On 1 May I attended an event on workplace wellbeing at the Black Country Business Festival. It was done in partnership with Dudley Mind and the Black Country Chamber of Commerce and was really well attended. It was great to see that a lot of work is being done in the West Midlands to support mental health and wellbeing in the workplace. I got to meet some great people working in this area and it was wonderful to see yoga being recognised as a stress reliever and wellbeing promoter. If you want to know more, visit: https://mailchi.mp/blackcountrybusinessfestival/black-country-business-festival-day-424735?e=6b543e432a
It was also fascinating to know how much money is lost from sickness absence. According to the charity, Mind, poor mental health at work costs the UK economy a staggering 74 billion pounds to 99 billion pounds a year. So fellow yogis, let's share our passion and get some more office workers involved. Let's save the NHS, the employer, and us (our taxes) some serious cash! Thanks to great employers, like Higgs and Sons who are pioneering alternative ways to promote wellbeing and actually bringing support directly to their staff (for example, yoga classes and meditation sessions at work), I hope that other employers will follow their example and follow suit. There is also more support for employees and employers thanks to a Dudley Council-led project called Thrive and Mind's Workplace Wellbeing Index and corporate support. My conclusion - it's definitely time for more yogis in the workplace.
