Did you know that stress costs the U.S. over $300 billion a year?
Not only is stress unhealthy, it’s also costly for individuals and employers. According to a 2018 Gallup study, almost a quarter of employees are often or always burned out—and these burned-out employees are 63% more likely to take a sick day and 2.6% more likely to leave their employer than those who aren’t burned out. Stats like that don’t bode well for employee retention. But a stat like this does: 81% of employees who have easy access to benefits are more loyal to their employer and less likely to leave. And what if one of those benefits directly works to decrease burnout?
Mindfulness and meditation training—a benefit with lasting benefits
Studies have shown that the benefits of mindfulness and meditation start becoming measurable after only 100 minutes of practice. That’s about the same amount of time as your average Friday night movie, or three episodes of your favorite binge-worthy show on Netflix. And after 50 hours of practice, mindfulness and meditation can begin to meaningfully change your life. That’s the equivalent of one overtime work week or one hour a day for less than three months, or … you get the idea.
In 2016, 22% of employers offered mindfulness training programs for their employees. That same year, mindfulness training was a $1.1 billon industry—and it’s an industry that’s only growing. By 2022, the meditation market is expected to bring in $2.08 billion. This steady growth shows that mindfulness and mediation aren’t just passing fads—companies like Intel, Aetna and Google are not only embracing these practices, but also investing in mindfulness training programs for their employees.
Let’s take a look at how access to an employer-sponsored mindfulness training program is changing the lives of employees at Intel, Google, and Aetna.
Awake@Intel—an employee mindfulness training program in 9 weeks
By 2014, Intel had invested $75,000 into their mindfulness training program Awake@Intel which consist of 90-minute weekly sessions that combine meditation, breathing, and journaling. After completing this 9-week mindfulness program, participants have reported improved interaction with peers and direct reports, increased focus, decreased stress, and an ability to solve problems more quickly. They also reported a two-point increase in new ideas, insights, mental clarity, creativity, focus, quality of relationships, and engagement in work, leading to an overall improvement in team performance.
“Search Inside Yourself”: Google’s mindfulness course teaches emotional intelligence through meditation
At Google, employees have had the opportunity to take “Search Inside Yourself” since 2007. This free mindfulness training course is designed to teach reflection over reaction and promote being mindful of others. Participants have the option of taking the course over seven weeks or two and a half days. Both options follow a three-part structure: first to focus on training attention, next to develop self-knowledge and self-mastery, and finally culminating in developing useful mental habits. The course is so popular there is often a waiting list to enroll. One participant reported that the course “changed [their] life.”
Aetna’s mindful initiative: a mindfulness training program that actually saves money
Aetna believes so much in the value of mindfulness and meditation training that they’ve established a Mindfulness Center at their headquarters in Hartford. And rightly so—in 2012, they saw a 7.3% reduction in medical claims translating to a $9 million savings and an increased 62 minutes of productivity/week/worker which translates to around $3,000/worker/year. Those savings are significant, quantifiable and lasting. More recently, they were able to measure the success of their mindfulness initiatives through their 2018 Mindfulness Challenge, where participants reported 18% stress reduction after completing the challenge.
One of the best things about all these programs? Employees can use these skills at work and at home.