Living mindfully is a practice known by many but practiced by few. My name is Shannon Costello and I completed my wellness concentration with three different Sodexo corporate services accounts. The accounts, including the McKesson Corporation, Allstate Corporate office, and the Toyota Headquarters, focus on Sodexo’s Mindful program. The Mindful initiative incorporates mindful eating, mindful living, and creating a mindful community.1 My wellness role concentrated on educating the clients about choosing healthy, nutritious foods in the workplace.
Providing nutritious foods is not a difficult task. The challenge is encouraging mindfulness while eating. Mindfulness is easily pushed to the bottom of our priority list when we are busy at work. Research on eating mindfully indicates significant improvements in weight management, eating behaviors, and overall mood and behavior.2 A majority of the U.S. population can reap the benefits of mindful eating with preventing weight gain. Stress-induced eating plays a major role in weight gain among Americans. A study from the Journal of Obesity revealed that a mindful eating intervention among overweight and obese participants significantly reduced anxiety and improved overall mindfulness and awareness of hunger cues.3 These results are crucial for improving the well-being of the American workplace.
So, what does mindful eating entail? Mindful eating requires listening to your body’s hunger and satiety cues, identifying triggers associated with emotions and food, engaging all your senses while eating, and focusing on quality over quantity of food.2 Here are some quick tips for starting a mindful eating routine at work:
1 Mindful by Sodexo
2 The Chopra Center
3 Journal of Obesity
Providing nutritious foods is not a difficult task. The challenge is encouraging mindfulness while eating. Mindfulness is easily pushed to the bottom of our priority list when we are busy at work. Research on eating mindfully indicates significant improvements in weight management, eating behaviors, and overall mood and behavior.2 A majority of the U.S. population can reap the benefits of mindful eating with preventing weight gain. Stress-induced eating plays a major role in weight gain among Americans. A study from the Journal of Obesity revealed that a mindful eating intervention among overweight and obese participants significantly reduced anxiety and improved overall mindfulness and awareness of hunger cues.3 These results are crucial for improving the well-being of the American workplace.
So, what does mindful eating entail? Mindful eating requires listening to your body’s hunger and satiety cues, identifying triggers associated with emotions and food, engaging all your senses while eating, and focusing on quality over quantity of food.2 Here are some quick tips for starting a mindful eating routine at work:
- Eliminate distractions. The focus should be on the flavors and textures of your food. Eat away from your desk or meeting rooms. Put away phones, computers, and tablets.
- Start with a breath. Begin each meal with a couple of deep breaths. Tell your body you are here to enjoy your meal, not to work.
- Go slow. Allow your gut and brain time to talk to each other about what you are eating. Chew slowly to ease digestion.
1 Mindful by Sodexo
2 The Chopra Center
3 Journal of Obesity
