As the founder of The Calm Side, I've dedicated myself to integrating mindfulness and compassion into various aspects of life, particularly in the workplace. When Active Gloucestershire, a charity focused on enhancing the physical activity of inactive residents in the county, reached out to us, it was an opportunity to extend our mission to a team deeply committed to health and wellbeing.
Active Gloucestershire's staff, passionate about their work, faced common workplace challenges such as stress and emotional burnout. Their roles, often demanding empathy and care, led to fatigue. They were in need of simple, yet effective strategies to manage stress, build resilience, and improve overall wellbeing. Our goal at The Calm Side was to help them incorporate these practices into both their professional and personal lives.
To address their needs, I introduced the Compassionate Mindful Resilience Programme (CMR), an 8-week course tailored for organisations like Active Gloucestershire. Conducted in-house and in person, each one-hour session of the CMR was designed to be engaging, practical, and transformative. The program aimed to deepen understanding of stress, provide tools to overcome empathy fatigue, and encourage the adoption of mindfulness and compassion in daily activities.
The impact on the Active Gloucestershire team was both immediate and profound. Participants reported a heightened awareness of their mental states, leading to more mindful interactions in all areas of life. They developed a deeper understanding of stress and better coping mechanisms. A significant outcome was the nurturing of a compassionate culture within the team, extending kindness to others and themselves. This change was evident in their daily practices, as team members actively applied mindfulness techniques in their routines.
Our collaboration with Active Gloucestershire was a testament to the transformative power of mindfulness and compassion in the workplace. The CMR Programme provided essential skills and could inspire a shift in workplace culture towards a more mindful, resilient, and compassionate environment. This experience reinforced my belief in the importance of these practices in professional settings. At The Calm Side, we remain committed to guiding more organisations towards finding their own 'calm side' amidst the complexities of modern work life.
“What a truly wonderful course this has been. Beautifully and sensitively delivered with time to discuss and reflect on personal experiences. There were so many wonderful, practical tips and takeaways which I’ve already started to embed in my life. Also, lots I can take home to my children to help them with. I would love to do a follow up session to explore more compassionate mindfulness and resilience. Thank you San!”
- Geetha Dean, Senior Executive Support Officer.
