{"id":4426,"date":"2023-07-10T04:41:28","date_gmt":"2023-07-10T04:41:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/leadership\/this-unconventional-start-to-team-meetings-boosts-mental-health-performance-and-profitability\/"},"modified":"2023-07-10T04:41:29","modified_gmt":"2023-07-10T04:41:29","slug":"this-unconventional-start-to-team-meetings-boosts-mental-health-performance-and-profitability","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=4426","title":{"rendered":"This Unconventional Start To Team Meetings Boosts Mental Health, Performance And Profitability"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p>Scientists have identified a unique team meeting starter that can make a big difference in the mental health and well-being of employees. And it spills over into their job engagement and productivity. It\u2019s known as controlled breathing practices. Breathing is something most of us take for granted because it\u2019s automatic, and we\u2019ve been doing it since the day we were born. But your breath is a valuable resource against work stress, and it\u2019s with you wherever you go.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"subhead-embed color-accent bg-base font-accent font-size text-align\">Science Backs The Value Of Breathwork<\/h2>\n<p>According to research in <em data-ga-track=\"ExternalLink:https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41598-022-27247-y\">Scientific Reports<\/em>, breathwork stimulates the nervous and cardiovascular systems, enhancing both physical and mental health. Studies also show that slow breathing techniques in a conscious and systematic way stimulate the rest and digest response managed by the parasympathetic nervous system which offsets the stress response of the sympathetic nervous system.<\/p>\n<p>\n <span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><fbs-ad position=\"topx\" batched=\"\" ad-id=\"article-0-topx-1\" data-double-progressive=\"\"><\/fbs-ad>\n<\/p>\n<p>Mindful, slow breathing not only reduces stress, but also lowers blood pressure and boosts well-being. In a July interview in Neuroscience News, Daniel Craighead, assistant research professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, explains that breathing isn\u2019t just about the lungs, but it also affects the nervous and cardiovascular systems. Changing how much we inhale, he says, affects more than just the amount of oxygen we get. \u201cWhen we breathe, that actually impacts how much blood is ejected from our hearts.\u201d Of course, when we start the workday with improved mental and physical health from breathwork, it eventually filters down to higher performance and productivity and the company\u2019s bottom line.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"subhead-embed color-accent bg-base font-accent font-size text-align\">One Company Breathing Their Way To Success<\/h2>\n<p>It was breathwork that gave Shane Heath, founder and CEO of a natural coffee alternative called Mudwater (MUDWTR), the impetus to start his company. Through Zoom, I connected with Heath and Chris Keener, the head of MUDWTR:films and a professional breathwork coach. I wanted to learn more about their unconventional approach to team meetings and their rationale for integrating breathwork into the company\u2019s culture. \u201cWe\u2019re still shaking off the era of working on an assembly line, and one of the things we\u2019ve forgotten is how to take care of rest, recovery and creativity,\u201d Heath told me. \u201cNow, we\u2019re in an era where our success is determined by the quality of our ideas, not the quantity of work hours. The quality of our ideas is determined by how safe we feel. And how safe we feel helps us tap into the parasympathetic state, which allows us to explore more creative ideas, express ourselves and connect.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\n <span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><fbs-ad position=\"topx\" progressive=\"\" ad-id=\"article-0-topx-2\" data-double-progressive=\"\"><\/fbs-ad>\n<\/p>\n<p>Prior to starting his company, Heath worked in Silicon Valley, where he became part of the hustle culture or as he put it, \u201csleep when you\u2019re dead.\u201d The stress he was under led him to examine the amount of caffeine he was drinking and to develop his product. He ended up going to what he thought was a yoga class, which turned out to be breathwork. \u201cForty minutes in, I\u2019m just breathing air, and I feel energized,\u201d he recalls. \u201cI\u2019m changing the feeling state of my mind and body. I felt clear afterwards. And I thought how can I start a meeting that creates a buffer from whatever you\u2019re doing before the meeting and focus, presence and safety when you\u2019re in the meeting. So when we\u2019re there we\u2019re creative, courageous, and we can maximize the potency of the time we spend together.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As a result, company-wide meetings start a little differently than at most workplaces. \u201cChris, you ready?\u201d That\u2019s the cue for Keener to lead the 30-plus-person team in five-minute breathing techniques. \u201cThe most fundamental thing about breathwork is the act of getting present,\u201d Keener explains. \u201cWhen you\u2019re with your breath, attending to it fully, you\u2019re necessarily present\u2014not in the past or future. And to do that in a group is particularly powerful. As humans probably the thing we care most about and is best for our health is to be in community. And this is a nod to that. In a time of isolation where we\u2019re in different places around the world, to have a moment where we\u2019re together on Zoom, there\u2019s something timeless about that. Plus, it\u2019s a way to kick off, and then we go into serious business from there.