Personalised EAP Mindfulness Programmes Significantly Impact Workers’ Wellbeing

RALEIGH, N.C., February 27, 2024 – Workplace Options (WPO), the largest independent provider of customised and localised wellbeing services, examined the outcomes of personalised, six-session mindfulness programmes for individuals who participate through an employee assistance programme (EAP). The data showed one-on-one mindfulness programmes, offered as part of an EAP, significantly improve an individual’s ability to manage stress, enhance focus, and increase sleep quality. Furthermore, participants will continue to experience these positive benefits in the six months following completion of the programme.

“As an industry innovator for more than 40 years, WPO strives to transform people’s lives for the better,” said WPO President and CEO Alan King. “As with all WPO services, our mindfulness programme is tailored for each participant to ensure they know how to incorporate mindfulness in their daily lives. An employee’s abilities to manage stress and improve focus are key factors in high performance at companies worldwide.”

A standard mindfulness programme is typically taught in a series of weekly hour-long group sessions, often with an added half-day or full day of training. In 2017, WPO launched a new kind of mindfulness programme, Aware, to make the practice of mindfulness more accessible and effective. Aware incorporates personalised mindfulness programme into an organisation’s existing EAP. Employees and family members, covered by a WPO EAP service, can enroll in Aware when they contact the service for stress-related counselling and support.

“The specific techniques we teach in Aware help individuals learn to respond to emotions with non-judgement, acceptance, and increased self-compassion. This leads to an increased ability to engage, focus, and be present in the moment at work and at home,” said WPO Senior VP of Coaching and Leadership Development Debbie Jongkind, RD, LDN, PCC, NBC-HWC.

The Aware programme consists of an initial session with a licensed counsellor, psychologist, or coach who identifies the participant’s needs and presents easy-to-learn mindfulness exercises. Following the first session, the same specialist provides five more (weekly) mindfulness training courses. As the participant’s skill level progresses, their exercises become more advanced. Online tools augment learning and practice between sessions and after the programme ends.

To determine the outcomes of completing Aware, WPO measured data collected from individuals during the past six years: 4,930 people began the programme and 2,370 (48%) completed the six sessions.

Using a 10-point scale, participants self-reported on five wellbeing dimensions; these numbers were recorded at the start of the first session, at the completion of the sixth session, and during a six-month follow-up.

Participants who completed Aware reported the following:

• 45 percent improved their ability to effectively manage stress.
• 37 percent improved their ability to focus.
• 37 percent improvement in their overall amount and quality of sleep.
• 31 percent improved their ability to acknowledge and accept emotions.
• 16 percent improved in their ability to engage in meaningful relationships.

Access the detailed results in the Insight Report

WPO provides the Aware programme worldwide in eight languages: English, French, Spanish, German, Dutch, Hindi, Portuguese, and Mandarin. When a person connects to WPO services, they immediately talk to a qualified, empathetic professional who speaks their local language and understands cultural nuances. The organisation’s global expansion and in-the-moment care supported the emotional, practical, and physical needs of more than 70 million people in 2023.

About Workplace Options (WPO)

Founded in 1982, Workplace Options (WPO) is the largest independent provider of holistic wellbeing solutions. Through customised programmes, and a comprehensive global network of credentialed providers and professionals, WPO supports individuals to become healthier, happier, and more productive both personally and professionally. Trusted by 51 percent of Fortune 500 companies, WPO delivers high-quality care digitally and in person to more than 79 million people across 116,000 organizations in more than 200 countries and territories.