Personal well-being: 10 questions with Alexis Meyer 

July 2, 2018

Tell us about yourself

My name is Alexis; I work in the Government & Public Services practice of Deloitte Consulting LLP. I focus on technology and systems integration.

What does well-being mean to you?

Well-being for me is about finding a balance between all the things in my life that are priorities and being able to spend my day in a way that shows that I've prioritized those things in the way I want.

How has meditation and yoga helped you professionally?

Yoga and meditation have helped me incredibly in my career, not only to feel balanced in my own life but to be able to bring that to my clients. Most often I sit in meeting rooms and clients will have a question or concern and these practices help me be fully present to listen to them. To hear what their challenges are and to be able to respond in the way that most supports what they need.

How do you share your well-being practices with others?

I teach yoga and meditation to colleagues and different groups of individuals across Deloitte on a regular basis. Several times a month, I teach people these practices so that they can create more balance and well-being in their own lives.

Have you seen the impact on your colleagues after participation?

I've seen the impact on people after they've started doing these practices. I have people come back to me all the time through email, through phone calls, and in person, who say that they've started meditating, they've started doing yoga, just for a few minutes a day, and how it's helped them reduce stress in their lives.

How do you think Deloitte views well-being?

At Deloitte, well-being is about mind, body, and purpose, and all of this is supported by a foundation of flexibility because we know that we all have different unique needs that support us in our well-being.

How is well-being encouraged at Deloitte?

Deloitte has so many incredible well-being programs. I recently took a six-month sabbatical to volunteer and during that time, I also shared the practice of yoga and meditation in the communities where I lived. That experience allowed me to come back a centered, more grounded, whole person than when I had left.

What was it like returning to Deloitte after your sabbatical?

When I came back to Deloitte, it became important to me to share the practices of yoga and meditation with my colleagues. I knew there was something there that was beneficial and valuable in being able to help me maintain well-being in my life. I knew it was something I wanted to share with my colleagues. Along with a few others, I started a program where we teach mindfulness, meditation, and chair yoga to teams across the organization to help them find balance and well-being.

How do others react to Deloitte’s well-being programs?

When I tell people that I've been able to take a sabbatical and that I also teach meditation and yoga, the last thing they think is that I work at Deloitte, or in a corporate organization. Most people are so shocked to hear that we have programs like mindfulness that support our people. It feels good to be able to work at an organization that values me, not just for the work that I do, but values me as a person.

What does the future hold for you?

My investment in my well-being has allowed me to pause and take the time to think about my interests and the direction of my career. I used to spend a lot of my time planning what my future was going to be, but now I’m letting it naturally unfold.