Homeland Security wants its employees to learn mindfulness, but is that the best way to build resilience?
The US Department of Homeland Security is the latest organization turning to mindfulness training to help its employees. According to public documents from earlier this year, the department is seeking a contractor to teach a variety of courses, from two-hour introductions to eight-week classes, to help “enhance psychological health and resilience,” as well as develop compassion and leadership skills.
Mindfulness training has swept the workplace in the past few years, and it certainly has its uses — but its focus is far too narrow and it places too much burden on the individual, experts say. To truly build resilience, look to improve the systems that employees are working in, instead of hoping that 20 minutes of loving-kindness...