A workplace is always buzzing with activity. Day to day matters to attend to, team meetings, target setting, performance assessment, and much more. Stress at a minimum level is thus the part of work. But when it begins to rule the employees at work, then it becomes a problem. 

The practical problem with stress analysis is that there is no way to set a quantifiable limit to it. A particular stress scenario may be optimum for one employee, and the same situation may be excessive and exhausting for another. It is this problem that makes it imperative to have mindfulness training at the workplace for employees at different levels of the organization.

The best way to provide it is through an m-learning platform in the form of a mobile application or training module that works on a particular software. The first option is more feasible as mobile apps are innovative today with advancements in technology. The second reason is that mobile learning motivates learners almost 70% more than desktops.

Mindfulness is a very ancient technique to live in the present moment. Its roots can be traced to Buddhism, though it has no religious connotation. Mindfulness can be defined as a state when a person becomes detached from their own judgmental and identifying mind and becomes a mere spectator. It increases human intelligence as the energy that one was spending on identifying with thoughts and objects is freed up. Research shows that mindfulness has a positive effect on health, balance, and well-being. 

The m-learning platform is better placed today to deliver engaging training apps, thanks to the revolution in mobile app development. The key challenges in designing mobile-based training on mindfulness for employees involve the following :

• Choosing the right meditation technique for the proper condition
• Evaluating the effects on employee
  
• Balancing meditation with work hours
  
• Providing interactive features to open up
  
• Ensuring identity protection in opening up sessions

The design of a mindfulness training app or m-learning platform needs to recognize the above challenges. It requires knowledge of the types of depression and how each technique eases the employee. For example, a person who is depressed because of the kinds of fear, fear of failure, fear of superiors, etc. needs guidance and support in first accepting the fear as acceptance itself is the first step to a solution. 

Features

Learning is an enriching process, but only if you are enjoying it. Hence, it is necessary to make the mindfulness app engaging both content and design wise. The app interface should inspire coolness and hope in the hearts of employees. The design hence, should recognize these fundamental aspects.

Features to consider for a mindfulness training app :

1. Identification of mood – the app should have an interactive interface or psychometric test to reveals the current attitude of the user and suggest the list of meditation according to the problem. For example, if a user is feeling tense, then the meditation types like watching the body. It requires the user to sit or lie down in a relaxed position with the utmost ease. Then the user has to observe his/her body starting from the tip of the toe to the highest point in the head. The user goes on observing the body for places of stress and suggests the body to relax. The time frame is not there in such a scenario and varies from person to person.
   
   
2. Chatbot – every individual is different, and the mind is like a jumbled knot. Some thoughts loosen quickly with active meditation others may need assistance and constant motivation. Hence, chatbox for struggling users is essential. It will be perfect if it is linked to the organization’s mental health expert. The privacy of chat and identity etc. needs to be respected as well. Because only an atmosphere of trust can an individual learn. Trust itself calms employee and makes growth possible.
3. Pre-loaded content – some meditations need the help of sounds. For example, a mindfulness technique that requires focus on one-stringed instruments will require a high-quality recording of that instrument. Some may need images or some other content types. The participant may not avail the requirement and care for an effort when they are too depressed. So, the app should make life easy for the user as much as possible. 
4. Evaluate with feedback – while the chatbot offers an active feedback channel. It is not enough for everyone may not use it. The best way is to make a feedback dashboard with options to assess the level of well-being from the initial stage. One way is to provide a “How do you feel now?” or “Rate your feeling?” infographic chart at the beginning and the end of the session or course. It will help the developers to gauge the effectiveness of the training.
5. Reminders and Tracking – Mindfulness meditations can be done even if a user is not anxious or depressed. It can be done for better awareness and focus. However, every meditation technique needs persistence in doing it. Results usually start manifesting within three weeks with at least one hour of practice daily. So, the learning app needs to integrate a feature that reminds users of their practice sessions and how much they did or not do. Push notifications can work well to remind employees who are too busy. A tracking and planning tool can process the lifestyle pattern of the user and suggest intelligently 

A mindfulness app can aid in all round well being of employees. It sharpens their intelligence and builds their capacity to respond to a crisis. It is a prerequisite to all learning platforms because learning can prevail only in a calm mind as calmness increases receptivity to knowledge.