Category: mindfulness

Introduction

Psychotherapy is also referred to as personal counseling. It involves a deliberate interpersonal association utilized by skilled psychotherapists to assist a patient who is experiencing problems of living. The purpose of psychotherapy is to heighten the sense of well-being of an individual. Psychotherapists implement several methods grounded on experimental association such as communication, dialogue, and behavior change which are formed to enhance the patient’s mental health or to develop or promote group associations like in a family (Yalom, 1991, p. 3). There are several forms of psychotherapy which include; cognitive, dynamic, interpersonal, existential, humanistic, and behavioral psychotherapies (Yalom, 2001, p. 11). Behavioral therapy utilizes several interventions which are associated with learning theory to change the undesired behavior of a client. Dynamic therapy, grounded on psychoanalysis, focuses on comprehending what some symptoms mean and comprehending the emotional disagreements within the client which might be causing the symptoms. Cognitive therapy uses dissimilar techniques to transcend and recognize dysfunctional cognition, reactions, appraisal, and beliefs to change negative and destructive emotions and disturbing dysfunctional behaviors (Jerome, 1988, p.1).

In addition, interpersonal therapy supports all the articulation of the concepts of a client such as dreams, free relationships, and fantasies, from where the psychotherapist develops the status of the unconscious disagreements that leads to the symptoms of the client and character predicaments. Existential therapy is grounded on the existential concept that individuals live by themselves in the globe (Van Deurzen, 1998, p. 12). This separation results in meaninglessness feelings that can be resisted only by forming personal meanings and values in life. On the other hand, mindfulness therapy is evolved in the reaction of psychoanalysis and behaviorism. It focuses on the human perspective of the improvement or advancement of a person which stresses subjective meaning, an interest for constructive development, and a determination refutation rather than pathology (Jerome, 1988, p.2). This paper will critically examine mindfulness and existential psychotherapies.

Existential approach

Every psychotherapist uses different forms of psychotherapy depending on his or her experiences, methods of handling emotional multifaceted cases, and also depending on the presented cases, his/her personality, requirements, conflicts, and bias. The importance of psychotherapy depends on the association of the physician and the patient or client where the significant strategy is talk or communication (Spinelli, 1997, p.12). The psychotherapists talk or communicate with the client and the client communicates to the psychotherapist. As a regulation, the client is required to carry out much of the communicating and as a result, this is perceived as a way of developing or improving interchange therapeutic value (Weinsel, 1960, p. 19).

An existential approach in the field of counseling and psychotherapy is significant for gaining comprehension of the fundamental rules of the conditions of the people. Patients are believed to have a capacity of adequate life and self-reflection to obtain understanding into the operating of one own survival. Therefore, psychotherapists are available to help the clients in the process of creating a sense in their lives (Van Deurzen, 2002, p. 18).

Philosophical concepts

Existential psychotherapy helps individuals to face or put up with four ultimate concerns or major areas of life; meaninglessness, death, isolation, and freedom. In addition, it encourages patients to explore the four areas of global being, and these include; spiritual, personal, physical, and social areas. Moreover, existential therapy encourages patients to focus majorly on their subjective anticipations and initiatives towards other individuals. Therefore, existential psychotherapy cannot be defined singly. Thus, it is a detailed tapestry of incorporating therapeutic activities which familiarize themselves around a corporate interest (Spinelli, 2007, p. 7). The therapy is aimed at exploring the client’s sense of comprehending the globe to offer to mean to someone’s roles, decisions, options, and selections. The therapy does not attempt to heal a particular symptom or assist an individual to feel excited or better but rather it is focused on helping one to understand the relationships and meaning of lived experiences (Van Deurzen-Smith, 1997, 123).

Similarly, the existential approach characterizes individuals as living organisms of persistent alteration and transformation, surviving significantly limited lives in a perspective of personal weaknesses and strengths, and limitations and opportunities formed by their surroundings. With great interest centered on this whole issue regarding the life of the patient, existential therapy entails exploring the value and meaning and studying how to dwell genuinely following someone’s values, ideals, and priorities. To understand human beings, some philosophers utilize inanimate substances as an essential and scientific technique. However, some philosophers have questioned the significance of using such materials and what they dynamically reject is the expansion of the outlook to a comprehension of the people (Cooper, 2003, p. 9-10).

Phenomenological therapy

The phenomenological technique has been used largely in the research of the existential approach. The phenomenological method in psychology provides the possibility of reviewing several developed psychological matters and interests in a manner that is enlightening and original. More significantly, phenomenology tends to introduce a new or fresh environment to the way people contemplate carrying out psychology. The phenomenological technique aims to keep off the inflicting of set hypotheses, beliefs, taboos, explanatory theories, and biases upon individuals’ experiences or encounters either at the early stage of any test or before it becomes important to do so. In general, the implementation of the phenomenological technique permits all encounters or experiences to be regarded as initially significant. Thus, this rule declares that in one’s elimination of any early biases or judgments, people are involving receptivity or openness in all their experiences (Spinelli, 2005, p. 25).

The phenomenological technique works through the bracketing process since by utilizing this method, individuals during their early phases of investigation, handle all experiences as equally suitable and real to be exposed to assessment. However, by following this regulation of the phenomenological method, evaluators are more likely to impose unneeded biases and judgments on their early observations. As a result, this raises the sufficiency of their conclusions. In addition, through the bracketing process, people are taken to an inescapable and singular discovery. This is because the discovery is in the procedure of any form of experience being conducted and no description or explanation can be elaborated. Thus, it’s only when an experience has happened that individuals can explain and describe it to some level of sufficiency (Spinelli, 2005, p. 26). However, the encounter itself as it happens exceeds the kingdom of explanation and description. It is not possible to describe or explain an experience as it happens but rather after it has happened.

What therapists are expected to do

Therefore, since the phenomenological method states that every individual has his or her interpretation of the world, therapists are supposed to handle their clients differently to render the appropriate services. In doing so, the psychotherapist should bracket her or his assumptions, biases, beliefs, hypothesis, and theories. In addition, one should explore and emphasize the patient’s immediate witting encounter of ‘being-with –another’. Lastly, the therapist should focus the examination upon its descriptive elements instead of depending on theory-directed interpretations (Spenelli, 2005, p. 146).

Mindfulness approach

Anxiety and depression survive mostly on consistent negative beliefs and thoughts. Altering these practices does not all involve willpower, but it requires one to develop mindful and objective associations with the main or key emotions which strengthen negative beliefs and thoughts. Mindfulness offers people the equipment that is necessary to develop this healthy relationship. In addition, this provides a ground for important transformation and alteration. Therefore, the mindfulness approach of psychotherapy helps in restoring plasticity during the perceptual and emotional levels. Hence, this is a significant step in the process of healing (Strong, 2010, par. 1).

