: Why Your Bottom line Needs It

As a meditation teacher, many business owners ask me if there are any benefits of mindfulness and meditation for startups.

It might seem strange to suggest that startups should be considering mindfulness or meditation. Afterall, as a startup there are so many challenges and responsibilities that you have on your mind. We’re talking the nitty-gritty of running a business. With the pile of tasks on the table, why should startups add meditation or mindfulness to the mix?

Actually, the reality of the situation is this: Meditation gives you and your staff that much needed break you need. It’s an opportunity to focus the mind an relax. And this in turn can help with everything from productivity to creativity and staff morale [READ: How to use mindfulness at work.]

Today, startups are realising the importance of giving employees ways to relax and have fun. There are yoga rooms, ping-pong tables and other activities that are provided with the express intent of helping employees unwind, destress, and be happy. Because a happy employee is a successful one (and also one who is going to stay, ultimately reducing your turnover rate).

However, there is one activity that should be at the top of the list for startups: meditation and mindfulness.

Some of the benefits of meditation for startups include:

• Helps relieve stress [READ: Meditation For Stress At Work]
• Improves relaxation
• Improves staff morale
• Helps with relationships in the workplace
• Boosts productivity
• Improves performance
• Increases creativity

At Startups, Meditation Should Start With The Leaders

A startups culture is eighty percent determined by its leader [Firstround]. The way the leader behaves and the way they treat other members of the staff is one of the primary determiners of company culture.

Unfortunately, with all the stress there is at startups it can be hard for leaders to remain relaxed. And when the leader becomes stressed so does the team. Stress filters down from the top. A grumpy leader results in a grumpy staff, which is not conducive to  productivity and certainly will not improve your turnover rates.

One of the most important responsibilities of any good leader is to maintain a positive attitude in themselves. And one of the best ways to maintain a positive attitude at work is through meditation. Meditation has been scientifically proven to offer many emotional benefits.

Meditation helps leaders to remain calm and positive. And that positivity is infectious.

Creating A Mindful Company

It starts with the leader. But the leader must then share the culture of mindfulness with the rest of the startup.

We’re not talking about taking the occasional wellness day at work here, either. A good startup is one in which wellness is a constant part of the work routine.  There are many ways you can achieve this. Mike Serbinis [CEO of wellness company League] says, “We have Meditation Monday. It’s exactly what it sounds like. We do meditations in our town hall or different areas around our space.”

Similar days can be held for yoga, general wellness, mental health and other activities. Making wellness one of the foundation blocks of your company can help to ensure not just the health of the staff but also the morale of the company. It pays back in dividends, because a happy startup is likely to be more successful than an unhappy one.

As well as offering “Mindful Days”, startups can have resources in place to help employees learn mindfulness on their own, practice yoga, and generally take a more positive stance towards their personal wellness.

Getting Started With Meditation And Mindfulness At Startups

Cleary there are many benefits of meditation and mindfulness for startups. So how do you get into it? [READ: Getting Started With Mindfulness].

There are many ways to get the ball rolling when it comes to doing mindfulness at a startup. Here are a few tips to get you started.

It starts with attitude: Develop a non-judgmental attitude in yourself and your team. Discourage any language that is blaming or judgmental. Encourage non-violent communication at work.

Hire a teacher: Hire a professional meditation instructor, such as myself, to visit your startup and teach staff the general principles and exercises of mindfulness and meditation.

Have mindful days and yoga days: Once a week have one day in which you do mindful activities, yoga, or similar exercises. Make these relaxing and fun. Employees should genuinely look forward to these days.

Practice mindful exercises: A mindful exercise can be any activity we do in a mindful way. At work these can include mindful eating and mindful communication. For more on this, read my guide to the top mindfulness exercises.

Conclusion

There are many benefits of both mindfulness and meditation for startups. Not only do these two practices improve the health of everyone on the team, they also improve workplace morale. By integrating mindfulness into company culture you can significantly improve things for both your team and your company.