Introduction
Mindfulness is a practice that has been around for centuries. While the term “mindfulness” may seem trendy and over-used, it has real, scientifically proven benefits. Practicing mindfulness doesn’t have to mean sitting cross-legged in impossible silence or putting down your phone. Mindfulness can be practiced anywhere and at any time. It simply means focusing on the present moment, without judgment or opinion of anything you’re doing or experiencing. As someone who is constantly busy and always on the go, I’ve found that mindfulness can be especially helpful when traveling. You may find yourself getting easily frustrated with flight delays, cancellations, and being stuck in an airport or airplane for hours at a time but instead of worrying about things out of your control (like long security lines), re-focus your energy on maintaining a healthy mindset and keeping calm by practicing these three easy mindful travel tips:
Wellness, Mental Health, and a Diversion from Daily life
While you may not be able to do it on a daily, meditation is an important tool to have in your wellness arsenal. It’s proven to help with stress and anxiety, as well as other mental health issues like depression and addiction. Meditation also increases focus, concentration, and memory all of which can be useful if you find yourself feeling distracted from work or play by thoughts that aren’t serving you well.
Even taking a few minutes each day to sit quietly (even if it’s just for five minutes!) can make a huge difference in how you feel about yourself throughout the day. If it helps get into the habit of doing so regularly, set an alarm on your phone or computer that reminds you at specific times during the day when it would be most fitting for this practice; perhaps first thing in the morning before checking emails or seeing coworkers so they don’t throw off your rhythm too much?
Importance of Sleep
The importance of sleep and the negatives of sleeplessness is well known, but what if it were taken a step further?
Sleep is important for physical and mental health. It is an essential part of the human body’s natural rhythms, keeping our systems running smoothly and efficiently. Without it, we can experience a variety of problems ranging from headaches to anxiety to weight gain.
Most people know that sleep deprivation leads to poor decision-making and difficulty focusing on the tasks at hand. But what if you are unaware that your lack of sleep has caused these issues? You may be so accustomed to living with the consequences that you don’t even realize how much better life could be!
Corporate Culture
One company has decided that people can get body, mind, and soul benefits by carving out time for meditation, nature, and a peaceful setting as part of their corporate culture.
There are many benefits of meditation. For example, it can lower stress levels by calming your nervous system, reducing inflammation in the body, and improving sleep quality. You also can recover from illness faster, boost focus and concentration and elevate mood and self-esteem.
There are plenty of other benefits to nature as well it can improve your mood by reducing tension, boosting creativity, and enhancing feelings of safety while calming you down when you’re stressed out.
South Carolina Company
No one is required to go on this all-expenses-paid retreat. Instead, employees at this South Carolina company opt-input in if they want a week away from the office. They are fully disconnected and are encouraged to meditate twice daily.
The retreat is offered to employees at the company and has been an annual event since 2011. It’s not a requirement, but employees can opt into the week-long program if they want it.
The program includes meditation sessions twice daily, which are led by a spiritual leader from outside the company. The goal is to help people relax and find inner peace during stressful times.
The exodus was started by CEO Laura McConaha, who was dealing with depression following the death of her father in 2010. She decided that if she couldn’t find time for herself, neither could her employees so she came up with the idea of an all-expenses-paid trip to South Carolina where employees could disconnect from their devices and focus on themselves for seven days at a luxury resort.
Increased Productivity
Employees will tell you that they come back more focused, resilient, renewed, and less stressed, which results in increased productivity.
When you give your employees the gift of time away, they’ll tell you that they come back more focused, resilient, renewed, and less stressed. What does this mean for your business? Increased productivity.
Physical wellness benefits are also clear: employees report feeling healthier after a corporate retreat they sleep better, have more energy, and eat healthier foods during their time off than usual. Some even lost weight! Mentally speaking there were definite improvements as well employees reported feeling happier at work and having better relationships with co-workers and management when they returned from their unplugged break.
While these benefits are great for your team overall, there can be some tradeoffs that may impact individual employees in particular ways (such as increased feelings of guilt or resentment if they weren’t able to go on a retreat). It’s important to keep each individual’s needs in mind when planning a retreat so everyone feels included and invested in this new way of working together
This retreat was first offered eight years ago to support the CEO who was dealing with depression following the death of her father five years prior. She decided she needed some time to reconnect with herself and rebuild her emotional balance.
Physical Wellness Benefits
The idea seems to be working. In addition to productivity benefits, the company has seen physical wellness benefits as well. For example, employees who have high blood pressure have seen lower numbers following their return from the retreat.
You might be wondering how the idea is working. Well, it seems to be working. In addition to productivity benefits, the company has seen physical wellness benefits as well. For example, employees who have high blood pressure have seen lower numbers following their return from the retreat.
The result: an increase in focus, resilience, and renewal; less stress and more energy overall.
Conclusion
These wellness retreats are a great way for employees to take some time out of the office and unwind. A company’s culture is an important part of what keeps employees motivated and happy in their jobs. If a company can make sure that its culture encourages employees to focus on themselves, it will pay off in the long run.
