International firm Dentons has appointed a ‘chief mindfulness officer’ to teach staff about long-term stress, perfectionism and the dangers of multi-tasking.

In her new role Karina Furga-Dabrowska will roll out her ‘NextMind’ training programme, which claims to develop emotional intelligence through regular ‘mindfulness meditation’. Furga-Dabrowska, a partner at the firm since 2008, designed the programme with the Kalapa Leadership Academy, a wellbeing expert. 

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Karina Furga-Dabrowska

During the two-month course, participants will learn how to reduce stress, improve their well-being, and develop their empathy and self-awareness. Techniques will include breathing meditation, walking meditation, meditation with counting and ‘mindful movement’. The course will also cover exercises that solicitors can do before meetings or when responding to emails.

NextMind was trialled last year across Dentons’ European offices and participants recorded feeling less stressed and noted improvements in their social and emotional wellbeing.

Furga-Dabrowska said: ‘Neuroscientific research shows that regular mindfulness practice improves resilience, communication, productivity and wellbeing, which are not only beneficial for our people, but also for our bottom line.’

Dentons claims to be the first global law firm to create a mindfulness role, and will be joining the likes of Google and IBM.