Dive Brief:

• Harvard Medical University assistant professor, Dr. Sara Lazar, has found a link between mindfulness training and improved mental ability of individuals, reports CIPD. Lazar spoke at the Mind and Matter conference held in London recently. 
• Research shows that when employees practice mindfulness on a regular basis, they are better able to sustain their attention spans and deal with the stressors of work. Brain efficiency is also increased. In a study that spanned a two-month period, participants experienced enhanced sensory perception, emotional regulation, and the capacity for learning new things. 
• Other leaders at the conference, such as Helen Wray, health and wellbeing business partner at Mars, said that around 75% of their field sales reps who participated in mindfulness training said that they believed it helped them perform better on the job. Wray advised that it's critical to get executive buy-in when introducing mindfulness. 

Dive Insight:

Mindfulness is not a new concept, but the introduction of mindfulness training as a wellness initiative is more recent in workplaces. HR is always looking for ways to increase employee satisfaction and performance, and mindfulness seems to fit the bill for some.

There are a number of ways to bring mindfulness training into the workplace, including the use of apps and employee self-management modules. Mindfulness is beneficial to most people who practice it because it increases focus and reduces stress, key parts of a holistic health program.  

In terms of learning and development teams who get on board with mindfulness, they can leverage this in micro-learning lessons to compliment and support other training topics. Such training supports better learning retention, and may help make lessons stick.