Stress

Reduce Anxiety and Depression with Mindfulness and Yoga

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mindfulness-yoga-depression-anxiety2-falsafi

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“But for many patients dealing with depression, anxiety, or stress, yoga may be a very appealing way to better manage symptoms. Indeed, the scientific study of yoga demonstrates that mental and physical health are not just closely allied, but are essentially equivalent. The evidence is growing that yoga practice is a relatively low-risk, high-yield approach to improving overall health.” – Harvard Mental Health Letter

 

Many people have fond memories of their college years. It is likely, however, that they forgot about the stress and angst of those years. The truth is that college is generally very stressful for most students, from the uncertainty of freshman year, to the social stresses of emerging adulthood, to the anxiety of launching into a career after senior year. Evidence for the difficulties of these years can be found in college counseling centers which are swamped with troubled students. In fact, it’s been estimated that half of all college students report significant levels of anxiety and depression.

 

In recent years, it has become apparent that contemplative practices are powerful treatment options for depression and anxiety disorders either alone or in combination with other therapies. Both mindfulness training and yoga practice have been found to be effective. But, there has not been a direct comparison. In today’s Research News article “Controlled Trial of Mindfulness Versus Yoga: Effects on Depression and/or Anxiety in College Students.” See:

https://www.facebook.com/ContemplativeStudiesCenter/photos/a.628903887133541.1073741828.627681673922429/1357219097635346/?type=3&theater

or see summary below, Falsafi recruited college students, with a diagnosis of wither anxiety disorder or depression, and randomly assigned them to receive 8 weeks, 75 minutes per week, plus 20 minutes per day of home practice, of either mindfulness training or Hatha yoga practice, or to a no-treatment control condition. All groups also continued their usual treatments of drugs or psychotherapy. The students were assessed for mindfulness, depression, anxiety, stress, and self-compassion prior to treatment, mid treatment (week 4), the end of treatment (week 8) and a follow-up at week 12.

 

They found that in comparison to the no-treatment control condition both the mindfulness training and yoga practice groups had significant decreases in anxiety, depression, and stress, and increases in mindfulness and these improvements were maintained at the 12-week follow-up. There were no significant differences found between the effects of mindfulness training or yoga practice, except that only the mindfulness training groups showed a significant increase in self-compassion. This latter difference was probably due to the fact that the mindfulness training included specific exercises to improve self-compassion including loving-kindness meditation practice.

 

These findings confirm previous findings that both mindfulness training and yoga practice produce clinically significant improvements in mindfulness, anxiety, depression, and stress, and that mindfulness improves self-compassion. The interesting aspect of this study is that comparable amounts of mindfulness and yoga practice did not differ in effectiveness. This is useful as different people prefer mindfulness training or yoga practice. So, individuals with anxiety and depression can choose which practice they are most comfortable with. This should increase participation and compliance and as a result effectiveness.

 

So, reduce anxiety and depression with mindfulness and yoga.

 

 

“People with anxiety have a problem dealing with distracting thoughts that have too much power. They can’t distinguish between a problem-solving thought and a nagging worry that has no benefit. If you have unproductive worries, you can train yourself to experience those thoughts completely differently. You might think ‘I’m late, I might lose my job if I don’t get there on time, and it will be a disaster!’ Mindfulness teaches you to recognize, ‘Oh, there’s that thought again. I’ve been here before. But it’s just that—a thought, and not a part of my core self,’” – Elizabeth Hoge

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts

 

Study Summary

Falsafi N. A Randomized Controlled Trial of Mindfulness Versus Yoga: Effects on Depression and/or Anxiety in College Students. J Am Psychiatr Nurses Assoc. 2016 Aug 26. pii: 1078390316663307. [Epub ahead of print]

 

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Depression and anxiety disorders are two of the most common mental disorders in the United States. These disorders are prevalent among college students.

OBJECTIVE: The main objective of this study is to compare the effectiveness of two different types of intervention practices (mindfulness vs. yoga) and a noninterventional control group in mitigating the effects of depression and/or anxiety in college students.

METHOD: A sample of 90 students (both genders) over age 18 who had a diagnosis of anxiety and/or depression was recruited from 11,500 undergraduate college students in a mid-size university. The study’s design included stratified-randomized controlled repeated measures with three groups: a mindfulness intervention group, a yoga-only intervention group, and a noninterventional group. Participants were randomly assigned to the aforementioned three groups. Participants in the intervention groups received an 8-week training either in mindfulness or yoga. Depressive, anxiety, stress symptoms, self-compassion, and mindfulness were measured at baseline, Week 4, Week 8, and Week 12.

RESULTS: Depressive, anxiety, and stress symptoms decreased significantly (p < .01) from baseline to follow-up conditions in both the mindfulness and yoga intervention groups. The changes in mindfulness scores were also significant in both groups. However, the changes in self-compassion scores were significant only in the mindfulness intervention group. No significant changes in the control group were demonstrated.

CONCLUSIONS: The findings from this study can provide useful information to nurses and other health care providers. This study may have implications for a cost-effective treatment for depression and anxiety.

 

Improve Cognitive, Thought, Processes with Mindfulness

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By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“People with anxiety have a problem dealing with distracting thoughts that have too much power. They can’t distinguish between a problem-solving thought and a nagging worry that has no benefit. If you have unproductive worries you can train yourself to experience those thoughts completely differently. “You might think ‘I’m late, I might lose my job if I don’t get there on time, and it will be a disaster!’ Mindfulness teaches you to recognize, ‘Oh, there’s that thought again. I’ve been here before. But it’s just that—a thought, and not a part of my core self,’” – Elizabeth Hoge

 

Stress is universal. We are constantly under some form of stress. In fact, if we don’t have enough stress, we seek out more. Moderate stress can be a good thing promoting growth and flourishing. But, it must be moderate or what is called the optimum level of stress. Too little or too much stress can be damaging. Unfortunately for many of us living in a competitive, multitasking, modern environment stress is all too often higher than desirable. In addition, many of the normal mechanisms for dealing with stress have been eliminated. The business of modern life removes opportunities for rest, extra sleep, and leisure activities. Instead people are working extra hours and limiting or passing up entirely vacations to stay competitive. Persistently high levels of stress are damaging and can directly produce disease or debilitation increasing susceptibility to other diseases.

