A Mindful Nation and mindfulness in the workplace

The Mindful Nation UK report was launched in Parliament on 20th October as the result of a 12-month inquiry by the Mindfulness All-Party Parliamentary Group into how mindfulness might be incorporated into UK services and institutions

The workplace has been one of the four policy areas examined by the inquiry that has particularly led to debate. The report makes a specific recommendation to the What Works Centre for Wellbeing in this area.

Our Director, Nancy Hey spoke at the Mindfulness in the workplace event last night to celebrate the launch of the report and look at next steps. The report looks at how we can ensure mindfulness fulfills its potential to help create a more healthy, productive and creative 21st century working culture across the UK.

Why does this matter?

There is good evidence to support mindfulness and mindfulness-based therapy.  Being mindful is part of taking notice, one of the 5 ways to wellbeing.  We know that, in general, our personal wellbeing dips, probably naturally from age 20, down to a low in the mid to late 40s and then back up to 60 and mostly continues upwards.

How can we cushion the impact of the wellbeing dip?

We know quite a few protective factors including good mental and physical health, good work, and social relationships.  Early analysis, as part of the ESRC wellbeing counts project, suggests that this age span is the time where ‘take notice’ also dips, particularly in the UK.  As this is the part of our lives where we  spend much of our time engaged in work, this suggests that mindfulness in the workplace could have a significant positive impact on our wellbeing.