Headspace_logo_svg
Try for freeTry for free
PodcastWellness in the Workplace

Wellness in the Workplace

Not all workplaces are the same. Some work environments can be toxic, leading workers to feel pressure or anxiety. A way to counter an unhealthy workplace is by promoting wellness at your job. We all have to work, but wouldn’t it be nice if we could do so in a happy and healthy environment?

Try 14 days free

Better mental health starts with Headspace. Unrivaled expertise to make life feel a little easier, using guided meditations, mindfulness tips, focus tools, sleep support, and dedicated programs.

Try 14 days free
Better mental health starts with Headspace

(gentle music) Headspace Studio. (soft music) Greetings. My name is Kessonga, and I welcome you this Thursday to Radio Headspace. So as my children are getting older, my daughters are 16 and 12 years old, it seems like they're asking for money more and more. "Can I have this? Can I have that?" I'm like, "Yeah, y'all need to get a job." (laughs) So naturally, I look back at the different jobs that I've held down in the past, some good, some bad, from a telemarketer and a tutor, to a lab tech and a bartender. All were learning experiences. A Headspace member recently asked how to stay mindful in an unhealthy work environment because many workplaces promote urgency and productivity over wellness. So I think the first thing to identify if you feel like you're working in a toxic environment is to identify exactly how it is toxic. And so, yeah, many workplaces do promote a sense of urgency and productivity over wellness, and I can imagine that that puts a lot of pressure and anxiety on a person to perform. A mindful approach you can use to counter the unhealthy work culture you're experiencing is to lead by example. So if your work stress pertains to a sense of urgency and productivity over wellness, perhaps you can demonstrate what this wellness actually looks like. Come up with mindful practices that will promote wellness in your place of work. For example, perhaps forming a sort of wellness task force with its purpose being to promote wellness in the workplace. I've seen this in a number of businesses. They do activities such as inviting various health teachers to come and do a lunch talk about a specific topic. It really does work in creating a healthier workplace environment. And also, what having a wellness task force does is create an awareness of wellness and remembering that any change starts with awareness. Another specific action that comes to mind to help promote wellness in the workplace is to actually start each meeting with just a few mindful moments and being sure to emphasize explicitly what it is that you're doing. So it may sound something like, "Before we dive into today's meeting, just in the spirit of workplace wellness, let's just take a few mindful moments to gently let our full attention settle down into this current space." And even if you're not in charge of the meeting, perhaps gently making this suggestion beforehand. So recognizing and appreciating that this may indeed take some courage on your part. So I definitely get that, especially since this may seem like a foreign suggestion going against the culture of your workplace. But again, all change starts with awareness. Also, in the case of any type of work stress being experienced, your practice outside of work is very important. Remembering that mindfulness is not just an exercise or technique. It's really a way of being. It's a way of life. And before I go today,...

Details

TypePodcast
Duration5 min

About your teachers

  • A former Buddhist monk, Andy has guided people in meditation and mindfulness for 20 years. In his mission to make these practices accessible to all, he co-created the Headspace app in 2010.

    More about Andy
  • Eve is a mindfulness teacher, overseeing Headspace’s meditation curriculum. She is passionate about sharing meditation to help others feel less stressed and experience more compassion in their lives.

    More about Eve
  • As a meditation teacher, Dora encourages others to live, breathe, and be with the fullness of their experiences. She loves meditation’s power to create community and bring clarity to people’s minds.

    More about Dora
  • Kessonga has been an acupuncturists, therapist, and meditation teacher, working to bring mindfulness to the diverse populations of the world.

    More about Kessonga
  • Rosie Acosta has studied yoga and mindfulness for more than 20 years and taught for over a decade. Rosie’s mission is to help others overcome adversity and experience radical love.

    More about Rosie
Your lifelong guide to better mental health

Your lifelong guide to better mental health

Stress, sleep, and all the challenging emotions — care for your mind with the everyday mental health app that's shown to make a difference.

Try 14 days free
Look After Your Mind

Look after your mind

Proven guided meditations and programs to help you stress less, sleep more soundly, and better navigate life’s challenges

Science Backed

Science-backed

Studies show that using Headspace for 30 days can reduce stress, increase resilience, and improve overall well-being

Explore Content

Explore 1000+ 
expert-led exercises

Access our library of meditations, breathing exercises, and guidance videos for stress, sleep, focus, everyday anxiety , parenting, and more.

Member reviews

Hear from some of our members

Your app brings so much peace and tolerance to our home.

Rachel

UK

Member-Icon-01

Changing my thoughts has allowed me to change my life.

Davide

London

Member-Icon-04

The stress and loneliness courses … taught me how to comfort myself.

Alicia

Canada

Member-Icon-03

Headspace provides me with … a connection to myself, and a disconnection from negative thoughts, feelings, and sensations.

Keri

UK

Member-Icon-02

Related to 'Wellness In The'

Work Stress SOS

Nighttime SOS10-13 min

Put down unresolved work stress and let yourself drift off.

More to explore

Beginning Meditation

Explore-More-Icon-02

Reframe Stress and Relax

Explore-More-Icon-01

New and Popular

Explore-More-Icon-03

Becoming a Mindful Parent

Explore-More-Icon-04
    • Terms & conditions
    • Privacy policy
    • Consumer Health Data
    • Your privacy choices
      Privacy Choices Icon
    • CA Privacy Notice
  • © 2024 Headspace Inc.
  • Terms & conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Consumer Health Data
  • Your privacy choices
    Privacy Choices Icon
  • CA Privacy Notice