You’ve probably landed here because you’re an HR leader seeking effective ways to improve workplace well-being. You might also be looking for inspiration to help you build out a more robust company wellness program.
Sharing mindfulness exercises with employees can be a game-changer for remote teams. Even though they’re trending, mindfulness exercises aren’t “luxury items”, they’re a key element to building healthy work habits.
Encouraging your employees to take short, focused breaks is essential to help prevent burnout, reduce stress, and improve overall mental health.
In this article, we’re sharing some practical ideas to encourage your teams to try mindfulness for themselves. We’ll also look at ways that your employees can make these exercises a regular part of their work schedule.
What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness is the practice being fully present in the moment. With simple breathing and thought techniques, you can become more aware of your emotions, breathing, and body — without judging any of these thoughts or sensations.
At its core, it’s about engaging with your current tasks and surroundings, rather than getting caught up in distractions and worried thoughts.
There’s plenty of scientific research to back up mindfulness as an essential part of our well-being. Regular mindful practices have been shown to effectively reduce depression, manage stress, and improve memory and focus.
Researchers have also discovered strong evidence that people who practice mindfulness are less likely to react with negative thoughts or emotions in times of stress.
These benefits translate to your organization in the form of fewer instances of burnout, better team collaboration, and a more harmonious work environment.
How can mindfulness benefit remote employees?
For remote workers, mindfulness can be a powerful tool. Working from home can often blur the line between work and personal life, which can lead to increased anxiety and mental fatigue.
Mindfulness helps to approach these challenges by giving your employees the skills to ground themselves in the present moment. This can significantly improve stress levels and contribute to a calmer mood. It’s about helping your people to create a sustainable way to work that supports their well-being.
And the best part? Your employees don’t need to be meditation gurus to reap the benefits. Simple, practical mindfulness exercises can make a huge difference, even for those who are completely new to the concept.
With regular mindfulness practice, your teams can gain the mental and physical skills they need to handle everything the work day throws at them, and make better decisions along the way.
Empower leaders and managers
Leaders and managers can benefit from mindfulness practice too, and not just for their personal well-being and better performance in their role. Leading by example and encouraging their teams to take mindfulness breaks is a powerful way for leaders to contribute to a healthy workplace culture.
Empower your leaders to share effective mindful exercises that can be directly applied to day-to-day stressors. For example, a practical breathing exercise to help a team member reduce anxiety symptoms before an important presentation.
7 simple and effective mindfulness exercises
The great thing about mindfulness is that it doesn’t require a special setting, or take up a lot of time. Employees can literally practice a mindful activity at their desks whenever they need to.
These seven exercises are fast and practical, and designed to fit seamlessly into the busy schedules of your remote employees. Each exercise targets specific challenges that your teams might face in their day-to-day work, from reducing physical tension to managing feelings of anxiety.
1. Mindful breathing
Simple breathing exercises can be used to reduce stress and promote a feeling of calmness and relaxation. Ideal for those pressure-cooker work days with a big to-do list and tight deadlines!
A simple technique such as “box breathing” can help employees feel calmer in under two minutes. It’s a perfect reset between Zoom calls or before jumping into the next task.
How to box breathe:
Inhale through the nose for four counts. Hold the breath at the top of each inhale for four counts, and then slowly exhale through the mouth for four counts. At the bottom of the inhale, hold for four counts, and then repeat from the beginning.
2. Gratitude session
Practicing gratitude is one of the fundamental pieces of mindfulness. It can boost mood and happiness, and it helps people to shift their focus away from feeling overwhelmed by stress or negative thoughts.
Gratitude sessions can be implemented as a team, or practiced as an individual exercise.
How to practice gratitude:
Make a list of three things to be grateful for. Even small things that enhance daily life are impactful to list. Speak them out loud, or write them down, alone or with others.
It’s as simple as that!
Here’s a list of gratitude prompts to help get you started.
3. Mindful stretching
Most of us tend to spend hours at the computer during the work day. It’s important to encourage everyone in your organization to take regular breaks to avoid pain and stiffness.
Stretching can help to iron out all the physical tension, such as tired backs and sore shoulders, that can build up when we’re sitting down for too long.
Effective mindful neck release exercises can be completed in well under 10 minutes.
How to mindfully stretch neck and shoulders:
Gently stretch your neck to each side, and then to the front and back. Use your hand to gently pull your head deeper into each stretch so you can physically feel the tension releasing. Pay attention to what you are feeling in each muscle and focus on the change in how you feel between movements.
Repeat as many times as you need to, and roll your shoulders around a few times to loosen up all the muscles that support your neck. Stretch your arms above your head, and to the sides a few times, before rolling your shoulders again.
4. Positive affirmations
A close cousin to the gratitude exercise mentioned above is the mindful practice of affirmations. It’s not as “woo-woo” as it sounds!
