Wellness Work Dr Ajay Tejasvi Ph D Ms

Wellness @Work Dr. Ajay Tejasvi, Ph. D. & Ms. Marlene Sandhu The Art of Living Foundation

What is Wellness?

What gets in the way?

Maximizing Performance BEST PERFORMANCE HIGH LOW Overwhelmed Anxiety Unhappiness Boredom Low motivation LOW PRESSURE Robert Yerkes, John Dodson (1908) HIGH

80% of people feel stress sometimes or frequently throughout their day Complex Problem Solving $300 billion/year in costs to employers due to stress related health care & missed work 67% of employees are “not engaged” or “actively disengaged” at work Gallup Poll: State of American Workplace Emotional Intelligence Cognitive Flexibility Skills of the Future according to CEOS. World Economic Forum

Effects of Stress on Productivity • Crisis mentality undermines intellect, resulting poor decisions, snap decisions, emotional decisions. • Major contributor to job burnout & high turnover • Strained interaction with peers and supervisors • Health problems: headaches, sleep disorders, anxiety, • Increased work-related accidents Hunter, L. , Thatcher, S. M. (2007). Feeling the heat: Effects of stress, commitment, and job experience on job performance. The Academy of Management Journal, 50 (4), 953 -968 (2) Performance Under Pressure: Managing Stress in the Workplace

Effects of Cortisol on the Brain • Affects the Hippocampus • Interferes with functioning of neurotransmitters • Causes dendritic spines to disintegrate & retract • Disrupts ability to collect and store memories • Impairs ability to problem solve, learn and focus (1) Time Pressure and Stress in Human Judgment and Decision Making, Svenson, O. & Maule, P. 1993. (2) Baram, T. , J of Neuroscience, 2009, (3) Prager, E. M. , and Johnson, L. R. (2009)

Pop Quiz How long were top-managers able to focus on one task? (when not disturbed by any other factors? ) Ø 3 MINUTES You are performing at your peak on a task. You get interrupted by a call/email/sms. How long does it take to go back to your peak performance? Ø 25 MINUTES SOURCE: Microsoft Corporation, 2015.

A Trend?

The Art of Living Approach: Integrating Yoga for Wellness EXERCISE BREATHING MEDITATION

Meditation & the Brain • Increases hippocampus thickness (areas related to introspection, memory and attention) • Increases Brain Volume specifically in areas for emotion regulation, positive emotions & self-control • Increases brain plasticity and connections between the hemispheres of the brain resulting in greater cognitive flexibility

Meditation & Productivity • Reduces the tendency for distraction • Strengthens ability to stay focused • Increases energy levels • Improves memory and enhances creativity http: //journals. sagepub. com/doi/abs/10. 1177/0956797612459659

Meditation & Happiness • • • Increases Positive Emotion Decreases Depression Decreases Anxiety Decreases Stress Increases social connection & emotional intelligence Makes you more compassionate Makes you feel less lonely Improves your ability to regulate your emotions Improves your ability to introspect (1) Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation (2) Ramel 1, W. , Goldin, P. R. , Carmona, P. E. et al. (Cognitive Therapy and Research (2004) 28: 433. , (3) Shapiro, Shauna L. ; Astin, John A. ; Bishop, Scott R. ; Cordova, Matthew International Journal of Stress Management, Vol 12(2), May 2005, 164 -176

Effects of Happiness on Performance • 700 Person Study • Productivity increased by an average of 12% • Reached as high as 20% above the control group. (1) Social Market Foundation and the University of Warwick's Centre for Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy (2) Happiness at work. Fisher

There is a great secret in the Breath! 90% of toxins are eliminated through the breath… and yet we use less than 30% of our lung capacity. For every emotion, there is a corresponding rhythm in the breath. The mind is like a kite – and the breath is like the string. Through the breath, we can achieve deep states of relaxation, and calm the mind. Sources: Phillippot, Chappele, Blairy, 2002, and Art of Living Research, 2000, 2011, 2015.

Full Yogic Breath

Desktop Yoga

Meditation

How do you feel now?

Thank you!