In today’s always-on world, it can be tough to find time to take a step back and ground ourselves, but prioritizing mindfulness has proven benefits that go beyond the workplace. Here are just a few.

In the simplest terms, mindfulness is the state of awareness of one’s internal state and external surroundings. When people are mindful, they are grounded in their present moment and focused on their work, time with friends and family, or other experiences without getting lost in or distracted by their thoughts. 

One of the biggest challenges of mindfulness is modern society’s constant need to be plugged in, especially in the workforce — 66% of full-time US employees say they don’t have work-life balance, with some saying they feel pressured to always be available for emails or calls, even after working hours. Mindfulness offers an opportunity to, as Grokker expert Stacy Conlon says, “pause, breathe, and choose how you want to respond instead of react.” This moment of pause, “strengthens communication, helps you make better decisions, and prevents burnout. Mindfulness is essential in today’s always-on work culture because it creates space. When you're mindful, you’re not just managing stress, you’re staying aligned with what truly matters.”

Beyond strengthening communication, mindfulness comes with a wealth of benefits, from stress reduction to emotional regulation, both of which have positive impacts on a person’s life — and the workplace. Here’s five ways mindfulness benefits the workplace and things you can do to help your team start their mindfulness practices today.

Improved focus and productivity

Because mindfulness techniques like meditation help train your brain to remain in the present moment and ignore distractions, it can be incredibly helpful for employees to integrate mindfulness into their daily routines. In fact, recent data shows that over fifty percent of people who meditate reported that it enhanced their memory and concentration abilities. Additionally, mindful employees are productive employees; companies who implement mindfulness programs see employee productivity skyrocket by 32%. Mindfulness also has positive effects on memory and problem solving, making it easier for employees to prioritize and complete tasks as well as tackle issues on their own as needed.

Higher engagement and job satisfaction

When employees regularly implement mindfulness into their lives, they experience higher levels of engagement within the workplace— often as much as 20%. Engaged employees are enthusiastic, creative, and willing to contribute. They also have higher levels of job satisfaction, which leads to them sticking around. They’re less likely to quietly quit, and you’re more likely to have a team that’s ready to perform.

Burnout reduction

Burnout is one of the biggest issues plaguing the modern workforce—a new study shows that 66% of American workers are experiencing burnout. But mindfulness helps to ease the sense of overwhelm, stress, and exhaustion that are often the byproducts of burnout. A recent study of healthcare workers found that those who meditated and engaged in other mindfulness activities reduced burnout by nearly forty percent. 

Conflict resolution

When employees are stressed, burned out, or distracted, addressing conflict appropriately can be difficult. Once employees hit the burnout stage, it can be tough to regulate emotions or thought processes. But because mindfulness improves focus, employees are less likely to drop the ball and miss deadlines, reducing the likelihood of task-related conflict with their colleagues. Additionally, mindfulness helps reduce negative thought patterns and emotions, lessening emotional reactivity and the tendency to ruminate on negative experiences and thoughts. Because of this, mindfulness techniques can help make conflict resolution easier.

Better physical health

The benefits of mindfulness go beyond mental health. Mindfulness has been proven to improve physical health, too. Studies show that it can decrease insomnia by nearly 50%, lower blood pressure, reduce chronic pain, and improve stress-related conditions like Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). Additionally, mindfulness may also have positive impacts on weight management, as it reduces stress and by extension stress-related eating habits.

How to support your team with mindfulness

1. Offer mindfulness programs in your benefits package: Grokker’s focus on holistic wellbeing ensures that employees are supported with their physical, emotional, and financial health. We have several programs dedicated to mindfulness, including Stacy Conlon’s upcoming program Five-Minute Meditations, which Conlon partnered with Grokker on because, "I know firsthand how stressful work can be, and how quickly just five mindful minutes can shift everything. These short, yet powerful meditations are designed to meet you in real-time stress and help you move forward with more clarity, calm, and ease."
2. Integrate mindfulness into the workday and policies: Whether it’s guided group meditation or team yoga retreats, implementing mindfulness into the workplace helps your team feel more comfortable prioritizing their mental health. For employees who may need or want longer meditation sessions, our Daily Calm program equips employees with mindfulness tools to help them thrive. 
3. Give managers the tools they need to support their employees: To truly ensure your workplace prioritizes mindfulness, management needs to buy in, too. After all, they’re stewards of your company’s mission and values, and often face a great deal of stress themselves. Our Stress-Less Survival Guide is tailored specifically to help managers with their stress.

Mindfulness is a critical tool to help employees in their personal and professional lives. To ensure your team is engaged, productive, and mentally present in the workplace, give them the tools they need to thrive. "It’s all about giving yourself the tools to feel more grounded, clear, and empowered, even in the middle of a busy workday," says Conlon.

We’ll be discussing more tools and tricks to improve mindfulness in our upcoming webinar with Conlon, Building Awareness of Your Own Mental Health, on May 21st at 10 AM PST, which includes an exploration of "how to check in with yourself, recognize when something feels off, and build awareness of your mental and emotional state without judgment. I’ll also guide a short meditation to help reduce stress and overwhelm, and we’ll have live Q&A so you can get real-time support."

To learn more about how Grokker improves employee mindfulness, connect with us today.