 

It is beyond the ability of the individual to change the environment to reduce stress, so it is important that methods be found to reduce the individual’s responses to stress; to make the individual more resilient when high levels of stress occur. Contemplative practices including meditation practice have been shown to reduce the psychological and physiological responses to stress. Because of their ability to relieve stress, mindfulness trainings are increasingly being practiced by individuals and are even being encouraged in some workplaces. But, some other treatments such as exercise or biofeedback may also be effective.

 

In today’s Research News article “Comparing Daily Mindfulness Meditations, Biofeedback Exercises, and Daily Physical Exercise on Attention Control, Executive Functioning, Mindful Awareness, Self-Compassion, and Worrying in Stressed Young Adults.” See:

https://www.facebook.com/ContemplativeStudiesCenter/photos/a.628903887133541.1073741828.627681673922429/1346420245381898/?type=3&theater

or see summary below or view the full text of the study at:

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12671-016-0561-5

de Bruin and colleagues compare the efficacy of five weeks of daily mindfulness meditation, heart rate variability biofeedback, or physical exercise to reduce the psychological symptoms of stress in 18 to 40-years old adults who were highly stressed. The participants were randomly assigned to one of the three treatments and were tested prior to and after the 5-week treatment period for attention control, executive functioning, mindful awareness, self-compassion, and worrying.

 

They found that all three interventions produced statistically significant improvements in all of the outcome measures, attention control, executive functioning, mindful awareness, self-compassion, and worrying, and there were no significant differences between the treatments in their effectiveness. The exercise group practiced for 40% more hours than either the meditation or heart rate variability biofeedback groups. The fact that the groups did not differ is surprising. But, it is clear that all three therapies significantly reduce the cognitive and emotional effects of stress.

 

The advantage for the individual is that they can choose which form of therapy best suits them and their situation. Since these people are already stressed by their busy lives, it would seem that the added time commitment for exercise would be a disadvantage. Also biofeedback treatment requires greater professional attention than either meditation or exercise. So, for practical reasons, meditation would appear to be the preferable therapy for the relief of the cognitive and emotional effects of stress.

 

So, improve cognitive, thought, processes with mindfulness.

 

“Mindfulness also allows us to become more aware of the stream of thoughts and feelings that we experience and to see how we can become entangled in that stream in ways that are not helpful. This lets us stand back from our thoughts and start to see their patterns. Gradually, we can train ourselves to notice when our thoughts are taking over and realise that thoughts are simply ‘mental events’ that do not have to control us.” – Mark Williams

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts

 

Study Summary

de Bruin, E.I., van der Zwan, J.E. & Bögels, S.M. A RCT Comparing Daily Mindfulness Meditations, Biofeedback Exercises, and Daily Physical Exercise on Attention Control, Executive Functioning, Mindful Awareness, Self-Compassion, and Worrying in Stressed Young Adults. Mindfulness (2016) 7: 1182. doi:10.1007/s12671-016-0561-5

 

Abstract

Our Western society is characterized by multitasking, competition, and constant time pressure. Negative effects of stress for the individual (anxiety, depression, somatic complaints) and for organizations and society (costs due to work absence) are very high. Thus, time-efficient self-help interventions to address these issues are necessary. This study assessed the effects of daily mindfulness meditations (MM) versus daily heart rate variability biofeedback (HRV-BF) and daily physical exercise (PE) on attention control, executive functioning, mindful awareness, self-compassion, and worrying. Young adults (n = 75, age range 18 to 40) with elevated stress levels were randomized to MM, HRV-BF, or PE, and measurements were taken at pre-test, post-test, and follow-up. Interventions in all three groups were self-guided and lasted for 5 weeks. Generalized estimating equation analyses showed that overall, all three interventions were effective and did not differ from each other. However, practice time differed between groups, with participants in the PE group practicing much more than participants in the other two groups. Therefore, additional analyses were carried out in two subsamples. The optimal dose sample included only those participants who practiced for at least 70 % of the total prescribed time. In the equal dose sample, home practice intensity was equal for all three groups. Again, the effects of the three interventions did not differ. In conclusion, MM, HRV-BF, and PE are all effective self-help methods to improve attention control, executive functioning, mindful awareness, self-compassion, and worrying, and mindfulness meditation was not found to be more effective than HRV-biofeedback or physical exercise for these cognitive processes.

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12671-016-0561-5

 

Reduce Stress and Improve Health with Meditation

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By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“If you have unproductive worries, you can train yourself to experience those thoughts completely differently. You might think ‘I’m late, I might lose my job if I don’t get there on time, and it will be a disaster!’ Mindfulness teaches you to recognize, ‘Oh, there’s that thought again. I’ve been here before. But it’s just that—a thought, and not a part of my core self,’” – Elizabeth. Hoge

 

We spend approximately 25% of our adult lives at work. How we spend that time is immensely important for our overall well-being, including our psychological and physical health. Indeed, the work environment has even become an important part of our social lives, with friendships and leisure time activities often attached to the work environment. But, more than half of employees in the U.S. and nearly 2/3 worldwide are unhappy at work. This is primarily due to the fact that stress is epidemic in the workplace. A recent Harris poll found that 80 percent of workers feel stressed about one or more things in the workplace. This stress can lead to physical and psychological problems for managers and employees, including fatigue, sleep problems, depression, absenteeism, lower productivity, lower job satisfaction, and personal and professional burnout. Indeed, 46.4% of employees, report having psychological distress.

 

Mindfulness training of employees is a potential help with work related stress. It has been shown to reduce the psychological and physical reactions to stress overall and particularly in the workplace and to reduce burnout. A problem in implementing mindfulness programs in the workplace is the time required for the training. This makes many managers reticent to try it. So, it is important to develop programs that do not seriously impact on work time. A mindfulness training program that can be delivered quickly in a single session would be optimum. In today’s Research News article “Effect of yoga based techniques on stress and health indices using electro photonic imaging technique in managers.” See:

https://www.facebook.com/ContemplativeStudiesCenter/photos/a.628903887133541.1073741828.627681673922429/1333462190011037/?type=3&theater

or see summary below or view the full text of the study at:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4969271/

Kushwah and colleagues investigate the effectiveness of Cyclic Meditation on stress and psychological well-being in managers. Cyclic Meditation is a mixture of meditation practice and yoga postures that are alternated. It can be implemented in a single 35-minute session. They recruited managers and assigned them randomly to either receive a Cyclic Meditation practice or a 35-minute period of supine rest. Assessments of health status and stress were measured with an indirect Electro Photonic Imaging (EPI) technique that was taken before and after the practice.

