Partnership to Gather Objective Data on Mindfulness-Based Workplaces to Improve Mental Focus, Sleep and Stress Management
Morneau Shepell, the leading provider of technology-enabled HR services, and Interaxon, the maker of the Muse meditation headband, announced a partnership to test Muse technology in workplace well-being programming.
“In today’s society, meditation and mindfulness are becoming essential skills and we have seen evidence that they are effective in helping to support many key components of well-being, including reducing stress and improving sleep,” said Paula Allen, senior vice president, research, analytics and innovation, Morneau Shepell. “Muse offers the well-known technique of bio-feedback to accelerate the development of those skills. We are continuously seeking and investing in innovation to improve lives and support organizations, and improving mindfulness with bio-feedback is aligned to this.”
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Employers are recognizing the potential benefits of mindfulness and meditation in improving workplace productivity and reducing costs. Interaxon’s Muse headband is a research grade electroencephalography (EEG) device that provides visual and auditory feedback to this user on brain activity. It is the first such device meant for ongoing, at home, personal use. The feedback provided by Muse is used to shape the mental behaviors that define effective meditation, which is an intentional clearing and calming of the mind, and mindfulness, which is the ability to focus on a single thing in a calm state.
“We are excited about this collaboration and see it as an opportunity to significantly advance the ability of workplace well-being programs to improve mental fitness and to offer objective data on the progress toward doing so,” said Derek Luke, chief executive officer, Interaxon. “We see this having significantly disruptive potential by taking well-being to the next level of precision and effectiveness. It offers a new and high-potential platform for understanding opportunities within workplace programs.”
The partnership between Morneau Shepell and Interaxon offers the opportunity to benefit employees, including those who are off work due to disability leave and those with sleep issues, through personalized support in managing their response to stress, improving sleep and improving mental focus. It will also result in an equally strong benefit to employers in reducing accidents, reducing absenteeism and optimizing productivity. All information collected during this testing will be done so with the consent of the user, and will also be anonymized and kept confidential.
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