Some of the most reliable studies have found that mindfulness can help with depression, pain management and substance abuse outcomes, according to a 2016 review by David Creswell of Carnegie Mellon University. But he says fewer studies have looked at its effects beyond medical clinics, and mindfulness is being introduced into workplaces in the absence of top-notch trials.

When it comes to positive or negative effects on motivation, there is not a large body of work. A study published in May by Iowa State University researchers found that mindfulness may play a part in improving motivation but this was in relation to exercising, not work.

Another study from Germany and the Netherlands that looked at mindfulness in the workplace, meanwhile, found participants reported improved wellbeing and lower stress levels, but didn’t look at motivation.

So, the picture is mixed and, according to Desbordes, compounded by confusion over what mindfulness actually is. Some mindfulness teachers, she says, teach the importance of putting your daily suffering aside to achieve a new level of consciousness, whereas others advocate gaining insight into these challenges and how to improve them; two very conflicting approaches.

Desbordes says there is also very little data on the long-term effects of mindfulness training. “The perception of the general public is way ahead of the state of knowledge,” she says. “Research is happening and scientists are getting more funding, but it will take years to implement.”

But this hasn’t stopped some of the biggest corporations investing in mindfulness programmes, including LinkedIn, which has dedicated mediation rooms in its Sunnyvale, San Francisco, New York and Sydney offices. In Sunnyvale, a recent count found the nine mindfulness rooms were used on average 15 times a day, with over half of these visits specified as meditation. (The rooms are also used for religious practices.)

The company measures the success of its wellness programme by keeping track of how many employees participate in meditation classes, use the mindfulness rooms, attend mindfulness workshops and use the promoted mindfulness apps.