Mindfulness from a psychotherapy perspective refers to the aspect of paying attention during the present period on a specific purpose without comprehending conclusions or judgments. Thus, mindfulness consciousness has the feature of openness exercises divulge which can lead to profound developments in a wide area of psychological, interpersonal, and mental domains of people’s lives. Immune, empathy, and endocrine functions are amended through mindfulness practices (Siegel, 1999, p. 32).

Third-wave

Currently, mindfulness is referred to as the ‘third wave’ in psychotherapy. The importance of the mindfulness approach is that it cannot prevent a psychotherapist’s psychotherapeutic position whether it is electric, cognitive, behavioral, psychoanalytical, or narrative. Any approach can be associated with mindfulness (Lewis, 2000, p. 20). Cognitive-behavioral and humanistic/existential approaches have been incorporated into the third wave of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) of the mindfulness approach. CBT is grounded on the concept that predicaments are a result of negative thoughts and that it’s possible to change thoughts (McLeod, 2003, p. 123). Thus, cognitive-behavioral approaches are incorporated into the third wave since they center on the future and present practices and disregards the past. The main characteristics include; the utilization of homework, training of skills to put up with symptoms, provision of data, and direction of sitting activities. Moreover, CBT is the main tool that is used to improve the access to psychological therapies (Willson & Branch, 2006, p. 78).

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) is also incorporated into the third wave since it describes the way the inter-linked relapse-associated procedures of experiential avoidance and ruminative thinking result from and is continued by the actions of the performing mode of mind. Rumination refers to the act of solving or handling hard emotions through a procedure of evaluating and predicament solving. In addition, the approach is a conceptual procedure of monitoring the present practices in association with what is expected, required, desired, or dreaded with the purpose of resolving or eliminating the predicament. Similarly, the mindfulness approach entails the aspect of paying attention to the present practices without making a nay judgment (Segal, Williams, & Teasdale, 2002, p. 45-46).

CBT is a significant and realistic system or approach which aims at describing important goals and utilizes dynamic methods to achieve them. The therapists perceive the practice of behavior and thinking and the way of reinforcing these patterns and sustaining them by the individual within her or his surrounding. Once the comprehension of behavior and symptoms has been attained, the psychotherapist and patient together come up with alterations in the practices and persist with tracking them. Some of the methods and programs which are mostly related to CBT include; social skills training, relaxation training, assertiveness training, and systematic desensitization (Bachelor, 2007, p. 21).

CBT is regarded as the behavior therapy’s second wave. Acceptance and mindfulness approaches were incorporated into the CBT viewpoint in the 1990s. This is regarded as the fundamental alteration since CBT focused on control and minimization of destructive thoughts and third wave approaches focused on recognition and moving on (Hayes, Follett. & Linehan, 2004, p. 69).

The humanistic/existential approach is incorporated into the third wave because it attempts to deal with the entire person including spirit, mind, and body. In addition, the humanistic/existential is incorporated into the third wave through its aims of helping patients to search for advantageous methods of understanding challenges they encounter in their day-to-day lives. Therefore, the interest is based on the concrete of the patient, personal experience of the distress and anxiety resulting in an investigation of their value and beliefs system to clarify and comprehend these associations to the socio-cultural, psychological, particular physical context. The encounters of the future, present, and past are offered similar emphasis. The act of questioning presumptions and experiencing the restrictions and possibilities of thriving or surviving is a significant part of the dynamic, direct, and interactive approach. The four humanistic/existential predicaments in someone’s life are meaninglessness, isolation, death, and responsibility versus freedom and they are the main issues that the approach centers on.

Mindfulness in practice

A mindfulness approach is an important form of psychotherapy and it is utilized in different ways in practice. For instance, therapists practice meditation daily. Mindfulness meditation refers to the utilization of breath to inform people of the way they are living their lives. Meditation is a human, systematic, intentional activity that does not attempt to advance oneself but rather tends to identify where one is already is. Thus, therapists practice meditation to deepen their attention and consciousness, refine them, and put them to bigger realistic use in their lives. For the therapists to meditate, they should embrace the following features; patience to permit oneself to develop mindfulness and raise one meditative exercise (Batchelor, 2001, par. 6). Secondly, one should avoid holding up on things that are not beneficial. One should avoid making judgments while meditating, have trust in what one is doing to develop a mindfulness practice, and be generous to self and others to deepen inquiry and self-observation. Most therapists are using meditation to incorporate a spiritual aspect or approach into their services with several different medical problems (Brahm, 2005, p. 19).

Secondly, mindfulness works in practice when therapists are being mindful during therapy and therapists teaching and modeling mindfulness ways of being for their clients. For instance, an individual who is grieving because of losing a dear one can easily come into terms with the loss and permit pain to manifest without any extra complication when therapists are mindful of such a client. The mindfulness practice stresses one being conscious and giving up to the present and natural moment situations of body and mind (Worden, 1983, par. 12). In addition, therapists become mindful of their clients during therapy because mindfulness involves being attentive to the present experiences without grasping conclusions regarding the patient. Thus, a therapist ought to be mindful as he or she renders services to the patient to clearly understand the current conditions and apply appropriate measures that will help the patient to face the current situation and as a result overcome it. Moreover, therapists teach their clients realistic and applicable ways on how to go about hard situations. Some of these teachings may include; being aware of the situation, social skills, assertiveness training, and systematic desensitization (Hanh, 1991, par. 7-10).

Conclusion

In conclusion, the existential approach is the most appropriate form of psychotherapy since it encourages individuals to face or put up with four ultimate concerns or major areas of life; meaninglessness, death, isolation, and freedom. In addition, it encourages patients to explore the four areas of global being, and these include; spiritual, personal, physical, and social areas. Therefore, the existential approach attempts to cover all areas of an individual life.

Reference

Batchelor, S. (1997). Buddhism without Beliefs. London: Bloomsbury.

Batchelor, M. (2001). Meditation for Life. London: Frances Lincoln.

Brahm, A. (2005). Mindfulness, Bliss, and Beyond: A Meditator’s Handbook. Wisdom Publications.

Hanh, T. N. (1991). The Miracle of Mindfulness. London: Random House.

Hayes, S., Follette, M. & Linehan, M. (2004). Mindfulness and Acceptance: Expanding the Cogntive-Behavioural Tradition. London: Guildford Press.

Jerome, F. (1988) [1979]. “What is Psychotherapy?”. in Bloch, Sidney (ed.). An Introduction to the Psychotherapies. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 1–2.