 

They found that that the Cyclic Meditation group in comparison to the rest group had a significant, 14.5%, reduction in stress and an 18.5% increase in health status. This is potentially an important finding as the intervention was delivered in a single 35-minute session. This may be highly acceptable for managers in the workplace and make it more likely that they would participate. This would also be a cost-effective strategy that would be acceptable to cost conscious employers.

 

The findings, however, are very short-term. More research is needed to determine if the single intervention has lasting effects or if the effects can be sustained by repeated, perhaps daily practice. It is impossible to determine if the meditative component or the yoga component of the practice or both in combination were responsible for the effects. Since, both meditation practice and yoga practice have been shown separately to reduce stress, it is likely that both were responsible for the current effects. More research is needed to investigate whether their effects are additive in reducing stress and improving health.

 

So, reduce stress and improve health with meditation.

 

“Meditation is a simple technique that, if practiced for as few as 10 minutes each day, can help you control stress, decrease anxiety, improve cardiovascular health, and achieve a greater capacity for relaxation.” – WebMD

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts

 

Study Summary

Kushwah, K. K., Srinivasan, T. M., Nagendra, H. R., & Ilavarasu, J. V. (2016). Effect of yoga based techniques on stress and health indices using electro photonic imaging technique in managers. Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine, 7(2), 119–123. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaim.2015.05.001

Abstract

Background: Meditation techniques are known to elicit relaxation response in which moving meditation which combines the practice of yoga postures and guided relaxation is known as Cyclic Meditation reported helpful in reducing the sympathetic arousal and improving health of practitioners.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of Cyclic Meditation on stress and health indices in managers as measured by Electro Photonic Imaging (EPI) technique.

Materials and methods: EPI technique was used to assess participants before and after 35 min of Cyclic Meditation (CM) and equal duration of Supine Rest (SR) session. A total of sixty six male managers, age ranges from 35 to 60 years (mean ± SD 53.97 ± 5.96) were included in the study. EPI parameters, including Activation Coefficient, Integral Area left and right and Integral Entropy, left and right were taken for statistical analyses.

Results: Cyclic Meditation has produced a highly significant reduction in stress level, whereas this reduction was not found significant within SR group. There was a significant improvement in health index ‘Integral Area’ values in both left and right sides within the CM group while only IA right side showed a significant improvement within the CM group. The integral entropy value right side decreased significantly within the CM group, whereas IE left was found deteriorated within the SR group. Moreover, only IE left side has shown a significant difference between the groups.

Conclusion: The investigations in this study suggest that Cyclic Meditation practice reduces stress and improves psychosomatic health indices more effectively than Supine Rest in managers.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4969271/

 

Practice Yoga and be Resilient to Stress

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By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“yoga is anti-aging, lowers blood pressure, and is beneficial for treating metabolic syndrome x. Waist circumference, blood sugar, and triglycerides. Yoga has been known to balance the endocrine system and hormones for centuries. Now it is also being recognized as a way to balance blood sugar levels and reduce the risk of diseases brought on by a classically western diet.” – Cheryl Walters
Stress is universal. We are constantly under some form of stress. In fact, if we don’t have enough stress, we seek out more. Stress actually can strengthen us. Muscles don’t grow and strengthen unless they are moderately stressed in exercise. Moderate mental stress can actually increase the size and connectivity of brain areas devoted to the activity. Moderate social stress can help us become more adept in social interactions. Moderate work stress can help us be more productive and improve as an employee, etc. So, stress can be a good thing promoting growth and flourishing. The key word here is moderate or what we called the optimum level of stress. Too little or too much stress can be damaging.

 

Unfortunately for many of us living in a competitive modern environment stress is all too often higher than desirable. In addition, many of the normal mechanisms for dealing with stress have been eliminated. The business of modern life removes opportunities for rest, working extra hours, and limiting or passing up entirely vacations to stay competitive. Persistently high levels of stress are damaging and can directly produce disease or debilitation increasing susceptibility to other diseases. Chronic stress can produce a condition called distress which can lead to headaches, upset stomach, elevated blood pressure, chest pain, and problems sleeping and can make other diseases worse.

 

It is beyond the ability of the individual to change the environment to reduce stress, so it is important that methods be found to reduce the individual’s responses to stress; to make the individual more resilient when high levels of stress occur. Contemplative practices including yoga practice have been shown to reduce the psychological and physiological responses to stress. Because of their ability to relieve stress, mindfulness trainings are increasingly being practiced by individuals and are even being encouraged in some workplaces.
In today’s Research News article “Heart Rate Variability, Flow, Mood and Mental Stress During Yoga Practices in Yoga Practitioners, Non-yoga Practitioners and People with Metabolic Syndrome.” See:

https://www.facebook.com/ContemplativeStudiesCenter/photos/a.628903887133541.1073741828.627681673922429/1311695092187747/?type=3&theater

or see summary below. Tyagi and colleagues investigate the ability of yoga practitioners to respond to and recover from stress. They recruited yoga practitioners who had been practicing for at least 6 months, comparable individuals who did not practice yoga, and individuals with metabolic syndrome. They had the participants relax in a reclining position and then challenged them with a stressful mental arithmetic task. During this time, they were measured for mood, flow, respiration, and cardiac activity with an Electrocardiogram (ECG). Flow is a “desirable state of positive arousal caused by the perception of subjective control with maximum physiological efficiency and the down-regulation of functions irrelevant for task fulfilment.”

 

They found that the yoga practitioners had greater flow and were in a better mood even before the stressful task and showed greater improvement in flow and mood after the task than the other groups. These included flow, total mood, and the mood components of tension, depression, fatigue, confusion, anxiety, and vigor. They also found that the yoga practitioners had lower heart rates and respiration rates than the other groups, had greater increases during the stressful task, and more rapid decreases afterward.

