SAP : Global Mindfulness Practices Help Employees Improve Well-Being, Productivity, Leadership Skills

Have you ever been so frustrated at work that you felt like punching someone or something? If you took a swing, the story probably did not end well!

If you restrained yourself, took a deep breath, and decided to channel your energy more positively, you were acting in a mindful way. In that moment of decision, you were exercising your freedom and power of choice.

Learn how to put mindfulness to use in your life today.

According to Viktor Frankl, an Austrian psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor who was one of the fathers of existential analysis and logotherapy, within that space between stimulus and the response lies an opportunity for growth and happiness.

There's nothing esoteric about this approach; it's a matter of tuning in to the way we respond to any situation and identifying the emotions we feel. It is then much easier to accept the situation, manage the reaction, keep an open mind, and develop empathy.

Important Leadership Tool

One of the most successful employee programs at SAP is the SAP Global Mindfulness Practice, which started as a grassroots initiative. Seven years later, the two-day mindfulness and emotional intelligence workshop 'Search Inside Yourself ' has become the company's most popular training, with more than 9,000 trained practitioners and over 8,000 employees on waiting lists .

Leaders swear by it and the positive impact on business is undeniable. Employee engagement and leadership trust has spiked while absenteeism has declined. Employees practicing mindfulness report greater job satisfaction, a greater ability to focus, and a higher level of mental clarity and creativity.

It is even providing a competitive advantage - what started as an internal movement has spread beyond the company.

Learn how mindfulness can make life easier at work.

New Service for Customers

Since 2017, SAP has been offering mindfulness as a consulting service. Customers like Siemens, Procter & Gamble, and Deutsche Telekom are now offering the SAP Global Mindfulness Practice initiatives and Search Inside Yourself courses to their own employees.

Research by Accenture shows that 90 percent of workers have been impacted by mental health challenges, although only one percent of employees disclose they are suffering from mental health issues.

Anyone can put mindfulness to use in their daily lives. Even simple practices like breathing calmly to regain control during a tough moment can go a long way toward helping people cope with stress at work and everywhere else.

So the next time you want to punch someone ot something, take a moment to examine your response . Think about how you could turn the situation around for a better outcome. You'll be surpirsed!

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