Lewis, M.D. and Granic, I (2000): Emotion, Development, and Self-Organization: Dynamic systems approach to emotional development. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press

McLeod, J. (2003). An introduction to counseling (3rd Ed.). Maidenhead: Open University Press

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Short Summary

Sophie is a young female who is serving a three-year sentence for a drug-related offense. Her current condition is relatively unstable, as she is rather worried about her son and the inability to comfort him. As a person from a foster home, she learned not to trust anyone but agreed to partner with a man named Alexei to smuggle drugs. Based on the existing information, Sophie definitely regrets developing a relationship that has led her to serve time in prison. She is willing to transform her attitude to become a better version of herself and overcome the lack of mental powers.

Possible Causes for the Problems

The first element that has to be mentioned here is the presence of biased vigilance that makes Sophie prone to perceiving situations in particular ways. From the mindfulness perspective, Sophie remains attached to some of her issues from the past, not willing to identify her attachment to the past and accept reality as it is. Due to the biased vigilance, she lacks the ability to act in her best interest and employ beneficial solutions (Bajaj, Robins and Pande, 2016). Instead of remaining impartial, Sophie needs to focus on one or two problems that avert her from seeing what is best for her. Personal experiences may be extremely hard to turn into impartial events that can be assessed in an objective manner as well (Hofmann and Gómez, 2017). This is why Sophie currently has trouble accepting the responsibility for her actions, even if she states that she is willing to change.

The next episode that has to be reviewed within the framework of the current paper is Sophie being conceptually aware of the possible issues with mental health and interpersonal relationships. Her cognitive processes seem to run effortlessly, but she is not used to resorting to behaviors that would only let her sit back and observe what is happening around her. This is also discussed in the literature on the subject as the capability of staying away from categorizing the world or labeling others for their past or present (Strohmaier, Jones and Cane, 2021). From the mindfulness point of view, Sophie lacks pure awareness, depriving herself of the opportunity to experience the benefits of observing how events unfold instead of attempting to resolve the problem. The case proves that Sophie is curious enough to begin the transformation, but she is also afraid to take the first step forward.

Another type of awareness that Sophie clearly does not have is the present-moment awareness. The key benefit of this type of awareness, from the point of view of mindfulness, is the improved ability to listen to one’s emotions, corporal sensations, and thoughts (Medvedev et al., 2018). At the moment, Sophie mostly tends to reconnect with her past moments instead of thinking about the present or the future. One of the reasons why Sophie lacks this present-moment awareness is the high pace of her life that forced her into a situation where she became emotionally distant from matters the most. The distance between Sophie’s past and presence is objectively small because she is not willing to let go of her past decisions and mistakes. According to Whitehead et al. (2019), this is a crucial mistake because most of Sophie’s reflections represent a subjective setup created inside her brain and not a realistic scenario. Sophie does not try to notice her presence, as she is still living in the past, and it bothers her.

The ultimate problem that Sophie currently has to cope with is the egotistic alertness that leaves less room for maneuvers and blocks her internal perceptions of senses, thoughts, and feelings. As it is stated by Falsafi (2016), all humans tend to perceive their surroundings through the prism of their subjectivity. Therefore, any attempts to understand the world revolve around the idea that one should remain as non-egotistic as possible while also developing an objective outlook on what happens around them. Sophie does not make any demands, as she is somewhat lost in her own thoughts and emotions. From the point of mindfulness, this is a serious issue because it deprives Sophie of a varied observational stance that would help her assess the past from a different perspective (Breedvelt et al., 2019). Sophie also experiences significant challenges when letting her pain go, as she experiences most of the sensations by letting them go through her. She needs to become less reactive in order to get rid of the abundance of tangible egotistic awareness.

Factors Maintaining the Problems

Based on the information presented above, it may be claimed that the primary factor maintaining the issue is Sophie’s inability to cultivate awareness. Even though she is willing to change her outlook on life, it is still evident that her thoughts about the past represent a significant threat to her well-being. She is afraid to come back to her past experiences, and it causes her to ponder upon her previous mistakes, creating a vicious circle consisting of subjective thoughts and feelings. Sophie’s attempts to get rid of negative thoughts are involuntary, which makes it essential to cultivate her awareness.

The next idea that stems from the lack of awareness is Sophie’s unwillingness to pay more attention to the present moment. The feelings of grief and resentment seem to plague her mind, as she is recurrently coming back to stating that she misses her son and does not want to associate herself with drugs anymore. Sophie does not know how to avoid going beyond merely observing thoughts, as her unconscious intentions are to resolve the problem instead of letting it go over her head. Every sensation that arises when Sophie thinks about the past, she lets it through herself, which only causes suffering and more misunderstanding.

The least influential factor contributing to Sophie’s current condition is a judgmental attitude that averts her from seeing the world in its true colors. Most of her thoughts leave her preoccupied with the past, and Sophie overlooks the possibility of spreading positivity and kindness when she resorts to condemnatory thoughts and actions. On the other hand, it may be seen as a positive factor as well because Sophie is curious enough to overcome past mistakes and find ways of becoming a better person. The idea is that Sophie’s proneness to judge everything around her reduces her chances of finding objective answers to most personal questions.

Factors Intended to Facilitate Change

The first practice that can be described as essential for Sophie is the mindfulness meditation practice. In the literature, the latter is described as one of the essential ways of making sense of daily life and stepping away from perceiving the world as a threat where no one can be trusted (Yang et al., 2019). Sophie’s well-being would be expected to improve significantly under the influence of mindfulness meditation, as she would get a chance to ponder upon her past experiences while detaching herself from those traumatic scenarios. Another benefit of mindfulness meditation outlined in the literature is improved brain functioning and structure (Lee and Zelman, 2019). It might be a tough task for Sophie to engage in regular practice, but the positive outcomes would become the key motivating factor. The counselor could focus on mindfulness to let Sophie understand the value of stepping away from daily trifles and reconnecting with her inner self.

Irrespective of the fact that Sophie currently serves a three-year prison sentence, the counselor might also advocate for assisting her in integrating mindfulness into her day-to-day life. The rationale behind this action would be to get Sophie acquainted with breathing exercises and an updated lifestyle that revolved around homework activities and the need to develop a better relationship with the world (Takahashi et al., 2019). A possible factor intended to facilitate change in Sophie’s behavior would be the application of the mindfulness-based cognitive therapy intended to introduce Sophie to calming activities and the importance of remaining aware of what goes on around her (Blanck et al., 2018). Sophie should address mindfulness meditation practices as something that goes beyond formal counseling treatment, as it would have a thorough impact on her daily life and, most probably, affect her mental and physical health. Nevertheless, each practice should be relatable so as not to cause a relapse.

