Today we are all living under constant and massive stress. Every day, we have to make decisions in conditions that could not have been predicted even a few short weeks ago. The coronavirus, quarantine, transport lockdown and the financial crisis have turned the world upside down.
And yet, despite daily unpleasant surprises in our news feeds, our decisions must remain balanced and effective.
People in business today can be compared to surfers who catch giant waves and try to keep their balance. When I tried to stand up on a surfboard this year, I realized that surfing, just like business, requires tremendous concentration and effort.
According to international studies, 90 percent of executives suffer from chronic overexertion. This decreases both their effectiveness and the profitability of their companies.
In times of crisis, top managers and other professionals can make poor decisions that in turn stress out their employees.
The effect of this chain reaction has a significant impact on business and the economy as a whole.
Depression and anxiety related to overexertion cost the global economy around $1 trillion annually.
According to an international study by the Lancet Commission sponsored by one of the most reputable medical journals, the Lancet, mental disorders are proliferating worldwide. This could cost the global economy as much as $16 trillion by 2030.
A large portion of this amount will be attributed to direct costs for healthcare, medicines, or other types of treatment. It is primarily indirect costs as a loss of productivity and expenditure on social security and education.
One of the authors of the study, Dr. Vikram Patel, Professor at Harvard Medical School (Boston, USA), notes that suicide tops the list of causes of death among young people today in all countries, including the poorest ones.
Declining levels of productivity and creativity in the workplace and the increasing number of mental disorders among people around the world have clear financial implications.
Therefore it is not surprising that mental health has become one of the key concerns discussed at the World Economic Forum in Davos for several consecutive years.
Many scientists and leaders around the world devoted their reports to mental health.
In particular, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, urged leaders to end the stigma around mental health.
We must all learn to live in a world of uncertainty today. We must learn ourselves and teach our children to cope with stress and to remain happy and healthy.
Meditation is one of the effective tools to help people at all levels to deal with stress in their lives.
Research has shown that meditation is a very effective way of deep rest both for the mind and body.
Studies also show that meditation can have a positive effect on 80 to 90 percent of physical and mental illnesses and disorders caused or aggravated by stress, including high blood pressure, depression, and insomnia.
Additionally, those who regularly practice meditation improve their ability to focus, creativity, problem-solving and overall physical and mental health.
Bob Roth, one of the world’s most sought-after teachers of transcendental meditation and CEO of the David Lynch Foundation, says that meditation does not only bring inner harmony but also helps relax and calm down after a stressful day.
Meditation restores health and encourages a state of happiness that we often lose in the hussle and bussle of the daily life.
That is why meditation is now widely practiced throughout the world by leading public figures, musicians, businessmen, and top managers including Katy Perry, Hugh Jackman, Liv Tyler, Oprah Winfrey, and Rupert Murdoch.
Meditation programs have been actively developed at schools in more than 35 countries.
A favorable environment for meditation is created in corporations and companies around the world.
“I practice transcendental meditation and believe that it has enhanced my open-mindedness, higher-level perspective, equanimity, and creativity. It helps slow things down so that I can act calmly even in the face of chaos, just like a ninja in a street fight. I’m not saying that you have to meditate in order to develop this perspective; I’m just passing along that it has helped me and many other people and I recommend that you seriously consider exploring it,” says Ray Dalio, an American billionaire, financial professional and founder of Bridgewater Associates.