 

These are interesting results and replicate many previous results that the practice of yoga in general improves flow, mood, and physiological responses. This is not surprising as exercise in general is known to do this. What is new and significant is that yoga practice appears to improve resilience; that is, it results in vigorous responses to stress, but rapid recovery. Both of these responses are adaptive. By readying the physiology to cope with the effects of stress, it positions the individual to better withstand these effects. But, yoga also improves the recovery afterward preventing the stress effects to be prolonged and potentially damaging. As a result, yoga practitioners appear to better able to respond to and cope with stress, quickly and efficiently, without unnecessary prolonged physiological reactions.

 

So, practice yoga and be resilient to stress.

 

“Regular yoga practice creates mental clarity and calmness; increases body awareness; relieves chronic stress patterns; relaxes the mind; centers attention; and sharpens concentration. Body- and self-awareness are particularly beneficial, because they can help with early detection of physical problems and allow for early preventive action.” – Natalie Nevin

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts

 

Study Summary

Tyagi, A., Cohen, M., Reece, J. Telles, S. and Jones. L. Heart Rate Variability, Flow, Mood and Mental Stress During Yoga Practices in Yoga Practitioners, Non-yoga Practitioners and People with Metabolic Syndrome. Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback (2016). doi:10.1007/s10484-016-9340-2

Abstract

Heart Rate Variability (HRV) and respiratory sinus arrhythmia are directly associated with autonomic flexibility, self-regulation and well-being, and inversely associated with physiological stress, psychological stress and pathology. Yoga enhances autonomic activity, mitigates stress and benefits stress-related clinical conditions, yet the relationship between autonomic activity and psychophysiological responses during yoga practices and stressful stimuli has not been widely explored. This experimental study explored the relationship between HRV, mood states and flow experiences in regular yoga practitioners (YP), non-yoga practitioners (NY) and people with metabolic syndrome (MetS), during Mental Arithmetic Stress Test (MAST) and various yoga practices. The study found that the MAST placed a cardio-autonomic burden in all participants with the YP group showing the greatest reactivity and the most rapid recovery, while the MetS group had significantly blunted recovery. The YP group also reported a heightened experience of flow and positive mood states compared to NY and MetS groups as well as having a higher vagal tone during all resting conditions. These results suggest yoga practitioners have a greater homeostatic capacity and autonomic, metabolic and physiological resilience. Further studies are now needed to determine if regular yoga practice may improve autonomic flexibility in non-yoga practitioners and metabolic syndrome patients.

 

Improve Employee Well-being with Mindfulness

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By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“Toxic emotions disrupt the workplace, and mindfulness increases your awareness of these destructive patterns, helping you recognize them before they run rampant. It’s a way of reprogramming your mind to think in healthier, less stressful, ways.” – Drew Hanson

 

Work is very important for our health and well-being. We spend approximately 25% of our adult lives at work. How we spend that time is immensely important for our psychological and physical health. Indeed, the work environment has even become an important part of our social lives, with friendships and leisure time activities often attached to the work environment. But, more than half of employees in the U.S. and nearly 2/3 worldwide are unhappy at work. This is partially due to work-related stress which is epidemic in the western workplace. Almost two thirds of workers reporting high levels of stress at work. This stress can result in impaired health and can result in burnout; producing fatigue, cynicism, and professional inefficacy.

 

To help overcome unhappiness, stress, and burnout, mindfulness practices have been implemented in the workplace. In fact, it has become very trendy for business to incorporate meditation into the workday to help improve productivity. For example, Google offers “Search Inside Yourself” classes to teach mindfulness at work. But, although there is a lot of anecdotal evidence of meditation improving work performance, there is actually very little systematic research on its effectiveness.

 

In today’s Research News article “Systematic review: complementary therapies and employee well-being.” See:

https://www.facebook.com/ContemplativeStudiesCenter/photos/a.628903887133541.1073741828.627681673922429/1305498966140693/?type=3&theater

or see summary below. Ravalier and colleagues reviewed the published research literature on the effects of mindfulness practices implemented in the work environment. They included only full-length peer-reviewed journal articles published since 2000. They found that mindfulness practices produced significant reductions in perceived stress and improvements in vigor, psychological health, and resilience in the employees. In other words, they found very promising research findings, suggesting marked improvements in employee psychological well-being produced by mindfulness practices. They point out, however, that there is a need for longer-term follow-up studies to ascertain whether mindfulness practices have lasting effects in the workplace.

 

These results complement the research findings of mindfulness effects in many other contexts. It has been shown in general to reduce the psychological and physical responses to stress and to improve mental and physical health. This suggests that mindfulness practices may improve health and productivity and reduce burnout in modern workers. Beyond overcoming the negative effects of the work environment, the workplace has been postulated to be an excellent environment to practice the Buddha’s Eightfold Path for spiritual development and the relief of suffering.

 

So, improve employee well-being with mindfulness.

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

“By improving the way people relate to one another, ideally it can change corporate culture for the better, creating a more supportive, friendlier workplace with better relationships. In many organizations, there are bigger, systemic changes that need to be made, but I don’t think that instituting a mindfulness program will prevent those changes from happening. At the least, a mindfulness program provides workers with some relief from stress and anxiety while they campaign for systemic changes; at best, it helps to catalyze those bigger systemic changes.” – Jason Marsh

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts

 

Study Summary

  1. M. Ravalier, P. Wegrzynek and S. Lawton Systematic review: complementary therapies and employee well-being. Occup Med (Lond) April 4, 2016, doi: 10.1093/occmed/kqw047

 

Abstract

Background A variety of workplace-based interventions exist to reduce stress and increase productivity. However, the efficacy of these interventions is sometimes unclear.

Aims To determine whether complementary therapies offered in the workplace improve employee well-being.

Methods We performed a systematic literature review which involved an electronic search of articles published between January 2000 and July 2015 from the databases Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PsycINFO, MEDLINE, AMED, CINAHL Plus, EMBASE and PubMed. We also undertook a manual search of all applicable article reference lists to ensure that no relevant studies were missed. We only selected published, full-length, English-language, peer-reviewed journal articles. Articles had to address the research objective using valid and reliable measures. We excluded articles concerning return to work or whose populations had been adversely affected by work resulting in the development of health issues.

