Impact of Mindful Eating Practices on Employees’ Well-being and Productivity

Purpose: It has become increasingly necessary for organizations to pay attention to employee well-being and productivity in today’s high-pressure work environments. The goal of this study is to understand the working of mindful eating practices on employee well-being and productivity in the dynamic company sector in Dubai. Methodology: A mixed-methods research design was adopted, consisting of qualitative semi-structured interviews and quantitative survey analysis to offer a more or less comprehensive picture of the topic. Findings: The qualitative results suggested that mindful eating practices help employees towards their physical and emotional health, regulation of stress, cognitive clarity and work-life balance. Even though there were positive correlations between employee well-being and productivity and mindful eating, they were not statistically significant (p>0.05) because of the small sample size (54). Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Although there was little quantitative evidence to support this claim, thematic analysis indicated that mindful eating could help with healthier eating habits, better emotional regulation, and better task focus, all of which might subsequently lead to better productivity of time. The study, therefore, points to the need to integrate mindful eating into broader wellness programs and to establish a supportive organizational culture, as well as to take into account a longer time lens in gauging the results of a wellness program. Organizations that wish to support employees' sustainable health, engagement, and efficiency in fast fast-changing work context in Dubai will benefit from these findings.