The Corporate Piece

This clip art does not depict chair-yoga. It shows an exhausted person at his job and summarizes the 'story of the corporate piece'. 

I am currently in the process of conducting 'needs assessments' for small and medium sized businesses. Unlike private consultations, where I put together the pieces of the puzzle of an individual life story, office-staff tell quite a different genre!

I hear from men who wake up exhausted as they have slept late, after fulfilling household tasks and tackling office e-mails. I see sleep-deprived women who have worked late into the night on creating business presentations after putting their kids to bed.

They show up to work on empty stomachs after consuming several cups of coffee, some artificially sweetened. They have organized or packed lunches for their school-age kids but not had time to think through their own meal plans.

Not many at work have the time to notice the aroma of their catered food, let alone the beauty of their rainbow colored summer salad. Talking shop throughout, they shovel in mouthfuls, barely even tasting the food and without registering cues of satiety or hunger.

They tell of depleted energy levels after a day at work that involved an endless series of conference calls and meetings. They talk of rising tensions amongst team members as they struggle to get quality work done on time.

The majority will brave traffic on their way home. The thought of a hot meal over family conversation is far from the reality that awaits them as they first detour to pick up tired kids from their scheduled activities.

Once home, they may succeed in putting together a wholesome meal for the family or more likely tear open a microwavable dinner that is not reflective of their six-figure salary.

All good intentions of an after-dinner walk are put to rest as clean up and bedtime routines take over. The cycle repeats itself until the end of the ‘work week’, which no longer means Friday evening. It is to the backdrop of this culture that The Missing Peace will customize interventions to change the status quo and promise a happy ending!

'Founding' of The Missing Peace

While presenting at a parent education event, where my topic was ‘Reducing Stress through Seasonal Routines’ I became increasingly aware that I could not advocate for healthy eating, sleeping and social habits of students without involving or influencing the lifestyle of their parents. 

Over 20 years of working with people and their varying health needs, I have been frequently confronted with the inter-connection between my client's health and the overall culture of health of their community. And though I have the opportunity to work with individuals and families through private consultations, I realize that this is not enough to create the desired culture of health. 

In recognition of the fact that it takes a village, I have created a link with 'the missing piece' from my current sphere of influence: the business community. Hence, The Missing Peace was ‘founded’!

Drawing from the lessons learned from my recent fellowship at the Stanford University School of Medicine,  I have designed a program that promises to enhance worksite wellness by creating a culture of positive energy and collaboration. The Missing Peace will provide what it takes to encourage our community to:

•    Relax with family and friends.

•    Nourish through wholesome foods.

•    Energize through rejuvenating activities.

•    Build relationships through collaborative interactions.

The Missing Peace is targeted at workplaces because it recognizes that they have the potential to improve wellness in their communities by building a culture that supports healthy work styles. To read more about the program, please go to http://www.themissingpeace.biz

Silicon Valley Chamber Business Exposition, Santa Clara, May 2016.