Project for Workplace Stress Reduction
Science
Mindfulness for Wellness, Resilience and Improved Performance
Research has demonstrated the extraordinary benefits associated with the practice of meditation for individuals and organizations. In addition to improving physical and emotional health, it is now well-accepted that meditation permits healthy individuals to thrive. Not only does meditation improve attention span and cognitive skills, practicing mindfulness has also been shown to increase an individual's sense of well-being as well as his or her resilience, ability to process stress, self-regulate, reduce reliance on habit, and relate to others. Organizations who employ mindful employees will benefit from the improved performance of their workers, an increase in employee engagement, and a decrease in employee burn-out, and turnover intention. Researchers have also concluded that mindfulness may help employees cope with organizational change. When the individuals who both lead and staff an organization are healthier, happier and easier to work with, the organization itself will be more successful in reaching its objectives.
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Research has demonstrated the extraordinary benefits associated |
The Negative Effects of Stress
When an individual becomes stressed, the "flight or fight" response is activated, and the body prepares for immediate action. Among other things, the brain sends signals to arouse the nervous system and release hormones to increase awareness, accelerate heart rate, tense muscles, and increase blood pressure. In general, a small amount of infrequent stress does not harm an individual. However, when stress is continuous, it increases an individual's risk for chronic diseases, including cardiovascuar problems, musculoskeletal disorders and psychological issues. Unrelenting stress will often interfere with an individual's ability to work -- causing problems with attention, mood, self-regulation and inter-personal relationships,
The bottom-line of an organization employing chronically-stressed individuals will also suffer. In 2014, the American Psychological Association reported that 67% of Americans had experienced emotional reactions to stress, and 72% had experienced the physical symptoms of stress. Occupational stress constitutes the greatest source of stress for workers in America. Researchers estimate that job stress costs American businesses $150 billion each year because of the following factors:
The bottom-line of an organization employing chronically-stressed individuals will also suffer. In 2014, the American Psychological Association reported that 67% of Americans had experienced emotional reactions to stress, and 72% had experienced the physical symptoms of stress. Occupational stress constitutes the greatest source of stress for workers in America. Researchers estimate that job stress costs American businesses $150 billion each year because of the following factors:
- Decreased productivity
- Increased absenteeism and employee turn-over.
- Increased accidents
- Increased insurance, medical and legal costs
- Increased FELA and tort judgments, as well as workers' compensation awards.
NEUROPLASTICITY AND The Solution to Chronic StressThere is ample scientific evidence that meditation reverses the stress response and instead induces what Herbert Benson, MD, calls the "relaxation response." Among other things, meditation has been shown to improve an individual's ability to pay attention and increase feelings of well-being beyond the time that the individual is actually engaged in meditation. Scientists have determined that these changes can be explained by "neuroplasticity" or the brain's ability to change. In other words, when we meditate, we are able to change both the brain's structure and future functioning. Moreover, these positive changes can happen very quickly. For example, scientists have determined that there was increased density in parts of the brain associated with learning, memory, self-awareness, and compassion after only eight weeks of meditation practice.
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References
1999 Report of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Stress at Work," <https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/99-101/default.html>
American Institute of Stress, "Job Stress," <http://www.stress.org/job.htm>
Begley, Sharon, Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain: How a New Science Reveals Our Extraordinary Potential to Transform Ourselves, New York: Random House 2007.
Benson, Herbert, Beyond the Relaxation Response, New York: Times Books, 1985.
Glomb, T.M., Duffy, M.K., Bono, J.E., & Yang T. ( 2011). Mindfulness at Work. Research in Personnel and Human Resources Management, 30: 115-157.
Kabat‑Zinn, John, Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain and Illness. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group 1990.
Hyland, P., Lee, A.R.,Mills, M.J., (2015). Mindfulness at Work: A New Approach to Improving Individual and Organizational Performance, Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 8(4), 576-602
Lazar, S.W. (2013) The Neurobiology of Mindfulness, in C.K. Germer, R. D. Siegel & P.R.Fulton (Eds.), Mindfulness and Psychotherapy (2nd ed. pp.282-294). New York: Guilford Press.
Sapolsky, Robert, Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers: an Updated Guide to Stress, Stress‑related Diseases, and Coping. New York: W.H. Freeman and Co. 1998.
Siegel, Ronald D., The Mindfulness Solution: Everyday Practices for Everyday Problems, New York: The Guilford Press, 2010.
Wisneski, Leonard and Anderson, Lucy, The Scientific Basis of Integrative Medicine, London: CRC Press, 2005.
1999 Report of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Stress at Work," <https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/99-101/default.html>
American Institute of Stress, "Job Stress," <http://www.stress.org/job.htm>
Begley, Sharon, Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain: How a New Science Reveals Our Extraordinary Potential to Transform Ourselves, New York: Random House 2007.
Benson, Herbert, Beyond the Relaxation Response, New York: Times Books, 1985.
Glomb, T.M., Duffy, M.K., Bono, J.E., & Yang T. ( 2011). Mindfulness at Work. Research in Personnel and Human Resources Management, 30: 115-157.
Kabat‑Zinn, John, Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain and Illness. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group 1990.
Hyland, P., Lee, A.R.,Mills, M.J., (2015). Mindfulness at Work: A New Approach to Improving Individual and Organizational Performance, Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 8(4), 576-602
Lazar, S.W. (2013) The Neurobiology of Mindfulness, in C.K. Germer, R. D. Siegel & P.R.Fulton (Eds.), Mindfulness and Psychotherapy (2nd ed. pp.282-294). New York: Guilford Press.
Sapolsky, Robert, Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers: an Updated Guide to Stress, Stress‑related Diseases, and Coping. New York: W.H. Freeman and Co. 1998.
Siegel, Ronald D., The Mindfulness Solution: Everyday Practices for Everyday Problems, New York: The Guilford Press, 2010.
Wisneski, Leonard and Anderson, Lucy, The Scientific Basis of Integrative Medicine, London: CRC Press, 2005.