Corporate yoga and why more businesses will be implementing the practice.
At the height of the pandemic between 40 to 50 % of work hours logged in EU countries were being performed remotely by people working from home, Ireland being the second highest on that list according to labour market think tank Eurofound. No doubt this is a testament to the monumental ability of the human race to adapt so quickly to such adverse events with the aid of technology. Technology is allowing many employees continue to work, offer services and earn a living during one of the most surreal events of our lifetimes. It seems that this may be a trend here to stay long after Covid 19 has gone, or at least some hybrid of combined office hours and remote work will be a permanent part of the landscape. A survey by the BBC future forum research found in the UK that only 12% of employees surveyed would like to return to the traditional way of working with 9 to 5 office hours, long commutes, or the excessively high rents that go along with many of these positions. It seems the pandemic has increased the velocity of the shift to a more flexible environment for many positions and it has exposed the ease of which the transition can be accomplished while also expanding peoples imaginations to conceive of an improved work life balance with less commuting and the efficiencies offered by the home office experience. All these positives are immediately evident, but some of the less obvious effects may only be seen after a some lengthy exposure to this, for many, a new way of working.
The lines between work and home life are, now, even more easily blurred. The work life hours can begin to seep into the home life hours. Long term this will have an impact on employees quality of home life, family life and cumulatively, in their overall performance. Employees will no longer just be bringing their work home with them on the weekends but living, sleeping, waking, repeating with their work, family and home 24/7. Employees are more productive from home, in Ireland we have seen productivity increasing by 13% due to remote working, however there is always the flip side where employees are feeling the pressure. According to research carried out by IrishJobs.ie, 21% say they cannot switch off from work, 12% feel that they are working less efficiently due to longer hours and expectations and 11% claim to have a heavier workload than usual. Anyone who has worked from home with children also knows the level of patience required to juggle both.
In the same research 42% of employees were working form their kitchen table and only 2 in 10 had a dedicated space to work. We have regulations about work place safety to prevent strain and injury, we have yet to catch up with the same issues for remote workers.
The opportunity
This *study from the university of Bristol found some compelling evidence for the implementation of any exercise programme and the creation of opportunities for employees to move during their work day.
The proven* benefits of any type of exercise during the work day-
- Improved energy
- Improved mental clarity
- Improved concentration and focus
- Improved interpersonal employee relationships
- Greater productivity
- Improved ability to problem solve
- Immediate sense of calm and connection
- Decreased overall stress response
- Decreased absenteeism
- Decreased physical distress and work related injury
- Decreased postural degradation and dysfunction in sedentary roles
*”Such corporate-social responsibility might not just lead to longer-term, health-related financial returns. Businesses may notice staff that take up such opportunities are in much better spirits and are much more productive on a short-term basis.”
Exercise during the work day, whether in a remote work environment or your regular office, has so much to offer employees and their employers, the benefits of which are numerous as listed above.
One of the most difficult aspect that dedicated employees seem to struggle with is the allocation of appropriate time for the maintenance of their mental health and wellbeing. This seems to be true whether in the office or working remotely. On-site workers have the added element of feeling judged by their piers as this study reveals. The study published by the International Journal of Workplace Health Management noted the many benefits of physical exercise during the work day. Yet it also worryingly noted that the participants had negative impacts of the challenges of organising their exercise, work colleagues opinion and the guilt of taking time away from their work. This will be even more difficult for those working remotely where the work life balance is precarious.
“It offered an active break from the demands of the office, where participants commented on the marked contrast with the sedentary nature of their work. Females especially valued this as “me time”. Exercise afforded contributors more perspective about the workday and resilience to stressors. It appeared to reinforce their short-term sense of personal achievement, by a process of accumulation. Negative features included the challenges of self-organisation, guilt over being away from the desk and perceived negative judgement from colleagues.”
Intervention is required by thoughtful, forward thinking leadership within the business community itself, leadership that will inspire employees to take their health seriously and define the lines again. By building in specific healthy active breaks to the routine of the work day this will alleviate all of the elements which aggravate employees ability to take the beneficial physical exercise needed, which included the challenges of self organisation, negative judgement from colleagues and guilt over being away from their desk. Or by offering employees proven exercises that they can add to their toolbox of self care during or at the end of the work day, such as yoga and meditation, we can begin to offset the negatives we see arising.
“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” John Quincy Adams
Why Yoga is the perfect fit.
Yoga offers many medicinal benefits but it is unique in some very important aspects which make it most appropriate for the workplace. The practice fuses rather effectively with the office environment and the specifics needs of implementing a work place programme to boast physical activities for employees during their work day as outlined below.
Benefits of Yoga in the workplace
- Yoga is accessible to all levels of experience and physical abilities
- Adaptable for chair options
- Limited equipment required (a mat or chair)
- Low impact exercise
- Yoga can be offered online via live classes directly to your office or employees home
- Yoga can be offered onsite at the workplace or events with limited requirements or equipment
Benefits of yoga as a practice
Yoga focuses on alignment, flexibility and mindfulness in movement. Perfect for the strains of sitting and using a computer for long periods. Breathing exercises invigorate and cleanse the mind, who doesn’t need that in the afternoon slump? Meditative practices offer an immediate sense of calm and long term resilience to stress.
- Improved alignment, flexibility and strength
- Improved cardiovascular health
- Increased sense of wellbeing and calm
- Improved balance and posture
- Increased immune response through reduced cortisol
- Improved mental performance and clarity
- Improved resilience to stress
- Increased energy
- Improved sleep
- Improved confidence and body image
*”The study also begs the question whether employers can afford not to be encouraging active breaks. The suggestion is that employers who are ahead of the game in offering proper onsite facilities actually get less from their employees on days that they don’t exercise.”
Changing work environments and changing times require a fundamental change in attitude to our wellness and work life. If we are to learn lessons from the crisis, one of those lessons is to take care of our body, minds and spirits, lean into change and take care of our workforce so we can keep the country operating. If you are interested in bringing in person yoga classes into your workplace in the Wicklow or Wexford areas, contact me for more details. Online zoom yoga classes can be arranged for any where in Ireland.