Opinion
Give Your Employees the Gift of Yoga
How workplace yoga can boost morale and productivity
Whether you own a large company or a small-business owner, you and your employees can benefit by introducing yoga into your corporate wellness program and daily work routine. Many companies now offer yoga classes to employees to boost productivity and morale.
Yoga is fitness for both the body and the mind, activating muscles and mindful awareness and focusing on breathing and meditation.
Many employees are spending long hours sitting at their desks, which is unhealthy and can lead to less productivity and higher stress levels. An excellent way to boost the health and productivity of employees is a morning or lunchtime yoga class during the workday. This will clear the mind, reduce fatigue, and relax employees to be more focused and alert.
Giving your employees the gift of yoga will:
- Increase energy
- Reduce pain
- Relieve stress
- Boost positivity and morale
- Improve focus and concentration
Yoga increases energy
Many workers sit at their desks for hours each day, yet this is less productive than getting up and having regular breaks. In addition, sitting at your desk for long periods is a huge energy drainer and causes fatigue over the day.
A yoga class in the morning or at lunchtime is a great way to prevent fatigue by waking you up first and getting your mind ready for the day or stopping the afternoon slump. Standing up and doing stretches and yoga poses increases blood circulation and flexibility and activates the muscles and mind, warding off fatigue.
Yoga reduces pain
Sitting at a desk for hours staring at a screen causes posture problems, back pain, neck strain, shoulder stiffness, carpal tunnel syndrome, and headaches. These pains reduce productivity and lead to further health issues, more sick days, and time off work.
Yoga reduces pain, aches, and other physical issues by improving flexibility, increasing blood flow, raising heart rate, stretching muscles, and focusing on breathing and a sense of calm. Doing regular yoga can also boost the immune system, leading to healthier employees and less illness in the workplace.
Yoga relieves stress
Stress can be a significant factor in any workplace and affect all employees. Stress affects health, productivity, and morale. In addition, stress lowers the immune system and can lead to illnesses such as headaches, colds, infections, blood pressure, and heart disease.
Yoga has a calming effect as it focuses on breathing, meditation, and mindfulness. The connection between the mind and the body is an essential part of yoga, and as you stretch and relax the body, the mind also relaxes.
Yoga boosts positivity and morale.
Doing yoga releases endorphins, making you feel great physically and mentally, and giving you a boost. In addition, doing an exercise such as yoga regularly makes you more energetic and therefore feel more joyful and productive.
When employees feel physically and mentally well, they will have high morale. They will feel better at their job and interact with co-workers. This leads to high feelings of self-confidence. Healthy and relaxed employees are more productive and have higher workplace morale, reducing employee stress and turnover.
Yoga improves focus and concentration.
If employees feel stressed or unwell at work, this can significantly impact their focus and concentration. The meditation and breathing exercises that are part of yoga can help clear your mind, silence everything around you, and allow you to focus on what you need to.
Yoga also increases creativity by opening up the mind and leading to better decision-making skills.