Results We included 10 articles in the review from 131 identified. Mindfulness and meditation-based interventions were most effective in improving workplace health and work performance; the latter demonstrating some evidence of maintaining gains up to 3 months later. The evidence for relaxation interventions was inconclusive.

Conclusions Mindfulness and meditation interventions may be helpful in improving both psychosocial workplace health and work performance, but long-term efficacy has yet to be fully determined.

 

Get Mindful Before Public Speaking

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By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“mindfulness helps us discover a different kind of confidence.  We learn that courage isn’t the absence of fear – it’s being willing to have that fear, and knowing that we can cope, by holding it in kind awareness.” – Sheila Bayliss

 

It is so common to fear giving speeches in public, that it is actually less common not to. In fact, about 75% of humanity has severe anxiety about speaking in public. Indeed, people prefer to administer small but uncomfortable shocks to themselves than give a 5-min speech about their personal attributes.  Surveys suggest that people fear public speaking more than death. It’s been quipped that we would prefer to be in the coffin than giving the eulogy!

 

Public speaking is very stressful including physiological responses indicative of the fight or flight response such as increased cortisol (stress hormone) levels. There are, however, a variety of therapies that are effective for speech phobia. Mindfulness training would appear to be a likely candidate. It has been shown to reduce anxiety, alleviate phobias, and reduce the psychological and physiological responses to stress. In today’s Research News article ““Letting Go” (Implicitly): Priming Mindfulness Mitigates the Effects of a Moderate Social Stressor.” See:

https://www.facebook.com/ContemplativeStudiesCenter/photos/a.628903887133541.1073741828.627681673922429/1302912356399354/?type=3&theater

or see summary below or view the full text of the study at:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4904283/

Bergeron and colleagues investigate whether a brief induction of mindfulness with an implicit priming procedure can improve the recovery from the anxiety, arousal, and stress of giving a public speech.

 

They recruited college students and measured mindfulness prior to a laboratory session in which the students completed scales measuring self-esteem, stress, and positive and negative emotions. They then provided a saliva sample for measurement of cortisol. They were then instructed and gave a public speech and provided another saliva sample. Afterwards they were randomly separated into either an implicit mindfulness priming group was primed with mindfulness words or a control group that was primed with neutral words. Afterwards, they again competed measures of self-esteem, stress, positive and negative emotions, and physiological arousal. Finally, they provided three more saliva samples immediately after the priming, and 15 and 30 minutes later.

 

Bergeron and colleagues found that participants who were low to begin with in mindfulness were helped by the mindfulness priming results in higher self-esteem and lower levels of stress, physiological arousal, and negative emotions. They also found that the mindfulness priming produced a greater decrease in the indicator of stress, cortisol levels. So, a brief mindfulness induction improves recovery from the anxiety, arousal, and stress of public speaking.

 

These results suggest that a simple implicit priming procedure improves the recovery from stress for everyone and improves the psychological state of participants who were low in mindfulness at the outset. The findings are in line with previous studies of mindfulness training effects. But, these results are particularly interesting because they didn’t require extensive mindfulness training to produce reductions in responsiveness to stress or improve psychological well-being. It only required a brief implicit mindfulness prime. This suggests that anything that improves mindfulness can have marked effects on stress and well-being for as long as the increased mindfulness persists. Training can produce long-lasting increase in mindfulness and therefor long-lasting effects while mindfulness priming can produce brief increases in mindfulness and brief effects.

 

 “The power of a mindfulness practice, however, may come in the realization that one can live a meaningful life even with social anxiety. Schjerning, says that he still feels nervous in social situations but now feels compassion — not judgment — for himself, and sees that “I can be more the person I want to be.” –  Jason Drwal

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts

 

Study Summary

Bergeron, C. M., Almgren-Doré, I., & Dandeneau, S. (2016). “Letting Go” (Implicitly): Priming Mindfulness Mitigates the Effects of a Moderate Social Stressor. Frontiers in Psychology, 7, 872. http://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00872

 

Abstract

This experimental study investigated whether implicitly priming mindfulness would facilitate psychological and cortisol recovery after undergoing a standardized psychological stressor. After completing baseline measures of well-being, all participants (N = 91) completed a public speaking stress task, were implicitly primed with “mindfulness” or “neutral” concepts using a scrambled sentence task, and finally, reported their situational well-being and provided cortisol samples. Simple moderation regression analyses revealed that the implicit mindfulness condition had significant beneficial effects for participants with low trait mindfulness. These participants reported higher situational self-esteem as well as less negative affect, perceived stress, and self-reported physiological arousal than their counterparts in the control condition. Cortisol analyses revealed that participants in the implicit mindfulness condition, regardless of level of trait mindfulness, showed a greater decline in cortisol during the early recovery stage compared to those in the control condition. Overall, results suggest that implicitly activating mindfulness can mitigate the psychological and physiological effects of a social stressor.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4904283/

 

Reduce Stress during Pregnancy with Mindfulness

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Mindfulness pregnancy2 Muthukhrishian

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“Mindful awareness practices helped me so much during the adventure of pregnancy and early motherhood that I began to turn my professional interest toward how mindfulness might help reduce stress and improve mood among pregnant women and early moms, enhance their connection with their babies, and really thrive through the transformation of motherhood.” – Cassandra Vieten

 

Pregnancy produces vast changes in the woman’s life, her body, her emotions, and her family. These changes may well be desired and welcomed, but they produce stress. Indeed, stress is a common experience in pregnancy. But, it must be controlled. Too much stress can produce sleeping problems, headaches, loss of appetite or its opposite, overeating. If the levels of stress are high and prolonged it can produce health problems such as hypertension (high blood pressure) and heart disease in the mother. It can also make it more likely that the baby will be born prematurely or with a low birthweight, both of which are indicators of health problems for the infant and in the later child’s life.

 

So, it is important to either control stress during pregnancy or find ways to better cope with it. Mindfulness training has been shown to reduce the individual’s psychological and physiological responses to stress. It does not lower stress. Rather, it lowers the individual’s responses to the stress. Mindfulness has been shown to be helpful during pregnancy. It can help to relieve the anxiety and depression that commonly accompany pregnancy and even appears to benefit the neurocognitive development of the infant. Hence, mindfulness training may be a safe and effective method to assist the pregnant woman in coping with the stresses of pregnancy.

