Police forces around the UK might be inspired to offer their officers mindfulness training online in order to combat feelings of stress they may be feeling, given figures revealing that the number of sick days taken because of stress has climbed by 50 per cent in the last five years.

A Freedom of Information request has found that in 2014/2015 a total of 23,535 days were taken off by police officers while in 2010/2011 15,663 days were booked off, the Daily Mirror reports.

Speaking to the news source, one Metropolitan Police officer, who has been on the job for over a decade, said: “These figures are no surprise to any of the officers I work with. The cuts mean there are less officers to deal with the same amount of crime, which of course leads to increased stress levels for the officers on the ground.”

There are many ways that different people choose to manage their stress, but mindfulness techniques could prove to be particularly effective – and a lot quicker than other methods.

Mindfulness teaches you to anchor yourself to the present moment so that anything that’s worrying you or causing you undue stress and anxiety fades into the background, leaving you feeling calm, collected and more at peace. Much like yoga, the key to successfulness mindfulness therapy is your breath – by focusing on your breathing, you’ll be able to calm your mind and look at the world through fresh eyes.

To find out more about mindfulness therapy, get in touch with us here at Excellence Assured.