Sophie’s willingness to overcome her emotional distress is another crucial variable because it contributes to a thorough deconstruction of the fear of living in the present. From the point of view of the evidence on the subject of mindfulness practices, it means that a person may evade any kind of distress by merely stepping away from the multifaceted nature of their existence and dividing it into physical sensations, thoughts, and emotional states (Elhai et al., 2018). Sophie is an anxious person, so mindfulness could become a way for her to overcome past fears and develop an improved relationship with the world. She would be working through every thought and emotion that averted her from living a ‘normal’ life previously. Numerous symptoms of the major depressive disorder that the counselor identified in Sophie could be translated into a positive experience after all. Sophie should make more attempts aimed at translating her thoughts about the past into a set of objective characteristics of her personality.

Another way to facilitate change in Sophie’s behaviors could be the application of mindfulness meditation with the help of separating herself from any of the past symptoms. Every negative thought should be perceived by Sophie as yet another symptom that can be easily overcome when approached from several different perspectives (Rodrigues, Nardi and Levitan, 2017). Even though she is feeling entitled to find answers to her questions, the essential task for the counselor would be to expose the client to several real-life scenarios and help her start thinking rationally. If Sophie reports any of the issues related to her imprisonment and the inability to meet her son as personal and permanent, she will not be able to step away from her own partiality. Negative thoughts are symptoms that have to be worked through with the counselor because otherwise, Sophie is going to experience another loop of adverse thinking (Frostadottir and Dorjee, 2019). Accordingly, mindfulness is the best option for Sophie because it would help her gain insight into her own behavioral and thinking patterns and break the chains of the lack of awareness.

The last factor intended to facilitate change in Sophie’s view of the world is the impact of mindfulness techniques on how she would act in response to any potential challenges in the future. The core idea behind mindfulness-based counseling is to help the client start responding to symptoms instead of actually reacting to them (Roos, Bowen and Witkiewitz, 2017). The latter is a dangerous practice because it reinforces the subjective view of the world, so Sophie would not be able to transform her life if she never stepped away from reacting to all the negativity that occurred to her. As soon as Sophie is going to gets a closer look at all the symptoms averting her from improved well-being, she will become much more self-compassionate and kind (Maxwell and Duff, 2016). Sophie’s self-destructive approaches from the past will be demolished, and she is going to be less judgmental as well.

Ideas and Interventions

Given all the positive and negative factors discussed above, it may be concluded that the best possible solution for the current case would be to implement several mindfulness-based interventions. The latter would be delivered via a multitude of techniques and practices intended to create a strong therapeutic alliance and the willingness to change displayed by the client (Farias, Wikholm and Delmonte, 2016; McIndoo et al., 2016). In this case, the core task to be completed by the counselor would be to guide Sophie toward a stronger focus on the present instead of keeping up with her past experiences. The counselor would have to find several particular phenomena to zone in on, as Sophie is unsure about her future and displays a relatively erratic behavior that cannot be predicted at the moment. The initial mindfulness training should revolve around encouragement and attention re-focus (Dhillon, Sparkes and Duarte, 2017; Sizoo and Kuiper, 2017). It would be important for the counselor to protect Sophie from extensive self-judgment and negative outlooks. It is also important to mention here that mindfulness could be achieved even without meditation, so the latter is not a required element of the proposed therapy.

Mindfulness is a crucial technique for Sophie and the counselor because it might help the client overcome the experiences that caused her depressive states in the past. According to Carlson (2016) and Veehof et al. (2016), the most important trait of mindfulness-based therapy that has to be covered within the framework of the current case is the significance of maintaining control over one’s behaviors. Sophie could benefit from short meditation or yoga sessions intended to bring her closer to becoming aware of physical sensations running through her body and affecting her well-being (Li and Bressington, 2019; Proeve, Anton and Kenny, 2018). The counselor would be responsible for seeking additional exercises to introduce Sophie to other types of awareness, such as breathing and movement. The methods of guided imagery and body scan may be considered appropriate in Sophie’s case, as she shows signs of quick improvement (Helmes and Ward, 2017; Sundquist et al., 2019). Despite being in prison, Sophie could practice mindfulness on a daily basis, setting herself apart from what got her into trouble in the first place. The client’s essential objective would be to explore her emotions and sensations to modify behaviors and thoughts to become less dependent on what happened in the past.

References

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Blanck, P. et al. (2018) ‘Effects of mindfulness exercises as a stand-alone intervention on symptoms of anxiety and depression: systematic review and meta-analysis’, Behaviour Research and Therapy, 102, pp. 25-35.

Breedvelt, J. J. et al. (2019) ‘The effects of meditation, yoga, and mindfulness on depression, anxiety, and stress in tertiary education students: a meta-analysis’, Frontiers in Psychiatry, 10, p. 193.

Carlson, L. E. (2016) ‘Mindfulness‐based interventions for coping with cancer, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1373(1), pp. 5-12.

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Elhai, J. D. et al. (2018) ‘Distress tolerance and mindfulness mediate relations between depression and anxiety sensitivity with problematic smartphone use’, Computers in Human Behavior, 84, pp. 477-484.

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Frostadottir, A. D. and Dorjee, D. (2019) ‘Effects of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) and compassion focused therapy (CFT) on symptom change, mindfulness, self-compassion, and rumination in clients with depression, anxiety, and stress’, Frontiers in Psychology, 10, p. 1099.

Helmes, E. and Ward, B. G. (2017) ‘Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for anxiety symptoms in older adults in residential care, Aging & Mental Health, 21(3), pp. 272-278.

Hofmann, S. G. and Gómez, A. F. (2017) ‘Mindfulness-based interventions for anxiety and depression, Psychiatric Clinics, 40(4), pp. 739-749.

Lee, F. K. and Zelman, D. C. (2019) ‘Boredom proneness as a predictor of depression, anxiety and stress: the moderating effects of dispositional mindfulness’, Personality and Individual Differences, 146, pp. 68-75.

Li, S. Y. H. and Bressington, D. (2019) ‘The effects of mindfulness‐based stress reduction on depression, anxiety, and stress in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis, International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 28(3), pp. 635-656.

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McIndoo, C. C. et al. (2016) ‘Mindfulness-based therapy and behavioral activation: a randomized controlled trial with depressed college students’, Behaviour Research and Therapy, 77, pp. 118-128.

Medvedev, O. N. et al. (2018) ‘Investigating unique contributions of dispositional mindfulness facets to depression, anxiety, and stress in general and student populations’, Mindfulness, 9(6), pp. 1757-1767.

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Rodrigues, M. F., Nardi, A. E. and Levitan, M. (2017) ‘Mindfulness in mood and anxiety disorders: a review of the literature, Trends in Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, 39(3), pp. 207-215.

Roos, C. R., Bowen, S. and Witkiewitz, K. (2017) ‘Baseline patterns of substance use disorder severity and depression and anxiety symptoms moderate the efficacy of mindfulness-based relapse prevention, Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 85(11), p. 1041.

