Wellbeing at Work: how can yoga help?
We all know that every job comes with a certain level of stress. Stress to meet deadlines, stress to exceed targets, stress to maintain good relationships with clients and co-workers, the list goes on. Whilst a certain level of stress can be motivating, if there is too much it can feel overwhelming and seriously impact both your physical and mental health. There’s a fine line. That’s why in the interest of maintaining employee satisfaction, I think yoga should be offered in all workplaces. I know I’m slightly biased, but I believe yoga can be harnessed as a tool to reduce stress and make the workplace a harmonious, productive environment. And this isn’t just my ‘yoga fixes everything!’ brain talking. It’s been backed up by research.
How can it help?
Well firstly let’s look at why stress in the workplace is a problem. A recent report has revealed that work-related stress anxiety or depression accounts for over half of all working days lost to ill health in Great Britain. That’s a lot of days off, and a big cost to businesses and the economy as a whole. It’s clear that we need to take more steps to equip employees with the tools to deal with workplace stress. It’s here that yoga can help. When we practice yoga, we calm the body and the mind by bringing complete awareness to the present moment. During our time on the mat, we let go of the stresses that we have experienced so far that day, and the hectic to do list that is yet to come, and allow ourselves to fully focus on the breath, the movements and how our bodies feel. By brining our awareness to our inhale and exhale we activate the parasympathetic nervous system, our ‘rest and digest’ system, which slows the heart rate and the release of the stress hormone cortisol. This helps to calm our body and mind.
The principles of yoga are centred around calmness, non-violence, compassion, non-judgement and honesty, all of which can help to create a more pleasant and productive environment for staff.
What about the body?
Of course, yoga has physical benefits too. Days off due to back, shoulder and neck pain are common in workplaces due to spending an extended period of time sat in one position. Through conscious movements that tone and lengthen areas of the body, yoga can help improve mobility, strength and prevent against injury. Plus, we’ve all experienced that 3pm energy drop, where we find ourselves needing an extra cup of coffee and/or a donut or two to give us a pick me up. Moving through fluid postures during a lunchtime yoga class increases blood circulation and oxygenises the muscles, giving us a healthier and more sustainable boost of energy.
As I mentioned, this isn’t just an assumption. This stuff’s been backed up by evidence. For example, a 2011 study into stress and emotional wellbeing in the workplace offered a group of university employees one 60 minute yoga class per week for six weeks. The group reported marked improvements in feelings of clearmindedness, composure, elation, energy and confidence. They also reported increased life purpose and satisfaction, and feelings of greater self-confidence during stressful situations when compared to the control group. The researchers concluded that even a short programme of yoga is effective for enhancing emotional wellbeing and resilience to stress in the workplace.
I truly believe that we can all find more fulfilment and calmness in every corner of our lives, including in the workplace. That’s why I offer workplace yoga sessions to businesses of all sizes to help improve the satisfaction and overall health of employees. If you think that your workplace could benefit from adding yoga to your wellbeing scheme, I would love to hear from you. Please get in touch to receive my corporate yoga package document.