Rapid change in the workplace brings mental stress and physical strain
Take a deep breath. If you are like most Canadians, you don’t take enough deep breaths. In fact, you probably don’t breath enough, period.
Our overstressed, overscheduled, fast-paced, out-of-balance lives, make us so busy that we actually stop breathing as much as we should, resulting in low blood oxygen levels which lead to fatigue, poor concentration, headaches, stress and tension.
We don’t allow ourselves to waste time on such mundane priorities as breathing and stretching because there is too much to do in too little time with too few resources. And everyone is paying a price.
Employees are burning out, getting sick, making mistakes and increasingly losing their temper with customers, co-workers and loved ones. Employers are unable to reach their productivity potential and are losing good people to short-term disability, spending millions on prescription medication and seeing the negative effects on their bottom line. As taxpayers, we are seeing a sharp increase in demands on the health-care system.
People are saying enough is enough. If you have recently conducted an employee survey, focus group or town hall meeting, you will be familiar with the concerns about heavy workloads, increased stress and decreased job satisfaction.
Simple and effective wellness solutions
In response to these issues, wellness programs are expanding, quiet rooms are appearing in office towers, and increasingly, meditation and stretch breaks are being scheduled, yoga and Tai Chi classes offered and massage therapy provided in workplaces across North America.
Sue Pridham, president of Tri Fit, a corporate fitness consultancy that manages workplace fitness facilities, has noticed an increased demand for relaxing workouts. Yoga, Tai Chi and Pilates are among the most popular current offerings. In part, she attributes the popularity to the “need to counteract the hectic pace of employees’ day-to-day working lives.”
Yoga, Tai Chi, and Pilates combine elements of strengthening, stretching, good posture and deep breathing to “calm the body and the mind,” and undo years of bad habits created by the way people work.
Even a 20-minute yoga break will reduce energy strains, increase flexibility, physical and mental stamina and sharpen focus.
Massage: A holistic approach to wellness
Another way employers are trying to help is by providing access to on-site massage or subsidizing the cost of alternative therapies.
“Coping with rapid changes in the workplace has created stress in our minds, and the extended periods of time that workers now sit at computers has created new strains on our bodies,” says Lori Eisler, a certified shiatsu therapist and instructor at the Shiatsu School of Canada.
Workplace massage doesn’t take much time, space or money to see results. The International Journal of Neuroscience reported that adults who received two 15-minute massages in a week were not only more relaxed than those who didn’t, but also showed increased speed and accuracy in brain functions such as math skills.
Shiatsu therapy is a growing workplace trend. Although roughly 70 per cent of health insurance companies cover massage, many do not cover the full range alternative therapies. However, “work environments are conducive to shiatsu treatment since people are fully clothed and massage oils are not used, so there is no need for lockers or shower facilities.
It increases employee’s comfort levels and reduces employer anxiety about employees getting undressed at the worksite,” says Eisler.
A small room, with lights that can be turned off or dimmed, free from distractions like telephones and pagers, a massage table, chair or floor mat, and access to a qualified therapist — rates are typically $1 per minute — is all that’s needed to have regular massage at work. Some therapists also provide massage right at the employee’s workstation.
“Workplace massage not only improves the immediate and short-term symptoms, such as tension headaches, lower back, shoulder and neck pain, and repetitive strain disorders, but also helps people become more aware of their bodies, and educates them about how to take care of themselves — which is good for the long term,” notes Eisler.
Easy implementation
If regular visits to the worksite are not feasible, a number of one-shot or single-day options are available. Stress-management therapies — including therapeutic massage, shiatsu therapy, meditation or reflexology — can be highlighted at a health fair, offered as a performance bonus or as recognition for job well-done.
Even with limited space and restricted budgets, integrating more relaxing therapies into the workplace is not difficult. If you don’t have an on-site fitness facility, yoga and Pilates can be taught in a conference room over lunch hour, because showers or special equipment aren’t necessary.
If money for an instructor isn’t available, use a video. If on-site massage would be a hard sell, massaging chairs cost around $3,000. Even designating a quiet room with a comfortable chair gives permission for employees to take a minute, breathe, and regain focus and perspective.
