Demystifying Meditation

I spend my days devising ways to introduce meditation to the workplace.  It’s like playing matchmaker to your quiet, mousey friend from college and your sometimes loud and obnoxious class clown of a cousin.  The union makes no logical sense, but you just know they’re perfect for each other.

To that end, I’m constantly debunking preconceived notions that meditation is weird, new age-y, aligned with hippies or certain religions, opposed to certain religions, fluff, nonsense or a general waste of time.  I suppose meditation can be all of these, but to me, it’s a well-researched, tried and true way to reduce stress and improve health.  So today, I bring you a down-and-dirty list of non-mystical, data-derived benefits.

 

My Top 10 List of Non-Woo Woo 

Meditation Benefits

 1.       Meditation slows the heart rate 
 2.       Lowers blood pressure 
 3.       Raises levels of beneficial hormones
 4.       Reduces levels of harmful hormones 
 5.       Boosts the immune system
 6.       Restructures the brain
 7.       Improves insomnia and other sleep disorders 
 8.       Favorably impacts psychological and emotional conditions 
 9.       Opens you to intuition and inspiration 
10.    Makes you a nicer person

Meditation is a practical, natural way to reduce stress and improve health – a no-brainer, win-win for the workplace.

Instead of Wondering When Your Next Vacation Is

This week’s blog is an homage to a Seth Godin quote.  

Seth Godin is an entrepreneur, marketing genius, author and speaker.  Several years ago I read his book, Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us, which is a book that makes you think about work in a whole new way. 

That’s what Seth Godin does – he makes you think about things in a whole new way.  Take for instance the following quote:

“Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, maybe you should set up a life you don't need to escape from.”  - Seth Godin

Brilliant. 

My passion for teaching stress reduction, meditation and mindfulness aligns perfectly with this idea.  Reduce your stress, tap your intuition, and create a life you love.  It’s possible if you believe it’s possible – or if Seth Godin says so.  

Sunk Cost - Prospective Cost (Or Why Meditation Should Be Your Company’s Next Wellness Program)

Sunk Cost

A simple definition of sunk cost:  money spent and permanently lost. 

A good example of sunk cost:  stress in the workplace. 

Workplace stress impacts health care costs, absenteeism, productivity, job satisfaction, and employee turnover – costing companies billions each year.  The cost of workplace stress can never be recovered.

Prospective Cost

A simple definition of prospective cost:  costs that may be changed if an action is taken.

A good example of prospective cost:  a meditation in the workplace wellness program.

Meditation has been proven to boost mental, emotional and physical health by reducing stress, improving brain function, and balancing the body’s biological systems.  In the workplace, this translates to mental clarity, improved emotional intelligence, better overall health, and enhanced work-life balance. 

 Meditation at Work

According to the American Institute of Stress, stress costs American businesses an estimated 300 billion a year.  300 billion dollars.  Sunk cost.  Money spent and permanently lost.  This is why meditation should be your company’s next wellness program.