The times are long gone when you simply went to work and carried out the tasks assigned to you with zero interest in your inner life as a human being. It is in the interest of a modern organization to increase their profits not the losses and therefore they have realised the importance to look after and treat their employees with respect. Of course, as we know this is not implemented in all the companies by law although a lot of bigger and smaller companies do practice it.
Nowadays, companies are suffering from losses of revenue, strained client relationships, deferred contracts and departures of employees. This is why many modern organizations have shifted to help individuals to cope with stress-related problems and address business issues. Spirituality on subjective perception and psychological development has become more focused.
Let’s take a deeper look into how spirituality actually affects the work-life. Spirituality draws on an organization’s elements of ethics, values, motivation, work/life balance and leadership. Spiritual approaches forming a modern work-life are the following: God-centered, ethical, existential and Buddhist. Strong sense of purpose, focus on individual development, trust and openness, empowerment for employees and tolerance of employee expression all distinguish a spiritual organisation.
There are recommendations to incorporate spirituality at work: employee assistance programs, meditation breaks, listening calming music, improving spiritual skills to improve job performance, creating a spiritual fund, brave programs and leadership practices. Some of these recommendations are: The new evolving concept is “The Mood Chart” which is part of an Employee Assistance Program (EAP). It is a chart which shows mood changes over time, as well as information about our mood, sleep hours and medications if any.
I would like to clarify a little further the concept of spirituality and work-life.
A lot of people may be thinking that it is to do with some particular religious route or with God. In actuality, it is not associated with religion or belief whatsoever. Instead, it has been described in the following principles;
- Spirituality is Forgiveness
- Spirituality is Loyalty
- Spirituality is Connection
- Spirituality is Compassion
- Spirituality is Purpose
- Spirituality is Morale
- Spirituality is Vision
- Spirituality is Respect
Ashmos and Duchon have defined work-life spirituality as:
“a recognition that employees have an inner life which nourishes and is nourished by meaningful work, taking place in the context of a community”
Let’s take a look at some of the more popular Work-life spirituality practices and their benefits.
Meditation, Yoga and Breathing practices– Either you are part of a big company or you are your own boss it has become a well-known fact that meditation, yoga, mantras and guided breathing exercises have become increasingly popular. These are one of the stress reduction strategies used to alleviate psychological distress and to achieve clarification of thought.
Training and Support – With educational and counselling services, organisations can help the workforce to cope with their feelings and pressures. The art of maintaining ties efficiently at the work-life can also be learned to create collective activities and a sense of unity.
Performance Coach – Such coaches will direct and advise workers when faced with an ethical dilemma and direct them in exploring solutions that rely on their moral values.
Employee Assistance Program (EAP) – In order to promote well-being, companies provide Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) which benefit the workforce in coping with bereavement, social pressures, traumatic life changes, depression and well-being, all of which serve to restore and sustain the spirit, body and mind.
Wellness Programs – Companies are now working on a system, helped by experts, to help workers ease their tension and tap into their inner capacity. Either through physical fitness, such as dancing, Zumba, HIIT, acting, etc. or through the presentation of creativity, such as music, sculpture, theatre, companies encourage staff to harness their artistic talents and to cope more successfully with personal and professional challenges.
My afterthoughts
Employing spirituality in the work-life is an opportunity to acknowledge our power and to appreciate the mechanism involved in sharing our resources with others. Work-life Spirituality does not force people to follow rituals and strict practices but is simply used as an efficient tool to make workers feel like they are an essential part of the company. Spirituality-driven practices not only help workers but also saved businesses from millions of dollars expended on high turnover, legal cases, recruiting efforts and much more.