 

In today’s Research News article “Effect of Mindfulness Meditation on Perceived Stress Scores and Autonomic Function Tests of Pregnant Indian Women.” See:

https://www.facebook.com/ContemplativeStudiesCenter/photos/a.628903887133541.1073741828.627681673922429/1289644157726174/?type=3&theater

or below or view the full text of the study at:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4866093/

Muthukrishnan and colleagues studied the effects of mindfulness meditation on stress in pregnant women. They randomly assigned women who were 12 weeks of gestation to receive either 5-weeks of mindfulness meditation training in addition to treatment as usual or treatment as usual only. The meditation group received 2 training sessions per week and were asked to meditate at home for 30-minutes per day. The women were assessed prior to and after the training for perceived stress, heart rate, and heart rate variability responses normally and in response to a stressor.

 

They found that the meditation group had a significant decrease in perceived stress, respiration rate, and lower blood pressure changes in response to a physical and a mental stressor. There was also a significant increase in heart rate variability in the meditation group. These measures indicate that autonomic nervous system tone has been improved with an increase in vegetative (parasympathetic) activity. These are important findings that indicate that meditation training decreases the pregnant women’s responses to stress and improve her overall peripheral nervous system functioning.

 

Hence, mindfulness meditation is a safe and effective method to reduce the psychological and physical responses to the stress of pregnancy. So, practicing meditation should be encouraged for pregnant women.

 

“By cultivating a mindfulness practice in pregnancy you’ll be better able to switch off from worries and stay relaxed on the big day, allowing your amazing body to simply do what it is more than capable of doing: to give birth smoothly and without fear.” – Susan Morrell

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are  also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts

 

Study Summary

Muthukrishnan, S., Jain, R., Kohli, S., & Batra, S. (2016). Effect of Mindfulness Meditation on Perceived Stress Scores and Autonomic Function Tests of Pregnant Indian Women. Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research : JCDR, 10(4), CC05–CC08. http://doi.org/10.7860/JCDR/2016/16463.7679

 

Abstract

Introduction: Various pregnancy complications like hypertension, preeclampsia have been strongly correlated with maternal stress. One of the connecting links between pregnancy complications and maternal stress is mind-body intervention which can be part of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM). Biologic measures of stress during pregnancy may get reduced by such interventions.

Aim: To evaluate the effect of Mindfulness meditation on perceived stress scores and autonomic function tests of pregnant Indian women.

Materials and Methods: Pregnant Indian women of 12 weeks gestation were randomised to two treatment groups: Test group with Mindfulness meditation and control group with their usual obstetric care. The effect of Mindfulness meditation on perceived stress scores and cardiac sympathetic functions and parasympathetic functions (Heart rate variation with respiration, lying to standing ratio, standing to lying ratio and respiratory rate) were evaluated on pregnant Indian women.

Results: There was a significant decrease in perceived stress scores, a significant decrease of blood pressure response to cold pressor test and a significant increase in heart rate variability in the test group (p< 0.05, significant) which indicates that mindfulness meditation is a powerful modulator of the sympathetic nervous system and can thereby reduce the day-to-day perceived stress in pregnant women.

Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that mindfulness meditation improves parasympathetic functions in pregnant women and is a powerful modulator of the sympathetic nervous system during pregnancy.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4866093/

 

Reduce Stress during Challenging Tasks with Mindfulness

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Mindfulness Stress2 Meland

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“Sprinkling “Omm” mantras between “Ooh Rah!” battle cries can pay dividends for members of the Marine Corps and other branches of the military. According to a growing body of research, regular meditation improves the wellbeing of military members — both active duty and those who have previously served.” –  Ella Xiong

 

Stress is an integral part of life. In fact, I’ve quipped that the definition of death is when stress ceases. People often think of stress as a bad thing. But, it is in fact essential to the health of the body. If the muscles are not stressed to some extent they deteriorate. As it turns out, this is also true for the brain. The same goes for our psychological health. If we don’t have any stress, we call it boredom. In fact, we invest time and resources in stressing ourselves, e.g ridding rollercoasters, sky diving, competing in sports, etc. We say we love a challenge, but, challenges are all stressful. So, we actually love to stress ourselves. In moderation, it is healthful and provides interest and fun to life.

 

If stress, is high or is prolonged, however, it can be problematic. It can damage our physical and mental health and even reduce our longevity, leading to premature deaths. So, it is important that we employ methods to either reduce or control high or prolonged stress or reduce our responses to it. Participation in the military can be highly stressful. Hence, this can be an excellent laboratory in which to test methods to reduce or control stress. Mindfulness practices have been found routinely to reduce the psychological and physiological responses to stress. So, it makes sense to test the effectiveness of mindfulness practices to reduce responsiveness to the high levels of stress that can be experienced in the military.

 

In today’s Research News article “Impact of Mindfulness Training on Physiological Measures of Stress and Objective Measures of Attention Control in a Military Helicopter Unit.” See:

https://www.facebook.com/ContemplativeStudiesCenter/photos/a.628903887133541.1073741828.627681673922429/1287188401305083/?type=3&theater

or below or view the full text of the study at:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4867781/

Meland and colleagues recruited military helicopter pilots who were undergoing high workload, high stressful preparations for deployment into a combat zone. They were randomly assigned to receive a 4-month Mindfulness Stress Reduction Program (MBSR) program or were assigned to a wait-list control group. Measurements were taken both prior to and after the training of salivary cortisol levels that are indicative of stress levels and of mindfulness, attention, mental demand, anxiety, depression expectancies of positive outcomes, sleep, and physical activity.

 

They found that the MBSR program resulted not surprisingly in increases in mindfulness, particularly the observing and describing facets of mindfulness. It also produced a reduction in the physiological responses to stress as evidenced by a significant decrease in salivary cortisol levels. In addition, mindfulness training resulted in significant reductions in mental demands produced in a stressful task, worry, and depression and longer sleep with better sleep quality than the wait-list control group.

