Mindfulness Based Workplace Interventions for Wellness Promotion
Excessive workplace stress is associated with considerable human, social, and economic costs, including increased somatic and mental health problems among employees as well as increased absenteeism, decreased workplace morale, and decreased productivity. Particular forms of workplace stress, such as "burnout" or "compassion fatigue," are increasingly recognized as contributing to workplace problems among specific populations such as nurses, physicians, and other critical responders. Various forms of workplace stress reduction programs have been introduced and evaluated for effectiveness for workplace stress reduction since the 1970s; many have incorporated various forms of meditation as well as other mind body approaches, such as relaxation training. The past 15 years has seen an explosion of interest and accessibility of interventions involving "mindfulness training"/mindfulness meditation, which promoters promise will decrease workplace stress and improve employee well being and ultimately increase productivity and corporate profits. Mindfulness based programs have now been implemented in the workplace in a wide variety of contexts from corporate executives to line workers including Fortune 500 corporations, intensive care unit medical staff, teachers and students, lawyers and judges, and even mine workers. This wide embrace of mindfulness training has led to workplace mindfulness training becoming a big business in itself, sometimes leading to overblown claims in the advertising of its potential benefits. This chapter will discuss several of the most widely utilized mindfulness and relaxation programs for the workplace and critically review evidence of their efficacy in reducing employee stress and improving well being.