Overwork and Burnout: The Rise of Meditation in the Workplace

Overwork and burnout are affecting many Americans. The American Psychological Association’s 2023 Work and Well-being Survey found that 77% of Americans suffered from workplace stress. Over half of the respondents reported symptoms of burnout, which ranged from emotional exhaustion to wanting to quit.

Mindfulness as a Panacea

Early mindfulness leaders were remarkably successful in spreading meditation across America. Jon Kabat-Zinn, a molecular biologist, began his mindfulness-based stress reduction program at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in 1979 to provide a complementary and alternative model of care for the chronically ill.

He hoped to share the “essence of Buddhist mindfulness,” as he has written, within “mainstream medicine.” Over 25,000 people have completed his mindfulness-based stress reduction program, and it continues to be taught around the world.

Coping Mechanism or Transformational Practice?

Leaders of the early mindfulness movement said they wanted to transform society for the greater good through the practice. Their goal was to spread meditation practices across science, health care, prisons, schools, and other institutions.

Kabat-Zinn wanted to foster greater “awareness” through mindfulness so people would become more conscious of what motivated their actions. For example, it could help them understand if they were driven by their own sense of self-aggrandizement or greed and inspire them to change.

Saki Santorelli, the former leader of the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Program, similarly hoped that embedding mindfulness in secular institutions would force practitioners to understand the essential reality of interconnectedness. This reality draws on a Buddhist belief that all life is interdependent and connected with each other, rather than existing independently on its own. Through mind-heart training, he hoped they would realize their universal responsibility to others and help create more inclusive economic systems.

Meditation to Support Corporate Ends

Yet in most of the organizations I studied, contemplative practice did not reach the organizational core and transform the larger workplaces they were a part of. Instead, employees reported that mindfulness was seen as marginal to core missions and workplace expectations.

Companies might offer recreational yoga in their fitness room for employees, but it was often not being used to address the underlying cause of stress, such as extremely high workloads and the emphasis on the economic bottom line at the core of corporate culture.

Even though some programs may benefit highly stressed-out workers, they struggle to bring lessons learned from meditation into competitive work cultures beyond their meditation groups.

A Concerned Conclusion

I fear mindfulness is all too often becoming a Band-Aid that helps sustain overburdened employees on an endless quest for more productivity. Meditation, once hailed as a transformative practice, is being co-opted to support corporate ends.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What are the benefits of meditation?
A: Meditation has been shown to alleviate stress, increase attention, and promote better mental health.

Q: Who is Jon Kabat-Zinn?
A: Jon Kabat-Zinn is a molecular biologist who founded the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in 1979.

Q: Is mindfulness a panacea for workplace stress?
A: While mindfulness has been shown to be effective in reducing stress, it is not a panacea and should be used as part of a comprehensive approach to addressing workplace stress.

Q: Can mindfulness be used to support corporate ends?
A: Yes, some mindfulness programs are being used to support corporate ends, rather than promoting individual liberation.