Study Reveals Benefits of Mindfulness At Work

Every week here at The Daily Meditation we receive questions from HR professionals interested in using meditation to reduce employee stress levels and in turn increase productivity.

Such mindfulness programs are becoming increasingly popular, a natural response to the endless stress of email lists and customer phone calls. But research on such programs has been somewhat limited. Researchers from the Ministry of Tourism and Health in Japan even say that so far research on mindfulness programs in the workplace has focused exclusively on employee mood before and after the program. The researchers decided to change that.

Research into Mindfulness Programs in the Workplace

The team, led by Shinyu Kise and Shohei Yoshihara, had 25 full-time employees in Japan, with an average age of 40, of which 60% were male. Half participated in a workplace mindfulness program (12 people), and the other half were placed on a waiting list (13 people). The program consisted of three workshops, one per month, each 90 minutes, as well as daily ‘micro-exercises’ at home (5 minutes of stretching and 5 minutes of conscious breathing, morning and evening). They also received advice on diet, exercise (including squats, HIIT), gut health and sleep, daily stress checks using a phone app, and a goal of 8,000 steps per day and one fasting session during the program. Needless to say, this was an intensive program and did not isolate mindfulness and meditation from other aspects such as exercise.

The team quickly saw results. The mindfulness program group felt less tired and reported better performance in the workplace. But the biggest effect was the mood. The mindfulness program group’s mood improved steadily over three months (approximately 27% lower overall mood disturbance at 1 month, 40% lower at 3 months). The mood of the control group deteriorated slightly.

However, it should be mentioned that because the program included not only mindfulness meditation, but also stretching, physical activity goals, dietary changes and fasting, the mood improvements observed in the test group may not have been due to mindfulness alone. Exercise and diet are known to improve mood and energy, so the results likely reflect the combined impact of multiple lifestyle changes, not just meditation.

What it means

• Even a “light” program that combines mindfulness, exercise, diet tips and self-monitoring can steadily improve mood over several months.
• The benefits appeared quickly and continued to grow.
• It may take longer for fatigue and work performance to improve.

Conclusion

A short, accessible mindfulness program delivered once a month, combined with short daily exercises, can lead to meaningful mood improvements in employees in three months. Larger studies using medical measures and workplace performance data are needed to confirm the results and see how they compare to online or hybrid delivery.

Paul Harrison is a meditation teacher with 25 years of experience and a deep passion for helping others. Known for his empathy and authentic approach, he is committed to guiding individuals and teams towards mindfulness, clarity and well-being.