Yoga For Stress Relief And Why Top Employers Offer On-Site Yoga Classes

The use of yoga for stress relief is not a new idea. The numerous benefits of this ancient practice are well documented even in clinical trials. Yoga for stress relief is getting increasing attention from corporate America as well. As work is a significant source of stress in our lives, it only makes sense to use yoga for stress relief at the workplace. The beauty is, companies of any size can benefit from the positive effects of incorporating yoga classes for stress relief into existing workplace wellness programs.

There is a multitude of health issues that employers typically end up paying for either in the form of increased direct health care costs or indirectly through lost employee productivity. Besides the fact that yoga is a proven stress reducer, it also assists with high-cost health conditions like repetitive strain injury and lower back pain.

There are many compelling reasons why companies are routinely adding on-site fitness classes, such as yoga for stress relief, to their workplace wellness programs. Giving employees the tools to manage their stress is far more cost-effective than dealing with the various complications of toxic stress exposure.

Meet Sarah Sandberg, a 46-year old mother of two. It was a Tuesday morning shortly after 11:00. Sarah was sitting at her office desk when she caught herself staring into the emptiness, not remembering what she was about to do. She shook her head and frowned as she became increasingly irritated by the fact that her ability to concentrate has been slowly diminishing. It was a real struggle for her to stay focused these days.

She has been working under tremendous pressure for quite a while now, and she has noticed some unwanted changes in her health and level of engagement at work. Her achy back was making it really difficult to stay seated for long periods and her constant headache lead her to seek refuge in over-the-counter painkillers. She felt really old and tired. She was experiencing a major burnout.

Sarah has been working for her company for the past ten years. She still remembers the day she was hired, how excited she was. She was ambitious, energetic and a hard worker. Everything seemed to be on track for the first five years. But for the last three years, things have taken a drastic turn for the worse.

Her company underwent several downsizing and was finally acquired by a much larger corporation. Her roles and responsibilities changed times and times over, and she started to feel like she was on a roller coaster. And she hated roller coasters. They made her sick. Up and down, up and down… It was highly unsettling…

Familiar story? Perhaps you know someone who’s experiencing similar symptoms of burnout. Or maybe that someone is you. Rest assured, you are not alone.

Over the past decade, stress and burnout have become an evergreen topic of discussion. The top 3 sources of stress among US adults are concerns over money, workplace, and economy. Burnout has, however, three major symptoms which are widely recognized: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced performance. That’s why employers cannot afford to sit on the sidelines and watch their employees waste away from the consequences of toxic stress. Should they do so, it will be sure to impact their bottom line negatively.

Let’s take a step back and imagine a scenario where a different approach to workplace wellness creates very different outcomes — a world, where Sarah is fortunate enough to be working for a company that offers a comprehensive workplace wellness program to combat the toxic effects of stress.

Sarah’s company considers poor employee performance, lack of engagement, burnout and a rapid decline of employee health as obvious symptoms of stress. Mary, the Human Resources Manager, has always been a champion for change. Her vision is to create an authentic culture of health. She believes that healthy employees are essential to the success of any organization. Without a healthy workforce, long-term success is simply impossible.

Among the many other wellness initiatives, the organization decides to offer yoga for stress relief. Some employees set the tone for the day by attending early morning office yoga sessions. Others prefer to find refuge from the daily stress by taking yoga for stress relief class at the end of the day. Lunchtime workshops and mid-day resets are also very popular.

Through her practice, Sarah learns to become much more self-aware and learns the importance of using her breath to calm herself at times of stress or whenever she feels anxious. Using yoga for stress relief was a real lifesaver to her, and she now looks forward to coming to work every day.

Sarah’s inspiring story is not unique. Google, Apple, and other corporations have incorporated yoga and mindfulness into their corporate wellness programs for many years. The positive return on investment is undeniable as the benefits of yoga for stress relief have already been well established.

Yoga is an ancient form of practice with powerful evidence proving its multitude of benefits on all three aspects of human health, the body, mind, and the spirit. Its popularity has been growing at a remarkable pace over the past few years. According to The 2016 Yoga in America Study, there are 36.7 million yoga practitioners in the US today. This number represents a considerable jump from 20.4 million in 2012. Even more impactful is the fact that there are another 80 million Americans with the intention to try yoga this year. These statistics are compelling as they demonstrate that yoga’s benefits are not only recognized but actively sought after by a large percentage of the population.

WHY DO PEOPLE START PRACTICING YOGA?

1. Increase Flexibility
2. Relieve Stress
3. General Fitness
4. Improve overall health
5. Physical fitness

These five reasons that people have in mind when turning to yoga show that it is way more than a form of physical exercise. It works not only on a physical but on a mental and emotional level as well.

WHY DO COMPANIES OFFER YOGA AT WORK

There are several reasons as to why many companies have turned to yoga to provide real solutions to the problems that stress creates in the workplace. Managing work-related stress is a top priority of any organization that is looking to maintain employee productivity in the long run. Besides the stress relieving benefit of yoga, back safety goals can also be reached by bringing yoga to the office.

For example, according to a study done by the NIH’s National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, weekly yoga classes and intensive stretching are equally effective at easing chronic lower back pain and improving back mobility. These results are particularly encouraging as low back pain is the most common reason for job-related disability and is the number one cause for missed work. On top of that, the cost of dealing with this seemingly benign condition costs Americans 50 billion dollars a year.

TOP BENEFITS OF YOGA TO THE EMPLOYER

In summary, here is the list of top benefits companies can expect to see as a result of incorporating yoga classes into their existing employee wellness offerings.

• Reduced chronic back pain
• Lower stress level at work
• Decreased incidence of headaches
• Improved overall health resulting in less sick leave
• Increased productivity and energy level, mental clarity, decision-making ability
• Improved job satisfaction
• Reduced absenteeism
• Lower healthcare costs
• Reduced workers compensation and disability management claims costs
• A positive ROI on dollars spent on corporate wellness programs

The benefits of office yoga are numerous. Let Sarah’s story be a perfect illustration of why keeping employee health at the forefront of corporate decisions is not only cost-effective but also the right thing to do.