 

These results extend our knowledge of the effectiveness of Mindfulness Stress Reduction Program (MBSR) to reduce the physical and psychological responses to stress into real world highly stressful situations. It appears to help the individuals to cope with the mental demands of challenging tasks. This may improve the health and well-being of the military helicopter pilots and increase their effectiveness in the highly demanding role of pilot. If it can be effective here it can be effective virtually anywhere.

 

So, it is clear that mindfulness training can reduce stress not only during everyday life but also during highly challenging tasks.

 

“Mindfulness helps the body optimize its response to stress by helping the body interpret stressful events as bodily sensations. The brain adds less emotional affect to experiences and this helps with stress recovery.” – Martin Paulus
CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts

 

Study Summary

Meland, A., Ishimatsu, K., Pensgaard, A. M., Wagstaff, A., Fonne, V., Garde, A. H., & Harris, A. (2015). Impact of Mindfulness Training on Physiological Measures of Stress and Objective Measures of Attention Control in a Military Helicopter Unit. The International Journal of Aviation Psychology, 25(3-4), 191–208. http://doi.org/10.1080/10508414.2015.1162639

 

Abstract

Objective: This study sought to determine if mindfulness training (MT) has a measurable impact on stress and attentional control as measured by objective physiological and psychological means.

Background: Periods of persistent, intensive work demands are known to compromise recovery and attentional capacity. The effects of 4-month MT on salivary cortisol and performance on 2 computer-based cognitive tasks were tested on a military helicopter unit exposed to a prolonged period of high workload.

Methods: MT participants were compared to a wait list control group on levels of saliva cortisol and performance on a go–no go test and a test of stimulus-driven attentional capture. Participants also reported mental demands on the go–no go test, time of wakeup, sleep duration, quality of sleep, outcome expectancies, physical activity level, self-perceived mindfulness, and symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Results: The results from a mixed between–within analysis revealed that the MT participants compared to the control group had a larger pre to post increase in high- and low-cortisol slopes, and decrease in perceived mental demand imposed by the go–no go test.

Conclusion: MT alleviates some of the physiological stress response and the subjective mental demands of challenging tasks in a military helicopter unit during a period of high workload.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4867781/

Improve Oral Health with Yoga

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By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“Is yoga the key to dental health? It may not fight cavities, but the ancient great exercise regimen can improve a person’s oral health in a number of other important areas. Most of the oral health benefits of yoga come from stress relief. Eliminating stress has benefits for areas of health throughout the body, but it is particularly important when it comes to dental well-being.” – Irene McKinney

 

If you asked most people what’s one of the most common health problems that people have, probably the last thing that they would come up with us oral health. Yet, about half of all American adults, around 65 million, have mild, moderate or severe periodontitis, the more advanced form of periodontal disease. In adults 65 and older, prevalence rates increase to over 70 percent.

 

“Periodontitis means “inflammation around the tooth” – it is a serious gum infection that damages the soft tissue and bone that supports the tooth. All periodontal diseases, including periodontitis, are infections which affect the periodontium. The periodontium are the tissues around a tooth, tissues that support the tooth. With periodontitis, the alveolar bone around the teeth is slowly and progressively lost. Microorganisms, such as bacteria, stick to the surface of the tooth and multiply – an overactive immune system reacts with inflammation.” These bacterial plaques are sticky, colorless membranes that develop over the surface of the teeth and are the most common cause of periodontal disease. If it is not treated periodontitis will eventually lead to tooth loss, and increases the risk of stroke, heart attack and other health problems.

 

Treatment for periodontitis is straightforward including professional plaque removal and general at home oral hygiene. If severe, surgical procedures are called for. But, like many infections, periodontitis is exacerbated by stress. So, practices like mindfulness and yoga training, that reduce stress, may well help with periodontitis. In addition, mindfulness practices have been found to reduce the inflammatory response which would in turn reduce the inflammation of the gums.  So, it would make sense to investigate the effects of yoga practice on periodontal disease.

 

In today’s Research News article “.” See:

https://www.facebook.com/ContemplativeStudiesCenter/photos/a.628903887133541.1073741828.627681673922429/1255680397789217/?type=3&theater

or below or view the full text of the study at:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4784068/

Katuri and colleagues compared patients diagnosed with chronic periodontitis who practiced yoga for at least 5 years, to patients who demonstrated anxiety and depression, and those who neither practiced yoga or were anxious or depressed. They found that the yoga practitioners had less severe periodontitis as indicated by a plaque index and attachment level. In addition, the yoga practitioners had significantly lower plasma cortisol levels, an indicator of stress. Hence, the yoga practitioners were found to have less severe periodontal disease and less stress.

 

This study, however, simply compared groups who practiced yoga and didn’t. There could be systematic differences between the groups other than yoga practice that could be responsible for the results. For example, yoga practitioners may generally have healthier lifestyles including better diets and more rigorous home oral hygiene practices. It remains for future research to actively assign groups of patients diagnosed with chronic periodontitis to practice yoga to observe the causal effects of yoga practice on the disease.

 

The results, however, make sense. Yoga practice by reducing the psychological and physical responses to stress can reduce inflammatory responses and improve periodontitis. These intriguing findings deserve to be followed-up with more rigorous studies to ascertain if you can improve oral health with yoga.

 

“Studies have shown that yoga practiced regularly can decrease blood pressure, reduce your heart rate, and lessen stress.  That is important to your oral health because stress diminishes resistance to infections including gum disease and abscesses, and can make you more likely to develop canker sores and cold sores. So don’t be surprised at your next dental visit when our hygienist tells you to brush, floss and sign up for a yoga class!” – Jill Smith

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts

 

Study Summary

Katuri, K. K., Dasari, A. B., Kurapati, S., Vinnakota, N. R., Bollepalli, A. C., & Dhulipalla, R. (2016). Association of yoga practice and serum cortisol levels in chronic periodontitis patients with stress-related anxiety and depression. Journal of International Society of Preventive & Community Dentistry, 6(1), 7–14. http://doi.org/10.4103/2231-0762.175404

 

Abstract

Aim:

Reducing the psychosocial stress by various methods can improve overall health, and yoga is now considered as an easily available alternative method. The present cross-sectional pilot study was conducted mainly to find the association of yoga practice with periodontal disease by measuring serum cortisol levels.

