Ninth International Conference on Health, Wellness & Society

Abstract

Over the last two decades, mindfulness has been shown to have a range of valuable psychological and physiological benefits. Because meditative practices designed to evoke mindfulness typically involve interrupting other activities, however, they are not widely used in the places where we probably need mindfulness most, in the spaces where we spend much of our lives working. The research presented shows that visible animation of indoor environments using the natural movements of the sun, wind, and rain can induce many of the same health benefits as mindfulness, including reducing stress and improving attention, but without the need for any training or interruption of everyday work activities. It is suggested that this environmental approach has the potential to effectively make mindfulness universally accessible in the places where it is most needed, and transform health in the workplace.