An affirmation is simply a positive statement that your employees can repeat to themselves (silently or out loud) during the day, or write them down. It’s proven to reduce stress, making it ideal to use before heading into a challenging meeting or project.
Positive affirmation examples:
- I can handle anything that comes my way
- I always achieve my work goals
- Every challenge is a learning opportunity
- I am strong, smart, and capable
- Am I good enough? Yes, I am!
- I’m really proud of our team and the work we do together
5. Meditation
When most people think of mindfulness, meditation is the first to come to mind. Most people also understand the multiple benefits of meditation, even if they haven’t personally given it a try.
An effective meditation session can be wrapped up in as little as 5 minutes, and it can be as simple as playing a guided meditation on YouTube, or setting your phone timer and closing your eyes.
How to do a body scan meditation:
A body scan meditation is easy to do, especially for first-timers who may be apprehensive to simply just being still and quiet.
- Find a quiet, comfortable place where you can relax — either sitting or lying down
- Soften your focus (or close your eyes) and begin to breathe slowly and deeply, in through your nose and out through your mouth
- Turn your thoughts inwards and begin to scan your body from the top of your head to your toes
- Observe how your body feels as you scan around it
- It’s okay for your thoughts to try and intrude on this quiet time! Just turn your focus back to your breathing whenever they pop up
- Once your body scan has reached your toes (or your timer goes off), open your eyes and have a quick, full body stretch to finish up your meditation session
6. Mindful eating
Eating can be a challenge when working remotely, and it can be difficult to even remember to eat if you’re not surrounded by others going for a lunch break. There’s also a higher chance of eating while working and not taking the time to step away to focus on a meal.
Mindful eating exercises can help get things back in balance. They can encourage healthier eating habits, and greater enjoyment of food.
How remote workers can practice mindful eating:
- Block time in the calendar for a lunch break and turn off notifications during this time
- Find a place to sit away from the workspace to have a meal
- Take the time to enjoy the food, noticing the tastes and texture
- Focus on one or two aspects of the meal to be grateful for, such as the nutrients in the food or even the dishware being used
- Notice feelings of satiation and conclude the meal when it feels right for your body
- Return to the workspace when the meal is complete and thank yourself for taking the time to nourish your body!
Learn more about mindful eating practices here.
7. Sound healing
For deep relaxation and stress relief, sound healing has been proven to help people unwind and improve their mood. It’s also easy to incorporate into the workday, and doesn’t require robust instructions or guidance on how to benefit from it.
How to benefit from sound healing:
During your work day, or at the end of each day, listen to calming sounds that help you unwind, recharge, and reset. Singing bowls tend to be the popular go-to when it comes to enjoying a sound healing session, but nature sounds and soothing music are also effective.
More mindfulness exercises tailored to remote workers
Hundreds of mindfulness sessions are available on Bright Breaks. Our 7-minute live and on-demand breaks are optimized to fit into the schedules of remote and hybrid teams, and are specifically created with remote workers in mind.
Your employees can experience mindful breaks that refresh their minds and bodies, setting them up for success and balance in their work day — and beyond.
How to integrate mindfulness exercises into the work day
Integrating mindfulness exercises into your organization doesn’t have to be a chore, even for busy remote employees.
Mindfulness isn’t about setting rigid schedules or forcing your employees to start the day with a guided meditation. It’s about encouraging your people to find moments that work best for them, so they can make mindfulness a natural part of their daily routine.
Bright Breaks automatically suggests workday breaks directly in employee calendars at times that work for them. This helps in building workday well-being habits over the long term.
Whether it’s a midday reset, a quick breathing exercise before a meeting, or a wind-down session in the evening, Bright Breaks encourages employees to practice mindfulness exercises that fit with their personal schedules and energy levels.
To increase participation in mindfulness practices, offering incentives is always a fantastic motivator! Consider setting up mindfulness challenges where employees can earn points for completing certain mindful exercises, with rewards like gift cards or company swag.
Bright Breaks makes this easy with built-in challenges and a live leaderboard, adding a fun, engaging element to mindfulness exercises.
With over 250 live well-being breaks each week, plus an extensive on-demand video library, there are mindfulness sessions that fit into even the busiest schedules. Your employees can join a break with a single click, invite colleagues to join them, and even personalize their experience by getting notifications about upcoming breaks that they enjoy.
Plus, Bright Breaks gives your employees a chance to win gift cards every week, just by taking breaks!
Wrapping up
Mindfulness is more than just a wellness trend. It’s a genuinely useful practice that can help your remote and hybrid teams manage their stress levels, improve focus, and create a more healthy, balanced work day.
Integrating mindfulness into a work routine doesn’t have to be complicated. Flexibility is key, and employees should be able to practice at times that best suit their schedules. Encouraging your team to take small, daily steps toward regular mindfulness practices can lead to significant improvements in both mental well-being and overall productivity. Bright Breaks offers a wide range of live and on-demand sessions, so it’s easy for your teams to make mindfulness a consistent and enjoyable part of their day.