Materials and Methods:

A total of 70 subjects with age range of 35–60 years suffering with chronic periodontitis were divided into group I (with stress), group II (without stress), and group III (practicing yoga). Psychological evaluation was carried out using Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) and Zung Self-rating Depression Scale (ZSDS). Periodontal parameters like plaque index (PI), probing pocket depth (PPD), and clinical attachment level (CAL) at 5–8 mm and >8 mm were recorded. Blood samples were collected and serum cortisol levels were measured.

Results:

Mean age, plaque scores, and number of teeth with PPD and CAL at 5–8 mm and >8 mm were similar in all the groups, except between group I and group III where a multiple comparison with Tukey’s post-hoc test showed significant difference in plaque index (P < 0.038) and the number of teeth with CAL 5–8 mm (P < 0.016). Serum cortisol levels and HAM-A scale and ZSDS scores showed highly significant value (P < 0.001) in group I subjects when compared with group II and group III subjects.

Conclusion:

Cross-sectional observation done among three groups showed that individuals practicing yoga regularly had low serum cortisol levels, HAM-A scale and ZSDS scores, and better periodontal health.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4784068/

 

Reduce Stress Responses in a High Stress Occupation.

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By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“I am a registered nurse in an emergency department. Nowhere is Buddhism more helpful to me than at work. We see a large number of patients, often accompanied by their family members. Emotional turmoil is the norm. This, along with the unavoidable hustle and bustle of the department, makes for a frenzied atmosphere. My practice helps create a tiny refuge of peace in the midst of the turmoil.” – Daniel Defeo

 

Stress is epidemic in the western workplace with almost two thirds of workers reporting high levels of stress at work. In high stress occupations burnout is all too prevalent. This is the fatigue, cynicism, and professional inefficacy that comes with work-related stress. Healthcare is a high stress occupation. In a recent survey 46% of all physicians responded that they had burnout. Currently, over a third of healthcare workers report that they are looking for a new job. Nearly half plan to look for a new job over the next two years and 80% expressed interest in a new position if they came across the right opportunity. Since there is such a great need to retain healthcare providers, it is imperative that strategies be identified to decrease stress and burnout.

 

Emergency and intensive care medicine is at the top of the list of stressful medical professions. It also leads in the incidence of burnout with over half experiencing it. Burnout is a threat to the healthcare providers and their patients. In fact, it is a threat to the entire healthcare system as it contributes to the shortage of doctors and nurses. Hence, preventing existing healthcare workers from burning out has to be a priority. Mindfulness has been demonstrated to be helpful in treating and preventing burnout. One of the premiere techniques for developing mindfulness and dealing effectively with stress is Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) pioneered by Jon Kabat-Zinn. It is a diverse mindfulness training containing practice in meditation, body scan, and yoga. There have been a number of trials investigating the application of MBSR to the treatment and prevention of health care worker burnout with successful outcomes.

 

In today’s Research News article “A Small Randomized Pilot Study of a Workplace Mindfulness-Based Intervention for Surgical Intensive Care Unit Personnel: Effects on Salivary α-Amylase Levels.” See:

https://www.facebook.com/ContemplativeStudiesCenter/photos/a.628903887133541.1073741828.627681673922429/1252171248140132/?type=3&theater

or below or view the full text of the study at:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4624325/

Duchemin and colleagues examine the effectiveness of a mindfulness based stress reduction program, including meditation, gentle yoga, and relaxing music, on mindfulness, psychological and biological (salivary α-amylase) markers of stress, burnout, and professional quality of life. They recruited hospital intensive care health professionals who were not current mindfulness practitioners. The participants were then randomly assigned to the mindfulness training group or to a wait-list control group. After completing the battery of tests they were then either provided an 8-wk mindfulness intervention or carried on their normal routines for 8 weeks. This was followed one week later by a repeat assessment battery.

 

They found that the participants’ perceived stress of the work environment did not change over the course of the study, but the psychological and emotional responses to the stress did, with the mindfulness group showing a significant, 25% reduction, compared to 13% reduction for the controls. In addition, the mindfulness group had a significant, 40%, decline in salivary α-amylase compared to 4% for the controls, indicating a significant reduction in the biological response to the stress. Hence, the mindfulness training produced a significant reduction in the ICU workers biological, psychological, and emotional responses to stress.

 

This is an important outcome. Obviously, training does not change how stressful the work is. But, it did change the workers’ responses to the stress, making them more resistant to the effects of the stress. This is in keeping with a large number of studies demonstrating that mindfulness training decreases the physiological and psychological responses to stress. The deleterious effects of stress on the individual occur due to the individual’s response to the stress, not the stress itself. So, the mindfulness training tends to assist with the core of the problem. The study was not long-term enough to tell if this would reduce burnout. But, given the short-term effects of the intervention, it would be expected that it would.

 

So, reduce stress responses in a high stress occupation.

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

“Letting go is a huge quality and practice of mindfulness. Everything changes and everything ends. You have to be able to let that go so that you can take care of other people, sleep at night, and not burn out. It’s easy to be mindful, it’s just hard to remember to be mindful. The trick is practice until you do it.” – Diane Sieg

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts

 

Study Summary

Duchemin, A.-M., Steinberg, B. A., Marks, D. R., Vanover, K., & Klatt, M. (2015). A Small Randomized Pilot Study of a Workplace Mindfulness-Based Intervention for Surgical Intensive Care Unit Personnel: Effects on Salivary α-Amylase Levels. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine / American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 57(4), 393–399. http://doi.org/10.1097/JOM.0000000000000371

 

Abstract

Objective: To determine if a workplace stress-reduction intervention decreases reactivity to stress among personnel exposed to a highly stressful occupational environment.

Methods: Personnel from a surgical intensive care unit (SICU) were randomized to a stress reduction intervention or a wait-list control group. The 8-week group mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) included mindfulness, gentle yoga and music. Psychological and biological markers of stress were measured one week before and one week after the intervention.

Results: Levels of salivary α-amylase, an index of sympathetic activation, were significantly decreased between the 1st and 2nd assessments in the intervention group with no changes in the control group. There was a positive correlation between salivary α-amylase levels and burnout scores.

Conclusions: These data suggest that this type of intervention could not only decrease reactivity to stress, but also decrease the risk of burnout.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4624325/