncomfortable.

— Isn’t this supposed to be a practice done in private? After all, each person experiences relaxation and meditation in a slightly different way.

— There are fears that the traditional eastern mindfulness practice will be Americanized to fit our own lifestyles. It’s no surprise that the term is often referred to as McMindfulness.

The meaning of mindfulness is to make one aware of present experiences and not to drive people to apathy. Making hard decisions and confronting situations are both parts doing business today. When backing away from problems, one fails to see issues and thus making the necessary changes. And this is bad for business.

Allowing employees to take some time to relax on their own and as they see fit is one thing. Imposing them to be part of a work-mindfulness-training-team might cause them anxiety — and that’s the opposite of what you are trying to achieve.

More like this:

4 Techniques for Meditation and Mindfulness

Body Language and Attitude During Interviews

Creating a World Class Company Culture

How to Cope with the Stress of a Demanding Job