Veggie Blog

More and more offices offer a lunchtime yoga class or a mindfulness session. The idea is appealing: if people are less stressed, they work and feel better. But what does the research actually show, and can a class make up for a stressful job? This article looks at the evidence and at how to bring yoga into the workplace without putting anyone at risk.

Why do employers care about stress?

The numbers are large. The World Health Organization estimates that 12 billion working days are lost every year to depression and anxiety, at a cost of US$1 trillion a year in lost productivity, and that 16% of working-age adults had a mental disorder in 2023. WHO also says that poor working environments, including excessive workloads and low job control, pose a risk to mental health. A well-run workplace is good for people, and the same WHO page says safe and healthy working environments are more likely to improve staff retention, performance and productivity. You can read the details in the WHO fact sheet on mental health at work.

What do we know about yoga and mindfulness at work?

A fair amount, but less than the advertising suggests. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health points to a 2018 review of mindfulness programs for workplace stress, which found that they may be a promising way to improve the body’s stress indicators. For yoga, a 2020 review of 12 studies of healthy adults found beneficial effects on perceived stress. At the same time, NCCIH cautions that studies of meditation and mindfulness vary a great deal and that their results may have been interpreted too optimistically. In short, these programs may help people feel less stressed. The studies do not prove that they raise productivity or cut sick days, so employers should treat them as a modest benefit.

Can a yoga class fix a stressful job?

No, and WHO says why. It recommends that employers use organizational interventions that assess and then reduce the risks in working conditions, for example by providing flexible working arrangements. It also recommends manager training, so that managers can recognize and respond to people in emotional distress. Programs that help individuals cope are an addition to that, not a replacement. A yoga class in the break room will not help someone who is understaffed and working every weekend. If you are the one organizing a program, ask first what is making people tired and tense.

How can a workplace start a program safely?

Choose an instructor with training and experience, because NCCIH says learning yoga alone without supervision has been linked with a higher risk of injury. Keep it voluntary and offer gentle options, such as chair-based movement. Tell newcomers to skip extreme practices like headstands, shoulder stands, the lotus position and forceful breathing, and avoid hot yoga, which carries a risk of overheating and dehydration. Staff who are pregnant, older or have a health condition should talk to their doctor and to the instructor about changes to poses. A session of 15 to 30 minutes at lunch or after work is plenty to begin with.

What can you do at your own desk?

The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans say that the first key guideline for adults is to move more and sit less. Standing up every so often to stretch, walk to a colleague instead of sending an email, or take a call on your feet all help. Our posts on the triangle pose for computer users, group fitness classes and a gentle morning routine give more ideas. Whatever you choose, stop if anything hurts, and see a doctor about any problem that lasts.