Spiritual Wellness (Lauren Schumacher)

Spiritual wellness is another dimension of wellness that helps contributes to overall wellness within an organization. Spiritual wellness is entirely personal and involves one’s values and beliefs and helps define one’s purpose as an individual. In a recent article from the University of California, it is stated that, “While different individuals may have different views of what spiritualism is, it is generally considered to be the search for meaning and purpose in human existence, leading one to strive for a state of harmony with oneself and others while working to balance inner needs with the rest of the world” (Spiritual wellness, 2012). Spiritual wellness can be considered as an individual being content and at peace with themself, and this is extremely important in relation to overall employee productivity, satisfaction and happiness.

It has been proven that happier employees are more productive and satisfied with themselves and with their spot within an organization. Spiritual wellness is only one dimension of overall corporate wellness but it can contribute so much to the overall wellness goal. Reaching spiritual wellness may be a challenge, but it is important for everyone to explore what they consider is their own sense of purpose and meaning. The road to spiritual wellness may involve prayer, meditation, affirmations or specific practices that will support one’s connection to a higher power or belief system. Also, an individual’s religious faith, values, principles, beliefs and morals help define their spirituality (Spiritual wellness, 2012).

There are all types of different activities and exercises that can be practiced when trying to achieve spiritual wellness and many organizations are picking up on these various activities and incorporating them and offering them to employees. In a recent article it is said that, “Some of the most common clinical problems in individuals are symptoms of more profound issues. Social isolation, a hated job, bad relationships, chronic financial problems, or a lack of spirituality are the conditions that really make people sick. Having a connection to a strong set of spiritual beliefs lends strength to an employee’s ability to handle stress” (Caldwell, 2012). This article shows just how important spirituality is and many organizations are doing things to help their employees.

In a news article by Canadian Business, Jordan Timm says that, “Studies suggest the average worker is interrupted once every 11 minutes; it takes on average about 25 minutes for that worker to get back on task. It’s just one of the everyday strains on the modern worker, and just one reason why some companies are incorporating meditation practices into the workplace, in a bid to preserve their employees’ productivity, never mind their mental health” (Timm, 2010). Google is one of these companies that are investing in workplace mindfulness. An employee at Google created a program called Search Inside Yourself which focuses on developing workers’ emotional intelligence, and teaching them about the foundation of material. It incorporated instruction on mindful breathing and listening techniques that would offer personal benefits for employees, but with an eye on improving the company’s bottom line as well. Google has since created meditation spaces around its campuses and employees have organized classes (Timm, 2010). Having employees that are content and at peace with themselves will not only benefit the employee, but the organization as a whole. A lot of spiritual wellness activities are just simple activities and changes that can be easily incorporated to an employee’s everyday schedule, but these little changes can provide an entirely new positive outlook.

One activity that has been implemented within many organizations is yoga. Practicing yoga has been known to help individuals feel more wholesome and present in the current moment, leading to an overall happier, more satisfied person. “At Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, the Departments of Radiology and Surgery sponsored a ‘yoga at work’ activity. These departments have collaborated to develop an innovative RadSurg LiveWell program focused on providing a variety of health promotion activities for employees” (Jasperson, 2011). With this practice of yoga at work, it was concluded that, “The SATYA yoga at work activity successfully engaged body, mind and spirit components of a workplace wellness activity and appears to have led to some sustainable life changes for several participants” (Jasperson, 2011). Yoga is a simple but very beneficial activity that not only improves individual’s mental state, but it is also an activity that can help with physical wellness as well. Yoga is also very beneficial because it challenges your mind and body in a simple way, allowing you to see that certain things are possible if you put your mind to it. Our minds are powerful things, and yoga can help exercise the mind and provide clarity within.

There are so many more spiritual wellness activities that can be integrated within companies, but it is very encouraging to see that even the smallest changes can help provide the biggest achievements within an organization. It is very interesting to see that overall corporate wellness starts with the individuals themselves, but each dimension of wellness builds off one another in some way, tying them all together in the end. Spiritual wellness focuses on enriching the mind and helps an organization move towards overall corporate wellness and success.

Caldwell, B. Holistic approach to health encompasses body, mind, spirit. (2012). Employee Benefit Plan Review, Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com.huaryu.kl.oakland.edu/abicomplete/docview/216882837/13D747551A7789B73C5/2?accountid=12924c

Jasperson, D. B. (2011, August 01). Engaging the mind, body and spirit in a workplace wellness program. Corporate Wellness Magazine, Retrieved from                

http://www.corporatewellnessmagazine.com/article/engaging-the-mind-body-and-spirit-in-a-workplace-wellness-program.html

Spiritual wellness. (2012, September 27). Retrieved from                http://wellness.ucr.edu/spiritual_wellness.html

Timm, J. (2010, April 26). Why meditation has a place in business. Canadian Business, Retrieved from                http://search.proquest.com.huaryu.kl.oakland.edu/abicomplete/docview/89156323/13D747551A7789B73C5/15?accountid=12924