While many employee wellness programs focus on physical, mental, social, and even environmental wellness, few emphasize the importance of spiritual well-being for improved employee morale. However, an increasing number of organizations are finding there is an important link between workplace spirituality and job satisfaction.
Organizations that foster workplace spirituality may discover that employees become more engaged, and the overall performance of the organization improves. This guide to workplace spirituality covers some of the top ideas for spirituality activities that promote employee engagement at work.
Benefits of Spirituality at Work
For people who practice spirituality, it’s not something that can be separated from work. Infusing spiritual practices into workday life cultivates spiritual growth and promotes other important benefits for the workplace.
Some of the benefits of creating a more spiritual workplace include:
- Increases employee engagement
- Optimizes focus and performance
- Reduces employee burnout
- Sparks creativity and innovation
- Boosts sense of meaning and satisfaction in work
- Creates team cohesion
- Sets a vision for the organization
- Improves employee retention and turnover rates
Organizations that provide support for employees’ spiritual well-being can benefit by developing principles and values that align with the needs of individuals. In turn, this allows organizations to attract and retain employees whose personal values are consistent with those of the organization.
Activities for Spiritual Wellness in the Workplace
What’s the role of religion and spirituality in the workplace? The answer will be different for each organization and its culture. In workplaces with wide cultural diversity, it can be difficult to define workplace spirituality or religion as these practices can mean different things to different people.
Below are some ideas for spiritual wellness activities that can be used as inspiration for any workplace.
1. Journaling and Brainstorming Exercises
Reflecting, writing, and brainstorming are incredibly powerful creative exercises that can boost spiritual well-being. Encourage employees to journal and reflect on their personal well-being, including their feelings of meaning, purpose, and satisfaction with their work.
One of the top spiritual workshop ideas for workplaces is to organize multiple smaller teams who come together and brainstorm on the topic of what makes work meaningful. Meaningfulness at work is a core principle of a spiritual workplace, and having an open discussion about how to create a more purpose-driven organization can help increase employee engagement.
2. Prayer and Contemplation Breaks
Encourage employees to take conscious breaks throughout the workday for religious prayer or quiet contemplation. This allows employees to recharge and reconnect with their personal purpose and mission as employees of the organization. It also provides space for employees to reflect on their own needs so they can feel empowered to contribute powerfully to the organization.
Some of the exercises that employees can practice during prayer or contemplation breaks include:
- Guided meditations
- Mindfulness exercises
- Breathing techniques
- Progressive muscle relaxation
- Personal prayers
- Reading religious or spiritual texts or books
Making time for spiritual exercise breaks at lunch or in the late afternoon can help employees to return to work more inspired.
3. Volunteering
Service to others is an essential pillar of spiritual well-being. Many organizations already make time for volunteer efforts, particularly with local charity events and associations. To help link work and spirituality, employers may organize volunteer or community-oriented activities as a way to reinforce the importance of helping others.
Some volunteer activities for spiritual wellness include:
- Holiday food drives
- Literacy program fundraisers
- Child development charity events
- Humanitarian aid and assistance
Research shows that organizations that prioritize spiritual wellness also find that employees feel more inclined to volunteer or organize community development programs, revealing a potential bi-directional relationship between spiritual wellness and service to others.
4. Time in Nature
Spending time in nature is a known way to develop deep spiritual connectedness. Organizations can incorporate nature as part of their spiritual wellness programs with the following activities:
- Plan outdoor walking meetings
- Set up outdoor lunch and learns
- Create outdoor spaces for wellness activities
- Organize team activities outdoors, such as hiking or rock climbing
Being surrounded by nature helps to reduce stress and improve cognition. It can also inspire creativity and instill a sense of realization about important personal beliefs.
Employee Wellness Programs and Workplace Spirituality
Spiritual wellness is a critical dimension of well-being essential to human flourishing. Yet, spiritual well-being doesn’t need to be separate from the workplace. There are plenty of creative and meaningful ways to incorporate spirituality at work.
Employers interested in the benefits of workplace spirituality for organizational performance should consider how employee wellness programs can help improve spiritual well-being. Employees who receive support across multiple dimensions of wellness may experience a higher sense of engagement, leading to better team performance.
Use Wellics to help improve workplace spiritual wellness, as well as wellness across other key dimensions of well-being. With Wellics, organizations can set custom metrics and monitor the results of individual employees and the organization as a whole. Whether you want to create a more spiritually balanced organization or help your employees feel more engaged and empowered at work, Welics provides the tools to make these goals possible.
Learn more about the complete range of capabilities Wellics offers — explore our wellness platform today.
Originally published August 2, 2022 - 9:29 AM, updated November 21, 2023
Sources
- https://gbr.pepperdine.edu/2010/08/six-components-of-a-model-for-workplace-spirituality/
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14766086.2011.630170?journalCode=rmsr20
- https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0972262920946146
- https://www.csh.umn.edu/news-events/blog/nature-spirituality-and-healing-how-nature-benefits-your-wellbeing-0
