All around us are the signs of a society under stress. Though to a certain extent, stress in the workplace is desirable but chronic and prolonged stress can affect our mental and physical health. Organisations are forced to be more productive, and profit generating. Long working hours, tight deadlines and unrealistic workload in a highly competitive world can cause mental stress. When stress exceeds our ability to cope, workplace environment affects our personal health and family life. Workplace stress when it's left unchecked can contribute to health problems such as high blood pressure, heart diseases, obesity and diabetes. In fact, the Centre for Diseases Control and Prevention, Atlanta, USA found that nearly 90 per cent of all illnesses and diseases are stress-related. Some of these illnesses are spreading very fast in working class. Across the corporate world, it is increasingly realised that combining stress management with spirituality can be a very effective tool not only to enhance productivity and overall performance in the workplace but also for self-growth and learning for individuals working in the organisations. Spirituality helps us in knowing our true self, discover our deeper identity and bringing awareness to the meaning and purpose of life. More and more people working in public, as well as private entities, find spiritual practices like meditation, breathing exercises, yoga and prayer in the workplace very effective in managing their stress level.

By practising such exercises, we can cultivate inner peace and be more focused and present during troubled times. In a way, spirituality involves us in getting touch with our inner self. It is also nurtured by our relationships with others. A workplace where workers and executives find time to engage themselves in some spiritual practices can easily bring about transformational changes leading to increased productivity and profitability in the organisation. Through spirituality, we can surely create a better, more satisfying and healthy workplace.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in the article above are those of the authors' and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of this publishing house. Unless otherwise noted, the author is writing in his/her personal capacity. They are not intended and should not be thought to represent official ideas, attitudes, or policies of any agency or institution.

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Spirituality At Workplace - BW Businessworld