Meditation at Work: What a Study of 1.458 Employees Revealed

Meditation at Work: What a Study of 1.458 Employees Revealed

Deadlines, back-to-back meetings and constant switching between tasks often leave little room for a mindful pause. How could meditation fit into the working day? And what does research tell us about its potential benefits? To mark World Meditation Day on 21 December, a study published in JAMA Network Open offers useful insights into how meditation may support employee well-being. Source What the study examined Radin and colleagues studied 1,458 employees at a large academic medical centre who reported mild to moderate stress. Participants were randomly assigned to two groups. The first received access to a digital mindfulness meditation programme, with instructions to practise for 10 minutes a day over eight […]

World Meditation Day – 21 December

World Meditation Day – 21 December

Meditation is an ancient practice that involves focusing one’s attention on the present moment. Rooted in religious, yogic, and secular traditions across cultures, meditation has been practiced for thousands of years. Today, it is embraced worldwide, transcending its spiritual origins to become a universal tool for personal well-being and mental health. Source What is meditation? The most recognized definition of meditation generally describes it as a practice where an individual uses techniques such as mindfulness, focused attention, or concentrated thought to train the mind and achieve a state of mental clarity, emotional calmness, and physical relaxation. There are diverse types of meditation, each offering unique approaches to achieving calm, clarity, […]

How Active Spaces Can Transform Employee Wellbeing and Productivity in the Workplace

How Active Spaces Can Transform Employee Wellbeing and Productivity in the Workplace

Boost Employee Wellbeing with a Dynamic Workspace. Μore organisations are realising that blending movement with everyday work routines can lead to happier, healthier teams—and better business outcomes. Recent research highlights that physical activity can sharpen mental clarity, reduce stress and lift productivity. These benefits tie directly into improved employee wellbeing. Source Even a short wellness break during office hours, whether it’s some gentle stretching or a brief walk, has been linked to higher levels of output and job satisfaction. “An active space doesn’t necessarily mean a ‘fitness space’. It’s a flexible zone away from the standard desk area that allows employees to step back from work and, if they choose, […]

Greece tops Europe for share of workers suffering from stress, depression or anxiety

Greece tops Europe for share of workers suffering from stress, depression or anxiety

Their work either causes or worsens these conditions, according to European statistics Source If our job is a major source of stress, perhaps even anxiety and depression, we are far from being in the minority — quite the opposite. In fact, in Greece, almost half of all workers (49%) report suffering from stress, depression or anxiety that is either caused or aggravated by their work. This is the highest percentage in Europe, followed by Finland at 45% and Cyprus at 43%. The European average is 29%, with huge differences between the countries at the top and bottom of the list. Denmark has the lowest proportion of workers (19%) suffering from […]

10 Mental Health Must-Haves For Employees & 4 Mental Health Must-Haves For Employers

10 Mental Health Must-Haves For Employees & 4 Mental Health Must-Haves For Employers

Certain workplace must-haves are legally required to protect workers from potentially physical dangers on the job. Hazmat suits for toxic waste, face masks for Covid and other contagious diseases, hard hats for forestry and construction workers, safety glasses for welders. But few protections are in place for employee mental health. Think about toxic work cultures, required overtime, job burnout, layoff anxiety, unreasonable deadlines, job demands, restricted PTO, brutal work schedules. I could go on, but you get the point. Source: Forbes 10 Mental Health Must-Haves To Protect Yourself The EU workforce cannot always depend on organizations to offer flexibility, work-life balance or shield them from trends like the 9-9/6 work […]

10 Mental Health Must-Haves As Workplace Anxiety Skyrockets

10 Mental Health Must-Haves As Workplace Anxiety Skyrockets

Certain workplace must-haves are legally required to protect workers from potentially physical dangers on the job. Hazmat suits for toxic waste, face masks for Covid and other contagious diseases, hard hats for forestry and construction workers, safety glasses for welders. But few protections are in place for employee mental health. Think about toxic work cultures, required overtime, job burnout, layoff anxiety, unreasonable deadlines, job demands, restricted PTO, brutal work schedules. I could go on, but you get the point. Source: Forbes 10 Mental Health Must-Haves To Protect Yourself The EU workforce cannot always depend on organizations to offer flexibility, work-life balance or shield them from trends like the 9-9/6 work […]

Mental Health and Sleep

Mental Health and Sleep

Source: Sleep Foundation Org Most people know firsthand that sleep affects their mental state. After all, there’s a reason it’s said that someone in a bad mood “woke up on the wrong side of the bed.” As it turns out, there’s quite a bit of truth behind this colloquial saying. Sleep is closely connected to mental and emotional health and has demonstrated links to depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and other conditions. Research is ongoing to better understand the bidirectional relationship between mental health and sleep. Both are complex issues affected by a multitude of factors, but, given their close association, there is strong reason to believe that improving sleep can […]

Brain Rot Explained: How Digital Overload Affects Your Mind

Brain Rot Explained: How Digital Overload Affects Your Mind

You may have heard the term brain rot circulating online, especially after it was named the 2024 Word of the Year by Oxford University Press. While it might sound like a harmful physical condition, the phrase describes the mental fog and fatigue many people experience after consuming online content. Source: Inspira Health From endless scrolling to mindless binge-watching, brain rot reflects a growing concern about the effects of our digital habits on mental well-being and cognitive health.Let’s break down what brain rot is, its potential effects and how you can protect your brain health in an increasingly digital world. What is brain rot? “Brain rot refers to the negative effects […]

The Dark Side of our Digital World

The Dark Side of our Digital World

We live in a digital world. Whether it’s for news, entertainment, work, or communication, chances are a digital device is involved. Few places are without access, and we are never more than a click away from being in touch with family, friends, or work. We’ve grown accustomed to this unnatural state of constant connectivity. We reach for our phones when we wake up and do a last check of things before bed. In fact, we even have new terms like “FOMO” – the fear of missing out – to describe what some individuals experience when they are away from their devices or social networks even for a short time. Source: […]

The Power of a Hug On Our Health

The Power of a Hug On Our Health

There’s no denying the power of a hug. If you’ve ever said you’ve felt starved for touch, you’re actually not that far off. The same areas of our brain that are satisfied by eating are also satisfied by human touch, including hugs. A hug helps us bond with others and experience a sense of safety, comfort, empathy, and calm, qualities many deeply craved during a time of uncertainty. Source: verywellmind What Is the Power of a Hug? What is it about a hug that feels so good? The answer lies in oxytocin, sometimes known as “the love hormone.” This hormone plays a key role in the female reproductive system, particularly […]