We are very excited to see our workplace health and stress resilience programs  on the Channel 9 news. As a mental health practitioner it is pleasing to see an increasing number of employers recognising the benefits of mindfulness and meditation programs at work. With ongoing support and collaboration with mental health organisations such as ‘Heads Up’ and ‘Beyond Blue’, mindfulness coaching and a regular mindfulness practice can cultivate positive outcomes for both the employee and the organisation.

Mental health injuries not only result in significant costs for organisations but when employees are constantly on ‘auto-pilot’ then productivity is also reduced. We like to think of the opposite of mindfulness as ‘mindlessness‘ which is really when we aren’t paying attention, we aren’t listening properly, we aren’t tasting our food and the world passes us by without us really being here for it. In this way, mindfulness programs can lead to greater sense of well-being, improved work engagement and life satisfaction, and a greater sense of value within the organisation.

Attention training has proven physical and psychological benefits and can greatly reduce mental health risk factors in the workplace. Our 8 week mindfulness- based stress resilience program, ‘Wise’, is a holistic approach to stress prevention. A regular mindfulness practice over 8 weeks can produce significant positive changes in brain grey matter and neuroplasticity. This reshapes the brain towards greater calm and compassion, helping staff generate the inner wisdom necessary for stress resilience.

Through participation in the ‘Wise’ program employees strengthen their ability to cope with the challenges of everyday life, stress, suffering and pain. They are better able to deal with difficult events with more grace and composure and learn how to be more present and happy, with a stable mind.