Sizoo, B. B. and Kuiper, E. (2017) ‘Cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness-based stress reduction may be equally effective in reducing anxiety and depression in adults with autism spectrum disorders, Research in Developmental Disabilities, 64, pp. 47-55.

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Introduction

The chosen case is about Jared. He is an African American male who is 37 years old referred to counseling by his girlfriend, Sheila. Jared’s presenting problem is that he is short-tempered, on edge, shouts at his girlfriend, and loses his cool with his kids. His thoughts are filled with images of homes being burned, or people screaming with bloody injuries, or people in anguish over their loved ones’ dead bodies. His memories have impacted his daily functioning and interpersonal relationships because of the triggered feelings and thoughts, and he is worried that he may lose his mind.

The addressed mental health issue of the client is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). In order to overcome a list of negative consequences of the above-mentioned disorder, a specific intervention was chosen. Cognitive-behavioral therapy may be beneficial in PTSD cases. It is designed to change patterns of thinking and beliefs that are triggered by anxiety. PTSD treatment involves avoiding trauma-related thoughts that can include anger, sadness, fear, memories, and situations that can remind a survivor of the traumatic events (Williston et al., 2020). Therefore, mindfulness may be an effective practice, which may contribute to the achievement of the proposed goal. The primary research objective is to answer the following question. Is cognitive-behavioral therapy effective in approving PTSD in veterans? In order to achieve that goal, several search strategies are implemented. These strategies include searching with keywords and searching with subject headings.

Article Summaries

The first chosen article is The Efficacy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: A Review of Meta-analyses. The mentioned article may provide general information regarding the scope of application of cognitive behavioral therapy to determine if it is suitable for PTSD cases. Moreover, it may provide valuable data related to the efficiency of the studied approach. The primary purpose of that article is to conduct a survey of meta-analyses related to the efficiency of cognitive behavioral therapy. The methodology included reviewing meta-analytic studies to determine the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy in a wide variety of diverse disorders. The above-mentioned therapy was proven to be effective in anxiety disorders, somatoform disorders, bulimia, anger control problems, and general stress (Hofmann et al., 2012). It may also indicate that cognitive behavioral therapy may be effectively implemented in PTSD treatment plans. However, even though the study utilized a large number of articles, it may be necessary to conduct further research in order to take specific subgroups into consideration.

The second article is Cognitive-behavioral coping strategies associated with combat-related PTSD in treatment-seeking OEF–OIF Veterans. That article may provide specific information answering the primary research question. It may also help determine cognitive behavioral therapy is effective in combat-related PTSD cases. The purpose of that article is to examine the correlation between various therapy methods implementation and PTSD symptoms. The methodology included a comprehensive survey based on a sample of 167 treatment-seeking operations (Pietrzak et al., 2011). Cognitive therapy models were proven to reduce combat-related PTSD symptoms (Pietrzak et al., 2011). Nevertheless, the case is limited by a small number of concrete methods such as social support and avoidance coping strategies.

The last article is Mindfulness in PTSD treatment. It may provide focused information regarding the implementation of mindfulness in PTSD treatment plans. That article’s primary purpose is to determine if mindfulness may be effectively applied to patients with PTSD. However, it is mentioned that the methodology of that study is significantly limited and related literature may be inconsistent (Lang, 2017). That may be closely linked with a very specific area of study and lack of related knowledge. Even though provided data may be inconsistent, accumulated knowledge is sufficient to prove that mindfulness may potentially have a significant positive impact on patients with PTSD, including veterans. It may not be implemented as a first-line treatment, yet mindfulness may have a positive impact as a complementary approach.

Conclusion

Considering the accumulated data it may be possible to answer the primary research question. Even though some of these articles and studies rely on inconsistent sources, they all share a general idea. Cognitive behavioral therapy methods and particularly mindfulness may be effective in approving PTSD patients and particularly veterans. All three articles implied that cognitive behavioral therapy might positively affect such patients and decrease possible PTSD symptoms. The second article may also serve as evidence of therapy effectiveness in PTSD veterans. However, further research may be needed to improve cognitive behavioral therapy methods and apply them to diverse patients properly. It may also be necessary to develop an individual approach and consider various cultural and ethical aspects during treatment. These studies provide general information based on average research results. It may be beneficial to conduct studies focused on applying cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness to specific groups with unique qualities. The treatment goal for the client in the case study may be to decrease PTSD symptoms by utilizing a wide variety of cognitive behavioral therapy, including mindfulness and social support.

References

Hofmann, S. G., Asnaani, A., Vonk, I. J., Sawyer, A. T., & Fang, A. (2012). The Efficacy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: A Review of Meta-analyses.Cognitive Therapy and Research, 36(5), 427–440. Web.

Lang, A. J. (2017). Mindfulness in PTSD treatment.Current Opinion in Psychology, 14, 40–43. Web.

Pietrzak, R. H., Harpaz-Rotem, I., & Southwick, S. M. (2011). Cognitive-behavioral coping strategies associated with combat-related PTSD in treatment-seeking OEF–OIF Veterans.Psychiatry Research, 189(2), 251–258. Web.

Williston, S. K., Grossman, D., Mori, D. L., & Niles, B. L. (2020). Mindfulness interventions in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice.

Introduction

Mindfulness is a philosophical concept that is broadly defined as a psychological practice of purposefully focusing one’s attention on an ongoing experience (Kabat-Zinn, 2013). While not intended for clinical use, it was eventually utilized for addressing numerous mental health disorders, such as substance abuse, anxiety, and depression. The following scholarly paper aims at exploring the practice of mindfulness and determining its value both as a component of mental health and wellness interventions as well as means of overall improvement of personal and professional life.

Theory and Philosophy of Mindfulness

The concept of mindfulness is present in some form in the philosophical movements of many cultures. However, its current iteration is commonly associated with Eastern Buddhist tradition (Ie, Ngnoumen, & Langer, 2014). Despite significant mutual penetration and influences, several key differences still exist between the Eastern and the Western perspectives that need to be acknowledged to understand the theory and its underlying philosophical principles.

In Eastern philosophy, mindfulness (sati) originally means “memory” (Ie et al., 2014). However, the core concept is closer to awareness, or conscious perception. It is viewed as one of the essential components of the Eightfold Path used to alleviate suffering. The suffering deserves a closer look since it is also different from the core problem of the Western world. In scholarly Buddhist literature, suffering is not limited to physical conditions such as aging, disease, pain, and death, but also includes the issue of not obtaining the desired result. Thus, the issues range from chronic pain to the stress from the loss of a close relative. Also, the common cause of the problem is craving – the desire to attain a certain object, emotion, or state that is perceived as favorable.

