By Avanti Kumar
Selangor Dredging Berhad (SDB), a leading property developer in Malaysia, has launched a programme aimed at promoting mindfulness among its employees.
The programme, called “Improving Performance and Wellbeing through Meditation & Awareness,” is designed to teach and train SDB employees to be more present and mindful in their daily lives, letting go of distractions and negative thoughts to attain greater relaxation, calmness, and clarity.
The programme was initiated by SDB’s Managing Director, Teh Lip Kim, who is herself a meditation practitioner.
The initiative comes at a time when many individuals are feeling overwhelmed and struggling to manage the demands of modern life. The constant barrage of stimuli, from email notifications to social media updates, can leave people feeling exhausted and unable to focus.
By promoting mindfulness, SDB hopes to provide its employees with a tool to quiet the ‘noise’ and achieve a greater sense of mental clarity and well-being.
Teh recognised the benefits of mindfulness and wanted to share those benefits with her employees.
“At SDB, we recognize the importance of mental health and well-being in our employees,” she said.
“By promoting mindfulness, we hope to provide them with a tool to manage stress and improve their overall quality of life.”
The first cohort of the meditation programme began in December 2022 and lasted for five months. The group consisted of first-time meditation learners from various departments within SDB, including design, sales, property management, and human resources.
The sessions were led by Maria Linghult (pic above – seated third from left), a meditation practitioner with over 25 years of experience.
Over the course of the programme, participants learned various meditation techniques designed to help them focus their minds and be fully present at the moment.
The lessons were conducted through physical and online classes, as well as sharing sessions.
Participants learned to let go of distractions and negative thoughts and achieve a greater sense of relaxation, calmness, and clarity.
“The benefits of mindfulness are numerous and have been proven to have a positive impact on both physical and mental health. By training the mind to focus and be fully present at the moment, individuals can complete tasks more efficiently and effectively without distraction. This can lead to improved performance, resilience, and productivity, as well as better workload management and job satisfaction,” she said.
“Additionally, by becoming aware of one’s own inner thoughts and emotional state, individuals can better self-regulate and manage their stress, leading to improved mental and emotional health. This, in turn, can lead to greater creativity and innovation, as individuals are better able to tap into their creative potential and generate new ideas.”
At SDB, mindfulness is especially important because the company strives to be a developer that can perceive and envision its customers’ needs.
“By considering the emotional aspect in all its products, SDB builds houses that evoke positive feelings and promote wellbeing. Mental awareness can facilitate the connection between the architect, the space, and the people living in it,” said SDB Communications and Corporate Affairs Lead Brian Chow.
“Experiencing space is a subtle act of the human body and mind. How we perceived and utilise the spaces around us reflects the breadth and depth of our creativity,” he added. (Illustration – one of SDB’s latest developments called 19Trees located in Taman Melawati, Kuala Lumpur, which cleverly uses spatial awareness to blend in and be in harmony with surroundings.)
“Successful meditation practitioners may also find more creative ways to engage with people, whether it is through interactions with their colleagues or ways to handle a difficult situation,” he further said.
“Empathy and better communication can lead to more meaningful connections with others and a greater sense of inner peace and contentment.”
The programme has already had a positive impact on SDB employees, who report feeling more focused and productive as a result of their mindfulness practice.
Another participating employee said: “I used to feel stressed with both work and life, but now I’m able to manage my stress and focus on the tasks at hand. It’s made a huge difference to my better well-being.”
SDB plans to continue offering the programme to its employees and expanding it to include more participants. The company also hopes to inspire other organizations to adopt mindfulness practices and promote employee well-being.
