By ROBERT LARSON | Norwalk
Dear friends:
I have taught mindfulness for 30-plus years mainly within a spiritual tradition commonly known as “Buddhism.” I’ve also seen mindfulness applied for chronic pain by MBSR (mindfulness-based stress reduction), for depression, and in other therapeutic applications. Mindfulness has even helped athletes perform better, famously the Chicago Bulls championship teams of the 1990s under Phil Jackson. All of that is good and beneficial.
Troubling, however, is the pushing of mindfulness in work situations, be they corporate, nonprofit, or government, as a way to reduce stress. While there is some potential good in that, it often looks like the latest fad for dumping responsibility solely onto workers without addressing the main causes of workplace stress. This is an unethical departure from healthy therapeutic applications and from Buddhist practice. The main cause of stress in the workplace is the place environment itself, especially unhealthy management practices. Most burdensome is the trend to push for ever greater productivity while cutting staff. Management incompetence is also a culprit. If these causes are not addressed appropriately, mindfulness is at best a Band-Aid. This and other Band-Aid fads disguise the culpability of management. Sadly, unethical managers are fonder of Band-Aids than investigating their own behavior.
The health and well being of many good workers is at stake.