It is important to recognize the innate origin of the problem – while the agent that triggers the suffering is external, the root cause is internal, as is the preferred intervention. Specifically, the Buddhist doctrine suggests resorting to Right Mindfulness (alongside other components of the Eightfold Path such as Right Action and Right Thinking) and thus minimize craving. This is traditionally done by cultivating acceptance of the inevitability of diverse experience, self, and the surroundings, and is accompanied and assisted with sets of meditative practices. In other words, the Eastern approach is focused on a single cause of unsatisfactory experience and provides a single solution (in the form of acceptance) through a universal practice (including, but not limited to, mindfulness).

From the Western standpoint, the problem lies in the poor decisions made due to insufficient (or lacking) comprehension of the issue. The most common cause of such decisions is mindless acceptance of unfounded but well-known misconceptions and stereotypes or uncritical compliance with authority. Therefore, the cause can be characterized as the excess of compliance with the environment and the preference for obsolete and inadequate standards (Ie et al., 2014). Such an approach is acceptable on the basic biological level (from the evolutionary standpoint) but poses a considerable threat when applied to social and cognitive aspects of existence.

The said barriers to mindful decision-making may originate from within (as the person perceives the abundance of alternatives stressful and shields from them to avoid anxiety) or come from the outside (either misinterpreting the neutral clues from the environment or as a result of the deliberately misleading actions of the peers). To avoid such downfalls, an individual needs to constantly and consistently challenge his or her existing beliefs, behaviors, and attitudes. Such a critical approach is expected to ensure not only an unbiased, objective worldview but also provide a clearer vision of self. Such an approach also inevitably leads to the decline of the absolutist approach and the emergence of multiple perspectives.

To sum up, the Eastern perspective views mindfulness as a purely innate process that is universal, singular, and emerges as a state of existence. The Western perspective, on the other hand, suggests its active nature (conscious cognitive challenge) and views mindfulness as a driver fueled by the sense of purpose.

Description of Seven Pillars

To attain mindfulness, one needs to form a basis of attitudes that would promote the desired state. Jon Kabat-Zinn (2013) identifies seven such attitudes and terms them “pillars of mindfulness.”

Non-Judging

As was explained above, the fundamental cause of poor decisions made by individuals is the presence of preconceived notions, beliefs, and judgments. Human beings are evolutionarily predisposed to automatize the decision-making process to minimize the amount of time and resources necessary for each action. To achieve the simplicity of attitudes, humans also resort to labeling the phenomena as positive or negative. According to Jon Kabat-Zinn (2013), this effect eventually creates anxiety and deprives people of the sense of balance and peace. To minimize its effect, humans need first to gain awareness of the automatic nature of their judgment, which can be achieved by suspending it and reaching the state of impartiality. Once this state is achieved, the following events should be approached with suspended judgment.

Patience

The highly dynamic nature of the modern world leads to the necessity of keeping up the pace with the surrounding events. Eventually, the ability to achieve the result in the shortest time becomes associated with a positive outcome and, by extension, the inability to speed things up creates a perception of inefficiency regardless of the actual possibility to do so. Understandably, such a setting creates anxiety and stress. To avoid the perceived inefficiency, the practitioners need to consider the ever-present value of life in each moment. In other words, they need to accept the necessity and inevitability of each moment and avoid wavering between the desired future states and the lived experiences of the past, concentrating on the present entirety.

Beginner’s Mind

To attain a new perspective on the environment and the accompanying experience, a person should consciously approach the issue in a manner that resembles the first-time experience. In addition to the freedom from the preconceived notions, such an approach allows for greater openness to knowledge. As a result, he or she may become more receptive to new information and avoid the assumption of expertise which is often overrated and may disrupt the learning process.

Trust

Even though meditative practices are often assisted by an instructor, one of the fundamental premises of attaining mindfulness is independence from authority. Therefore, one of the necessary conditions is gaining trust in one’s feelings. The concept of awareness and conscious decisions rests on the premise of a strong authority of self. Therefore, the desirable direction a person must take is away from the decisions of others and towards the acceptance of one’s value. This pillar should be approached with the acceptance of new knowledge in mind, i.e. it does not necessitate the rejection of alternatives but promotes individual responsibility and empowerment.

Non-Striving

Unlike the Western approach to mindfulness, which is based on active effort, the meditative practices require non-action as their core mechanics. Essentially, since mindfulness is intended to promote the awareness of self, it becomes more effective with the decrease of the effort spent on it. So, to achieve the desired outcomes, a person must find a way to let go of the expectations of reaching it and instead accept the experience as it is, making it similar to deconstruction.

Acceptance

According to Kabat-Zinn (2013), the period of calmness and peace that follows the period of anxiety can be explained by the eventual acceptance of the undesirable event. However, what leads to it is the emotional exhaustion that prevents us from resisting the event. To avoid the inefficient and unfruitful intermediary phase, we need to learn to consciously accept the experience as is. To do this, we first need to identify our emotions, determine their effect on our lives, and try forgoing those which distort our perception of reality.

Letting Go

Human consciousness tends to selectively store experience that is considered functionally or emotionally valuable. While practically useful, this trait also creates several limitations, such as the inability to relax, the tension associated with persistent memories, and judgment. Therefore, to avoid restrictions, meditation practices require developing the skill of distancing from any given thought. Over time, this approach will result in the ability to break away from attachments and reach ultimate independence. Ultimately, letting go allows practitioners to accept the existing state of events easier.

Health and Wellness Benefits

Mindfulness has been actively incorporated into numerous wellness-oriented programs, with varying degrees of success. A growing body of literature identifies its benefits for both focused interventions and large-scale initiatives. Various professional and educational fields associated with high levels of stress are among the areas where the utilization of mindfulness is highly desirable. The preliminary data from a pilot study by Danilewitz, Bradwejn, and Koszycki (2016) evaluated the possibility of introducing a mindfulness meditation program to pre-clerkship students of medical schools, which are associated with a significant academic load. The results identified improvements in several areas of student performance, including homework compliance, program attendance, self-compassion, psychological distress, and empathy (Danilewitz et al., 2016).

Also, all students reported a high interest in the possibility of participation and expressed satisfaction with the perceived results. Similar results were observed in a study by Erogul, Singer, McIntyre, and Stefanov (2014), which measured a psychological condition of participants using perceived stress scale (PSS), self-compassion scale (SCS), and resilience scale (RS) after incorporating an abridged MBSR intervention. The results included significant improvement of SCS score, a reduction in PSS score, and an insignificant improvement in RS score which, nevertheless, correlated with the rest of the findings (Erogul et al., 2014). It should be acknowledged that these results are replicable throughout the academic field, with evidence of mindfulness being generally beneficial for students’ well-being, engagement, and academic performance (Wisner, 2014).

