An ROI for Mindfulness?

My dear friend (we’ll call him Brad to protect his privacy) looked me right in the eye and said, “Harriet, I talk with CEOs every day, and they could care less if their staff is up all night and can’t sleep. They are not thinking about their employees’ stress.”

I looked at Brad in amazement. It really hurt my heart, but I needed to hear it.

So, I replied, “What if they knew that I could quickly and easily teach their employees a practice that could impact their company’s healthcare costs?”

“That,” Brad continued, “they would surely be interested in.”

I’ve had the honor of working with CEOs that are very concerned about the health of their employees.

And I frequently hear from HR leaders that the number one problem they are currently faced with is the mental wellbeing of the employees that they support.

So, I respectfully ask you, “How much is this problem costing your company?”

Let’s look at the numbers highlighted in Mind Share Partners 2021 Mental Health at Work Report.

“The Future of Mental Health is Culture, Not Perks”

68% of Millennials and 81% of Gen Zers have left a job for mental-health reasons

These numbers are staggering, and a dramatic rise from already concerning pre-pandemic levels. As a nurse, I knew that 2020, 2021 and 2022 would be very stressful. I did my best to communicate this information and support every client, friend and relative that I knew.

I shared my concern with my sister, who is a therapist. She patiently listened to me and then replied, “This stress will continue for years because of the ongoing grief process.”

She reminded me of all the different kinds of losses that people have been through and will continue to need to process.

• The loss of loved ones and their limited funerals.
• The loss of celebrations that were dreamed about and planned for years. Weddings. Graduations. Vacations.
• Even the simple joy of taking your newborn out in the stroller for some fresh air each day was stripped away from many first-time moms.

Look at the facts and consider how the costs involved relate to your company and your employees.

Then, I invite you to schedule some time to connect with me so we can find effective ways to support your employees–both right now and in preparation for what will continue for many years to come.

A Mindfulness practice can decrease their stress.

And having healthy employees who are focused and able to complete the job you’ve hired them to do safely and on time can ultimately save your company money.

To quote the valuation expert and best-selling author Dave Bookbinder, “The value of a business is a function of how well the financial capital and the intellectual capital are managed by the human capital. You’d better get the human capital part right.”

 

Photo Credit: Micheile–Unsplash