Mindfulness as a practice in the workplace

UVAFinance has embarked on a workplace mindfulness program, offering a variety of activities to team members, all geared toward stress reduction and personal growth.

Patrick Wood, who leads events coordination on the UVAFinance Administrative Services Group, spearheaded the effort to bring the initiative to fruition.

“The purpose of the program is to promote a work environment where people have the strategies they need to cope with stress, where they can develop better relationships, and make proactive changes,” Wood said.

Studies show that mindfulness can help ease stress, provide resilience against negative experiences, and promote empathy and compassion. Preliminary studies even suggest that mindfulness has a positive effect on productivity and can reduce the number of sick days a person takes.

Activities on the calendar include chair massage, yoga and guided meditation, and sessions promoting mindfulness through art.

Wood says the response to the mindfulness offerings has been very positive so far. Attendance was high at the recent art session, and all of the chair massage appointments were spoken for within five minutes of the announcement.

Raegan Harouff from Procurement and Supplier Diversity Services attended the Mindfulness through Art session. She cited it as a great stress reliever.

“I’ve been practicing mindfulness for some time and have been a lifelong art lover,” she said. “I really enjoyed blending the two, and I’ll definitely check out future sessions.”

Mindfulness sessions are offered every week in UVAFinance and are announced via email.

Want to know more about how mindfulness can positively impact your work experience, no matter where you work? Check out this site. There are also several apps you can download for individual practice of mindfulness, including meditation, yoga, and more!