You might be able to access pre-existing services at little or no additional cost. Lunch-and-learn workshops and seminars on relaxation, stress management, mediation and visualization are available through many EAP and EFAP programs.
As Eisler says, “Not only are lunch and learns very popular, but employees learn how they can use simple relaxation techniques on a daily basis and how to incorporate positive self-care strategies into their lives.”
Glossary of relaxation therapies
•Yoga: Originates with the Sanskrit root “yug,” which means to join together and bring into harmony. The term refers to many different traditions, which focus on creating peace in the body, mind and soul through the control of breathing, stretching, strengthening and meditation.
•Tai Chi: A form of moving meditation, which combines a series of slow, even and graceful postures to align and relax the body and mind. Attention to body positioning, breathing, and continuity of movement helps to develop Tai Chi’s essential qualities of slowness, lightness, balance, calmness and clarity.
•Pilates: Describes a series of non-impact exercises focusing on the core muscles of the body, designed to improve posture, alignment, strength, flexibility and balance.
•Shiatsu therapy: A pressure point massage focused on increasing energy flow, body re-alignment and overall mind-body balancing.
•Therapeutic massage: Refers to a range of manual therapies involving the manipulation of soft tissue. It’s designed to relieve muscle tension, reduce stress and evoke calmness.
•Meditation: The act of quiet contemplation, a discipline in which practitioners focus on posture, breath and maintaining concentration in order to clear and focus the mind, expand awareness, increase alertness, reduce stress and harmonize one’s sense of self.
•Qi Gong: Refers to the study or practice of a person’s life energy (“Qi”, or “Ch’i”). Through a combination of movement, meditation and visualization, qi gong integrates the mind and the body and reduces stress.
•Reflexology: The act of applying pressure to designated points on the feet and hands, which correspond with various organs, systems and parts of the body. Reflexology improves circulation, body function, reduces bodily stress and can help eliminate toxins.
Nora Spinks, is president of Work-Life Harmony Enterprises, an organization providing international leadership in the work-life field. Celia Moore, co-ordinates the Executive Work-Life Roundtable, a national forum for HR professionals interested in work-life and well-being. They can be reached at [email protected] and [email protected] or 1-800-965-2414.
Our overstressed, overscheduled, fast-paced, out-of-balance lives, make us so busy that we actually stop breathing as much as we should, resulting in low blood oxygen levels which lead to fatigue, poor concentration, headaches, stress and tension.
We don’t allow ourselves to waste time on such mundane priorities as breathing and stretching because there is too much to do in too little time with too few resources. And everyone is paying a price.
Employees are burning out, getting sick, making mistakes and increasingly losing their temper with customers, co-workers and loved ones. Employers are unable to reach their productivity potential and are losing good people to short-term disability, spending millions on prescription medication and seeing the negative effects on their bottom line. As taxpayers, we are seeing a sharp increase in demands on the health-care system.
People are saying enough is enough. If you have recently conducted an employee survey, focus group or town hall meeting, you will be familiar with the concerns about heavy workloads, increased stress and decreased job satisfaction.
Simple and effective wellness solutions
In response to these issues, wellness programs are expanding, quiet rooms are appearing in office towers, and increasingly, meditation and stretch breaks are being scheduled, yoga and Tai Chi classes offered and massage therapy provided in workplaces across North America.
Sue Pridham, president of Tri Fit, a corporate fitness consultancy that manages workplace fitness facilities, has noticed an increased demand for relaxing workouts. Yoga, Tai Chi and Pilates are among the most popular current offerings. In part, she attributes the popularity to the “need to counteract the hectic pace of employees’ day-to-day working lives.”
Yoga, Tai Chi, and Pilates combine elements of strengthening, stretching, good posture and deep breathing to “calm the body and the mind,” and undo years of bad habits created by the way people work.
Even a 20-minute yoga break will reduce energy strains, increase flexibility, physical and mental stamina and sharpen focus.
Massage: A holistic approach to wellness
Another way employers are trying to help is by providing access to on-site massage or subsidizing the cost of alternative therapies.
“Coping with rapid changes in the workplace has created stress in our minds, and the extended periods of time that workers now sit at computers has created new strains on our bodies,” says Lori Eisler, a certified shiatsu therapist and instructor at the Shiatsu School of Canada.