\u201d After seeing how breathwork has transformed the all-hands meetings, Heath considers breathwork to be a non-negotiable ingredient for MUDWTR\u2019s culture.<\/p>\n<p>\n <span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><fbs-ad position=\"topx\" progressive=\"\" ad-id=\"article-0-topx-3\" data-double-progressive=\"\"><\/fbs-ad>\n<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"subhead-embed color-accent bg-base font-accent font-size text-align\">Here\u2019s A Demonstration<\/h2>\n<p>You can practice many types of breathing exercises right at your workstation. They\u2019re cost-free, portable and you don\u2019t need anything but yourself. \u201cThe exercises we do are wide and varied,\u201d Keener says. \u201cSome are more energetic where we\u2019re breathing quicker, and some are slower and calmer like boxed breathing. The main thing all the exercises have in common, he points out, is an awareness that breath is the primary activity. It\u2019s just bringing your attention to the act of breathing.<\/p>\n<p>I asked for a demonstration, and Keener suggested what he calls \u201cEleven-Eleven Breath\u201d\u2014eleven in-breaths followed by an eleven breath count hold that only takes a few minutes. Here\u2019s the practice he took me through in his own words:<\/p>\n<p><em>Sit up straight. What we will lead with is that what we\u2019re doing is breathing, and that\u2019s enough. Just give yourself the time to be here with your breath. You can close your eyes. We\u2019re going to take eleven breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth, taking a big full inhale through the nose and gently releasing the breath when you exhale. <\/em>PAUSE<em>. Now, take a deep breath in and hold at the top of the breath. Hold and count to eleven. Then slowly release the breath like you\u2019re letting the air out of a tire valve. Then allow your natural breath to take over, gently through the nose. Take a moment to notice how you feel. And when you\u2019re ready blink your eyes open. <\/em><\/p>\n<p>\n <span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><fbs-ad position=\"topx\" progressive=\"\" ad-id=\"article-0-topx-4\" data-double-progressive=\"\"><\/fbs-ad>\n<\/p>\n<p>I noticed I was clearer, calmer and more centered. It\u2019s difficult to hold on to job stress at the same time you\u2019re relaxing with your breath. That\u2019s what makes these exercises so effective.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"subhead-embed color-accent bg-base font-accent font-size text-align\">A Final Takeaway<\/h2>\n<p>Chronic work pressure creates roadblocks to relaxation and productivity and can lead to burnout\u2014even loss in company profitability. It disconnects us from ourselves, other people and our surroundings, plus keeps our stress needle elevated. The MUDWTR culture is a cutting-edge example of how businesses can support employee mental health. So, take a slow, deep breath in through the nose and out through the mouth before you start your workday. If you\u2019re a manager, consider sharing this innovative meeting-starter with your team, and watch morale and performance lift and company profits soar.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Read the full article <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/bryanrobinson\/2023\/07\/09\/this-unconventional-start-to-team-meetings-boosts-mental-health-performance-and-profitability\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Scientists have identified a unique team meeting starter that can make a big difference in the mental health and well-being of employees. And it spills over into their job engagement and productivity. It\u2019s known as controlled breathing practices. Breathing is something most of us take for granted because it\u2019s automatic, and we\u2019ve been doing it [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4427,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[76],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-4426","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-leadership"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>This Unconventional Start To Team Meetings Boosts Mental Health, Performance And Profitability | Brandiary<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Scientists have identified a unique team meeting starter that can make a big difference in the mental health and well-being of employees. And it spills\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=4426\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"This Unconventional Start To Team Meetings Boosts Mental Health, Performance And Profitability | Brandiary\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Scientists have identified a unique team meeting starter that can make a big difference in the mental health and well-being of employees. And it spills\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=4426\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Brandiary\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-07-10T04:41:28+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-07-10T04:41:29+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/1688964088_0x0.