Employers committed to staff wellness: Promoting Yoga and other activities at work

The 24X7 work culture has brought tremendous opportunities for businesses and people around the globe but for many it has become a source of stress and depression. Workplace stress is surmounted to such a high level that the World Health Organization declared “Stress” the “health epidemic of the 21st century.” According to the joint research of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, National Public Radio and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in 2015-16, about 44 percent of working adults in America in their current job are affected by health issues, and 36 percent are afflicted with stress. This stress causes a loss of $300 billion a year to American businesses. Not, just the US, stress is making a massive blow to almost every Economy.

Today, business leaders understand the value of employees’ health, especially the mental health that’s deteriorating due to the stress and anxiety. In consequence to their realization Apple, Google, Mckinsey, P&G, and many other big corporations of the world are promoting yoga and meditation in their work culture. Nancy Slomowitz - CEO of Executive Management Associates, feels proud to share that Transcendental Meditation (TM) classes helped her organization to reduce health care insurance cost. Nancy says, "TM produced tangible and practical benefits in the professional and personal lives of employees and the company’s cost of healthcare insurance actually went down due to a reduction in sick claims.” On the other hand, Ashley G. Anderson Jr. - Chief Medical Officer at Promega believes, "If you create a culture in which vibrant physicality is an admired thing, you've achieved a lot. A healthy workforce is a productive workforce."

The spiritual remedy of the past has become the management elixir in the corporate houses of the 21st century. Yoga is no more a yogic practice; it’s a way to harvest healthy profits for smart entrepreneurs. Only a relaxed mind can rightly focus on goals and objective, and then only he/she can produce fresh ideas and strategies that help to achieve them successfully. Yoga and meditation not only the best antidotes to stress and depression, but their regular practice improves one’s overall well-being and confidence level. Such balanced personalities are the assets for every organization and family. When they pursue a challenge, they keep their eyes on the target, and they don’t get influenced by external disturbances. Yoga and meditation help to groom employees into friendly personalities who stay calm and courteous with both customers and coworkers.

Good health, composed mind, and improved performance are the attributes which eventually lead to work satisfaction, and every employer loves to find them in its people. A disciplined lifestyle guided by a positive attitude is the key to success for both men and women. And, yoga offers a complete range of solutions to make a person disciplined and confident in every sphere of the life. This truth was discovered by Indian savants centuries ago; now it is benefitting the corporate leaders, their employees, and businesses.

(The article is authored by Abhishek Agarwal, Senior Vice President (Global Delivery), Judge Group)