Workplace massage doesn’t take much time, space or money to see results. The International Journal of Neuroscience reported that adults who received two 15-minute massages in a week were not only more relaxed than those who didn’t, but also showed increased speed and accuracy in brain functions such as math skills.
Shiatsu therapy is a growing workplace trend. Although roughly 70 per cent of health insurance companies cover massage, many do not cover the full range alternative therapies. However, “work environments are conducive to shiatsu treatment since people are fully clothed and massage oils are not used, so there is no need for lockers or shower facilities.
It increases employee’s comfort levels and reduces employer anxiety about employees getting undressed at the worksite,” says Eisler.
A small room, with lights that can be turned off or dimmed, free from distractions like telephones and pagers, a massage table, chair or floor mat, and access to a qualified therapist — rates are typically $1 per minute — is all that’s needed to have regular massage at work. Some therapists also provide massage right at the employee’s workstation.
“Workplace massage not only improves the immediate and short-term symptoms, such as tension headaches, lower back, shoulder and neck pain, and repetitive strain disorders, but also helps people become more aware of their bodies, and educates them about how to take care of themselves — which is good for the long term,” notes Eisler.
Easy implementation
If regular visits to the worksite are not feasible, a number of one-shot or single-day options are available. Stress-management therapies — including therapeutic massage, shiatsu therapy, meditation or reflexology — can be highlighted at a health fair, offered as a performance bonus or as recognition for job well-done.
Even with limited space and restricted budgets, integrating more relaxing therapies into the workplace is not difficult. If you don’t have an on-site fitness facility, yoga and Pilates can be taught in a conference room over lunch hour, because showers or special equipment aren’t necessary.
If money for an instructor isn’t available, use a video. If on-site massage would be a hard sell, massaging chairs cost around $3,000. Even designating a quiet room with a comfortable chair gives permission for employees to take a minute, breathe, and regain focus and perspective.
You might be able to access pre-existing services at little or no additional cost. Lunch-and-learn workshops and seminars on relaxation, stress management, mediation and visualization are available through many EAP and EFAP programs.
As Eisler says, “Not only are lunch and learns very popular, but employees learn how they can use simple relaxation techniques on a daily basis and how to incorporate positive self-care strategies into their lives.”
Glossary of relaxation therapies
•Yoga: Originates with the Sanskrit root “yug,” which means to join together and bring into harmony. The term refers to many different traditions, which focus on creating peace in the body, mind and soul through the control of breathing, stretching, strengthening and meditation.
•Tai Chi: A form of moving meditation, which combines a series of slow, even and graceful postures to align and relax the body and mind. Attention to body positioning, breathing, and continuity of movement helps to develop Tai Chi’s essential qualities of slowness, lightness, balance, calmness and clarity.
•Pilates: Describes a series of non-impact exercises focusing on the core muscles of the body, designed to improve posture, alignment, strength, flexibility and balance.
•Shiatsu therapy: A pressure point massage focused on increasing energy flow, body re-alignment and overall mind-body balancing.
•Therapeutic massage: Refers to a range of manual therapies involving the manipulation of soft tissue. It’s designed to relieve muscle tension, reduce stress and evoke calmness.
•Meditation: The act of quiet contemplation, a discipline in which practitioners focus on posture, breath and maintaining concentration in order to clear and focus the mind, expand awareness, increase alertness, reduce stress and harmonize one’s sense of self.
•Qi Gong: Refers to the study or practice of a person’s life energy (“Qi”, or “Ch’i”). Through a combination of movement, meditation and visualization, qi gong integrates the mind and the body and reduces stress.
•Reflexology: The act of applying pressure to designated points on the feet and hands, which correspond with various organs, systems and parts of the body. Reflexology improves circulation, body function, reduces bodily stress and can help eliminate toxins.
Nora Spinks, is president of Work-Life Harmony Enterprises, an organization providing international leadership in the work-life field. Celia Moore, co-ordinates the Executive Work-Life Roundtable, a national forum for HR professionals interested in work-life and well-being. They can be reached at [email protected] and [email protected] or 1-800-965-2414.