Mindfulness is also a fairly popular intervention for use in the workplace. Several specific mindfulness-based interventions (MBI) were developed to provide employers with efficient tools compliant with time restrictions posed by working conditions. One such intervention, Mindfulness in Motion (MIM), has been successfully implemented and tested in several countries. The workers subjected to the eight-week MIM program report significant stress reduction increased subjective sleep quality, as well as an overall improvement of global sleep, daytime dysfunction reduction, and a slight improvement in work absorption (Klatt, Norre, Reader, Yodice, & White, 2016). Importantly, the program demonstrates the feasibility of cross-cultural application since the mentioned results were demonstrated outside the initially intended cultural setting.

On a broader scale, mindfulness can be used to achieve wellness enhancements in non-specific adolescent groups, which, in turn, will allow for mental and physical health improvements (Johnstone et al., 2016). According to Hudziak (2016), mindfulness combined with yoga and fitness training is expected to contribute to better emotional regulation, improved attention, and an overall decrease in several undesirable effects, such as depression, anxiety, and suicidal mood. Broderick and Frank (2014) argue that mindfulness remains an optimal intervention for the young population due to several advantages over the alternatives.

Specifically, it is characterized by simplicity which is expected to attract children and youth, is consistent with the necessity for identification pertinent to adolescents, and creates a valuable approach that can be utilized throughout life, especially in the case of early adoption of the technique. The BREATHE intervention program developed by the authors yielded positive results for students upon its integration in the school curriculum. The outcomes included greater distress tolerance, improvements in cognitive skills required for academic performance, and better self-regulation, among other things (Broderick & Frank, 2014).

It is worth mentioning that while most of the studies focus on specific outcomes associated with wellness among the specific sample population, some evidence suggests that the influence of mindfulness-based interventions reaches beyond the scope of the target group. In a study by Tobin, Powietrzynska, and Alexakos (2015), a long-term education program for science teachers of Brooklyn College resulted in improved quality of life among the participants, involved researchers, and individuals with whom the participants interacted during the research. Interestingly, the authors also identified several changes in the curricula developed by the participants as well as the curricula of affiliated organizations exposed to the influence of the program (Tobin et al., 2015). While the latter cannot be conclusively verified, it aligns well with the sustainable nature of mindfulness as a contributor to wellness.

Finally, a growing body of scholarly literature supports the feasibility of mindfulness practices for medical use. Most prominently, it is widely used in the field of lifestyle medicine, which focuses on the promotion of health and wellness. Stress reduction is among the most evident objectives of lifestyle medicine, which makes mindfulness and related practices applicable for use in the field. A meta-analysis by Victorson et al. (2014) suggested the presence of short-term benefits of mindfulness-based interventions, with the most common improvements in areas of weight management, dieting, and symptom burden relief.

Despite the narrow focus of the study, these findings allow assuming further use of MBI for a wider range of applications. Importantly, the study also detected the possibility of adjustment of the intervention’s duration without a significant decline in its effectiveness (Victorson et al., 2014). These results are relatively consistent throughout the field and were confirmed with the help of the Fie Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) (Heeren et al., 2015). According to the findings of Heeren et al. (2015), mindfulness training is associated with both the reported increase in mindfulness skills and the decrease in psychological distress.

Overall, the reported results identify similar areas of improvement and include stress management, psychological resilience, greater satisfaction, and a range of related positive effects such as an increase in performance and engagement. All of the outcomes are consistent with the concept of wellness, which suggests the relation of mindfulness to the latter and its feasibility as an intervention technique.

Application to Recovery Practices

Following the recognition of mindfulness as a useful component of clinical practice, several interventions were either based on mindfulness training or complemented by it as a secondary technique.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction

One of the most recognized types of interventions is mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), intended for use with patients who have mood disorders or health conditions that produce chronic pains. The intervention is in the form of regular training sessions and usually lasts for eight weeks (Kabat-Zinn, 2013). Mindfulness training is a central activity during the sessions and is accompanied by group discussions, coping, and individual assignments. The training is based on the physical iteration of Eastern tradition and features Hatha yoga techniques, body scan technique, and breathing exercises throughout the course (Kabat-Zinn, 2013). The ultimate goal of the practice is achieving the non-judgmental and disconnected state in which the occurring thoughts are observed externally instead of being engaged.

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy

According to the information-processing theory of depressive relapse, the individuals suffering from recurring depressive episodes are vulnerable to reactivation of negative experiences through an encounter with the events triggering the undesirable memories (Baer, 2003). By extension, it is possible to negate or minimize the influence of a depressive episode by detaching one’s experience from the thoughts. The techniques include approaching recurring memories and thoughts in a non-judgmental way and perceive them as fleeting, temporary, and not necessarily accurate regarding reality. Such an approach is used to address depression, anxiety, and psychosis and is expected to prevent the cumulative effect of the negative experience. The MBCT intervention is constructed based on the MBSR model and utilizes the same eight-week timeframe.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Acceptance and behavior therapy (ACT), used for treating a variety of mental disorders, does not directly refer to its techniques like mindfulness training and is not modeled after MBSR. Nevertheless, it is possible to consider it a mindfulness-promoting intervention since it demonstrates qualities consistent with the latter. For instance, the individuals undergoing ACT engage in self-reflective practices that discourage attachment to personal thoughts and feelings and suggest an impartial and analytical approach to personal feelings and sensations (Baer, 2003). The perceived nature of the experience is emphasized both verbally and cognitively during the sessions and is approached in a non-judgmental way, with impartial observation being a primary tool.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy

The central premise of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is the formation of the current reality from the interaction of opposing forces pertinent to the fundamental existence (Baer, 2003). The product of their interaction is the observed reality with its unique set of new opposing forces. Based on this, the patients are expected to accept their current state or condition and strive for improvement through changing the surrounding environment. The acceptance is achieved through observation, description, and non-judgmental evaluation. Despite the presence of a proactive element (change-facilitation), DBT incorporates mindfulness training and attains distress resilience and emotional stability on the same level. Importantly, DBT is somewhat less formal than MBSR in that it does not have strict requirements for meditation practices and offers a much broader range of options (Baer, 2003). Cultivation of mindful awareness is extended to routine tasks and is encouraged in everyday situations.

Relapse Prevention

Designed for prevention of relapse among individuals treated for substance abuse, relapse prevention incorporates mindfulness training for providing the patients with effective techniques of urge resistance. According to the theoretical basis of the intervention, substance abuse is caused by the inability to accept the changing nature of reality and aims at striving for the new bright experience by resorting to substance abuse. Mindfulness, on the other hand, allows accepting the recurring nature of changes and, by extension, the re-emergence of urges. The incorporation of mindfulness prepares the patient for the oncoming challenges, provides the means for impartial observation and non-engagement, and, therefore, allows for greater resilience and stability.

