The eight AVID employee-owners who participated in the experiment received a FocusCalm headband and access to the FocusCalm app. While wearing the headband, the AVID team used the daily tracker, guided meditations and played brain games. FocusCalm scores were captured by neuron sensors on the headband and displayed on the app for training and progress. Scores ranged from 0 (state of high stress) to 100 (state of bliss, calm and focus). The app centers around building self-awareness to help train your mind to be calmer. A score of 65 or over is considered a “FocusCalm minute” — 12 FocusCalm minutes per day promotes greater wellbeing, health, performance and energy.
AVID ESOP Chairperson and employee-owner Ryan Andrade gives insight into her experience, “Day one of the experiment, I had a low score of 9 (stressed), but by the end of the 4-week trial I had gained a better understanding behind the technique of controlled breathing. This helped me to increase my score to 90 (focused and calm). I enjoyed the games the most, seeing how many marshmallows I could melt or pictures I could paint with the control of breathing and focus.”
As a team, AVID participants had a total of 908.5 FocusCalm minutes. AVID Marketing Communications Director and employee-owner, Emil Belisle, had the most FocusCalm time of 504 minutes and says he greatly enjoyed his experience, “I wore the FocusCalm headband and tracked my focus calm score in a few life situations such as watching sports, while working and even playing drums. Seeing the analytics across activity types was very cool and informative. It gave me a deeper perspective of ways I can increase focus while reducing stress.”
Once the 4-week trial ended, the AVID team were asked to fill out two 5-minute surveys. One survey asked participants to rate their level of calm or how refreshed or relaxed they felt during the trial. The second survey asked for feedback on the meditations, brain games and analytics provided on the app. BrainCo then provided a summary of our Workplace Wellness Experiment results.
Marc Malamut, AVID employee-owner who hosted the experiment with BrainCo, reflects on his results from the 4-week experiment, “I found the FocusCalm experience extremely impactful. In the beginning, I was using it in the late afternoon and evening and my average score was 30. I changed my routine and started using it in the morning and my average score increased to 90! I was able to reflect on the feeling of calmness I experienced during the morning and used that to raise my average evening score by the last week. FocusCalm helped me to become more self-aware and understand the importance of daily mindfulness.”
Overall, the takeaway from the FocusCalm Workplace Wellness Experiment showed the importance of helping people to connect, being more self-aware, as well as being mindful in our daily lives, enabling us to improve our quality of life while impacting the lives of others in a more positive way.
Check out our last post to learn more about wellness in the AVID workplace as we continue to celebrate #NationalWellnessMonth.
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