Is mindfulness the new fitball?

Remember the 90’s when there was a group that thought the fitball would cure all our sedentary ergonomic woes? Then we didn’t listen when we received education on how to use them and our back hurt even more after using it. Or we did not follow up with the exercises that would allow us to receive the most benefit and again they seemed to be more of a hindrance then a help. We also had our office colleague play on the ball when we were away from the desk and come crashing down – another fail for the fitball

Is this what is happening with mindfulness? I think most recognize we are in the middle of an attention crises. The facts are compelling, we could all benefit from including these practices into our workplace. The question is are we spending enough time on “the why” our team needs it and “the how” to implement a program, so that it fits in with our culture? Perhaps once we have figured out our reasons and our ideal outcomes we could set up a pilot program. Trial things slowly, get some feedback and then grow from there. Or are we just bringing this in like a fitball; without enough planning and hoping it will take away our focus woes brought about by the attention crises we are living in. Yes we do need mindfulness in workplaces but let’s make sure we are not just ticking another box. Without the why and some commitment to planning your mindfulness program could be your company’s fitball.