Morneau Shepell and Interaxon collaborate for brain health and workplace well-being innovation

Partnership to gather objective data on mindfulness-based workplaces to improve mental focus, sleep and stress management

CHICAGO, Jan. 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Morneau Shepell, the leading provider of technology-enabled HR services, and Interaxon, the maker of the Muse meditation headband, today announced a partnership to test Muse technology in workplace well-being programming.

"In today's society, meditation and mindfulness are becoming essential skills and we have seen evidence that they are effective in helping to support many key components of well-being, including reducing stress and improving sleep," said Paula Allen, senior vice president, research, analytics and innovation, Morneau Shepell. "Muse offers the well-known technique of bio-feedback to accelerate the development of those skills. We are continuously seeking and investing in innovation to improve lives and support organizations, and improving mindfulness with bio-feedback is aligned to this."

Employers are recognizing the potential benefits of mindfulness and meditation in improving workplace productivity and reducing costs. Interaxon's Muse headband is a research grade electroencephalography (EEG) device that provides visual and auditory feedback to this user on brain activity. It is the first such device meant for ongoing, at home, personal use. The feedback provided by Muse is used to shape the mental behaviors that define effective meditation, which is an intentional clearing and calming of the mind, and mindfulness, which is the ability to focus on a single thing in a calm state.  

"We are excited about this collaboration and see it as an opportunity to significantly advance the ability of workplace well-being programs to improve mental fitness and to offer objective data on the progress toward doing so," said Derek Luke, chief executive officer, Interaxon. "We see this having significantly disruptive potential by taking well-being to the next level of precision and effectiveness. It offers a new and high-potential platform for understanding opportunities within workplace programs."

The partnership between Morneau Shepell and Interaxon offers the opportunity to benefit employees, including those who are off work due to disability leave and those with sleep issues, through personalized support in managing their response to stress, improving sleep and improving mental focus. It will also result in an equally strong benefit to employers in reducing accidents, reducing absenteeism and optimizing productivity. All information collected during this testing will be done so with the consent of the user, and will also be anonymized and kept confidential.

About Morneau Shepell
Morneau Shepell is the leading provider of technology-enabled HR services that delivers an integrated approach to well-being through our cloud-based platform. Our focus is providing everything our clients need to support the mental, physical, social and financial well-being of their people. By improving lives, we improve business. Our approach spans services in employee and family assistance, health and wellness, recognition, pension and benefits administration, retirement and benefits consulting, actuarial and investment services. Morneau Shepell employs approximately 6,000 employees who work with some 24,000 client organizations that use our services in 162 countries. Morneau Shepell is a publicly traded company on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: MSI). For more information, visit morneaushepell.com.

About Interaxon
At Interaxon, we develop engaging experiences using brainwave-sensing technology designed to help you free yourself from physical, emotional and mental obstacles so you get more out of every moment. Our mission is to enable you to live a happier, healthier and more connected life with leading brainwave technologies and experiences. Our flagship product is the Muse® headband, a sensory headband that is designed to help you meditate by providing you real-time audio and visual feedback on your meditative state through the Muse® companion app. Our newest product, Muse S, is a multi-sensor fabric headband that offers a new way to access biofeedback-enhanced meditation, as well as promote healthy pre-sleep habits for restorative sleep with newly introduced Go-to-Sleep Journeys that blend voice guidance with biofeedback soundscapes that respond to your physiological state for a truly personalized bedtime soundtrack.  More information about Interaxon and the Muse® headband and the new Muse S is available at www.choosemuse.com.

SOURCE Morneau Shepell Inc.

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