Robert Woodcock Writes About the Relationship of Spirituality and Mental Well-Being for AACSB

Coming out of the pandemic, workers have never been more anxious, alone and isolated. According to the 2022 “Work Habits Study,” 40 percent of U.S. adult workers are experiencing more depression and anxiety, 30 percent are lonelier, and 52 percent are spending more time on their devices than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Writing for AACSB, Robert Woodcock, Pepperdine Graziadio’s spiritual life officer, explained how the aftermath of COVID-19 has left an “anxiety pandemic” in its wake. To remedy this, Woodcock suggests “graduate business schools should consider infusing spirituality into their programs to enhance their students’ well-being and prepare them to handle stress at work.” 

Spirituality has long been part of the approach at Pepperdine University, and the Pepperdine Graziadio mission calls for transformational learning, including spiritual formation. Woodcock details three paths for spiritual growth in business schools: 

• Inner Life: “MBA programs that encourage exploration of a rich inner life prepare students to be secure and achieve higher-level leadership.”
• Calling: “MBA programs are optimal proving grounds where aspiring professionals can discover the gifts and strengths that will help them achieve meaning and joy.”
• Community: “MBA programs should promote cooperation and friendship, the foundation of community.”

Read the full article at AACSB.edu.