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"News Room\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"News Room\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=4426#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=4426\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"News Room\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/#\/schema\/person\/5062dafb0f932b59aa228f1a047332f4\"},\"headline\":\"This Unconventional Start To Team Meetings Boosts Mental Health, Performance And Profitability\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-07-10T04:41:28+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-07-10T04:41:29+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=4426\"},\"wordCount\":1153,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/#organization\"},\"articleSection\":[\"Leadership\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=4426#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=4426\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=4426\",\"name\":\"This Unconventional Start To Team Meetings Boosts Mental Health, Performance And Profitability | Brandiary\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2023-07-10T04:41:28+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-07-10T04:41:29+00:00\",\"description\":\"Scientists have identified a unique team meeting starter that can make a big difference in the mental health and well-being of employees. And it spills\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=4426#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=4426\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=4426#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"This Unconventional Start To Team Meetings Boosts Mental Health, Performance And Profitability\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/\",\"name\":\"Brandiary\",\"description\":\"Latest Business and Startup News and Updates\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Brandiary\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/b-logo-1.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/b-logo-1.png\",\"width\":381,\"height\":100,\"caption\":\"Brandiary\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/#\/schema\/person\/5062dafb0f932b59aa228f1a047332f4\",\"name\":\"News Room\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/avatar_user_1_1688031660-96x96.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/avatar_user_1_1688031660-96x96.png\",\"caption\":\"News Room\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"This Unconventional Start To Team Meetings Boosts Mental Health, Performance And Profitability | Brandiary","description":"Scientists have identified a unique team meeting starter that can make a big difference in the mental health and well-being of employees. And it spills","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=4426","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"This Unconventional Start To Team Meetings Boosts Mental Health, Performance And Profitability | Brandiary","og_description":"Scientists have identified a unique team meeting starter that can make a big difference in the mental health and well-being of employees. And it spills","og_url":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=4426","og_site_name":"Brandiary","article_published_time":"2023-07-10T04:41:28+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-07-10T04:41:29+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":800,"url":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/1688964088_0x0.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"News Room","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"News Room","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=4426#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=4426"},"author":{"name":"News Room","@id":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/#\/schema\/person\/5062dafb0f932b59aa228f1a047332f4"},"headline":"This Unconventional Start To Team Meetings Boosts Mental Health, Performance And Profitability","datePublished":"2023-07-10T04:41:28+00:00","dateModified":"2023-07-10T04:41:29+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=4426"},"wordCount":1153,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/#organization"},"articleSection":["Leadership"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=4426#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=4426","url":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=4426","name":"This Unconventional Start To Team Meetings Boosts Mental Health, Performance And Profitability | Brandiary","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/#website"},"datePublished":"2023-07-10T04:41:28+00:00","dateModified":"2023-07-10T04:41:29+00:00","description":"Scientists have identified a unique team meeting starter that can make a big difference in the mental health and well-being of employees. And it spills","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=4426#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=4426"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=4426#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"This Unconventional Start To Team Meetings Boosts Mental Health, Performance And Profitability"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/","name":"Brandiary","description":"Latest Business and Startup News and Updates","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/#organization","name":"Brandiary","url":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/b-logo-1.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/b-logo-1.png","width":381,"height":100,"caption":"Brandiary"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/#\/schema\/person\/5062dafb0f932b59aa228f1a047332f4","name":"News Room","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/avatar_user_1_1688031660-96x96.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/avatar_user_1_1688031660-96x96.png","caption":"News Room"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com"],"url":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?author=1"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4426","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4426"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4426\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4428,"href":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4426\/revisions\/4428"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4427"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4426"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4426"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4426"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}