Distress Management

Mindfulness practices are also utilized for patients with health conditions associated with low quality of life and psychological distress. A pilot study by Stafford et al. (2015) provided evidence of the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions among women with breast or gynecologic cancer. Specifically, a direct relation was observed between the proficiency in mindfulness skills and quality of life and distress scores, with medium to large effect across the sample. Compared to the alternative options used for similar purposes, mindfulness-based interventions are less resource-heavy are incorporated more easily, and create favorable long-term effects.

The intervention is also desirable in the case when stress and anxiety associated with the condition pose additional risks. For instance, prostate cancer is among the most over-diagnosed conditions, with an estimated rate of 50% (Victorson et al., 2016). Also, many of the diagnosed individuals opt-in for treatment regardless of the severity of their condition, which, contributing to equally large overtreatment rates, while those who opt-out in favor of active surveillance live under constant stress. MBSR was shown to be effective in supporting the latter, more desirable options (Victorson et al., 2016).

Personal and Professional Use

In addition to direct applications in the clinical setting, mindfulness can be used to enhance critical thinking, guide self-management, and serve as a relaxation technique to decrease stress. For instance, it is reasonable to expect that incorporating meditation techniques will help me in situations where I need to interact with people who demonstrate a lack of tolerance to those not sharing their viewpoint. Also, it will allow me to make sound decisions and utilize existing information more effectively. Finally, I expect the emotional climate in my family to improve thanks to this approach.

I also expect to observe improvements in professional practice. First, the risk of inappropriate or unfounded decisions in the workplace will decrease. Second, my interaction with co-workers will become less stressful. Most importantly, I will be able to correctly identify emerging issues of both functional and managerial character and come up with effective preventive measures and mitigating solutions.

Conclusion

Since its introduction, mindfulness has found numerous applications both in a personal and professional setting. Despite initially conceived as a philosophical concept, it was successfully incorporated in health and wellness interventions and conclusively demonstrated as yielding positive results in addressing numerous mental health disorders. Its non-intrusive nature, holistic approach, self-sustaining quality, and an overall improvement in the quality of patient’s life place it among the most feasible options for achieving overall mental health and wellness.

References

Baer, R. A. (2003). Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 10(2), 125-143.

Broderick, P. C., & Frank, J. L. (2014). Learning to BREATHE: An intervention to foster mindfulness in adolescence. New Directions for Youth Development, 2014(142), 31-44.

Danilewitz, M., Bradwejn, J., & Koszycki, D. (2016). A pilot feasibility study of a peer-led mindfulness program for medical students. Canadian Medical Education Journal, 7(1), 31-37.

Erogul, M., Singer, G., McIntyre, T., & Stefanov, D. G. (2014). Abridged mindfulness intervention to support wellness in first-year medical students. Teaching and Learning in Medicine, 26(4), 350-356.

Heeren, A., Deplus, S., Peschard, V., Nef, F., Kotsou, I., Dierickx, C.,… Philippot, P. (2015). Does change in self-reported mindfulness mediate the clinical benefits of mindfulness training? A controlled study using the French translation of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire. Mindfulness, 6(3), 553-559.

Hudziak, J. J. (2016). Exercise, music, mindfulness, and parent training: Child and adolescent psychiatry prescriptions for health promotion. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 55(10), S276.

Ie, A., Ngnoumen, C. T., & Langer, E. J. (Eds.). (2014). The Wiley Blackwell handbook of mindfulness. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.

Johnstone, J. M., Roake, C., Sheikh, I., Mole, A., Nigg, J. T., & Oken, B. (2016). School-based mindfulness intervention for stress reduction in adolescents: Design and methodology of an open-label, parallel group, randomized controlled trial. Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, 4, 99-104.

Kabat-Zinn, J. (2013). Full catastrophe living, revised edition: how to cope with stress, pain and illness using mindfulness meditation. London, England: Hachette UK.

Klatt, M., Norre, C., Reader, B., Yodice, L., & White, S. (2016). Mindfulness in Motion: A mindfulness-based intervention to reduce stress and enhance quality of sleep in Scandinavian employees. Mindfulness, 35(8), 1-8.

Stafford, L., Thomas, N., Foley, E., Judd, F., Gibson, P., Komiti, A.,… Kiropoulos, L. (2015). Comparison of the acceptability and benefits of two mindfulness-based interventions in women with breast or gynecologic cancer: A pilot study. Supportive Care in Cancer, 23(4), 1063-1071.

Tobin, K., Powietrzynska, M., & Alexakos, K. (2015). Mindfulness and wellness: Central components of a science of learning. Innovación Educativa, 15(67), 61-87.

Victorson, D., Hankin, V., Burns, J., Weiland, R., Maletich, C., Sufrin, N.,… Brendler, C. (2016). Feasibility, acceptability and preliminary psychological benefits of mindfulness meditation training in a sample of men diagnosed with prostate cancer on active surveillance: Results from a randomized controlled pilot trial. Psycho‐Oncology, 13(5), 1-9.

Victorson, D., Kentor, M., Maletich, C., Lawton, R. C., Kaufman, V. H., Borrero, M.,… Berkowitz, C. (2014). A systematic review and meta-analysis of mindfulness-based randomized controlled trials relevant to lifestyle medicine. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 9(3), 1-27.

Wisner, B. L. (2014). An exploratory study of mindfulness meditation for alternative school students: perceived benefits for improving school climate and student functioning. Mindfulness, 5(6), 626-638.

Introduction

Neuroscientists have been focusing on different processes that can be used to remodel the brain’s physical structure. Mindfulness is one of these approaches. The concept focuses on people’s ability to become aware of the events happening around and within them. The objective of mindfulness is to use senses and emotions to enhance mental awareness. The practice is embraced in different working environments or situations to help employees reduce stress, become creative, empower their physical bodies, and boost neural connections and awareness. The thesis statement below summarizes the application and relevance of mindfulness in the navy and how the process can be improved to drive performance. The paper seeks to explain why there is a need for research in this field. Such studies will ensure more people understand the benefits of mindfulness in different workplaces and military units.

Thesis statement: A naval organization that wants to excel and thrive in the modern environment characterized by complex and changing working conditions must engage in research to understand the major neurological responses to overwhelming situations and eventually realize the benefits of mindfulness such as sailor empowerment, stress reduction, creativity, and flexibility.

Background: Understanding Mindfulness

Organizational behaviorists and psychologists have supported the role of mindfulness in business firms. For instance, Tang, Holzel, and Posner (2015) indicate that intrapsychic processes can be considered in an attempt to deal with the challenges affecting individuals. Mindfulness is treated as a measurable and reliable aspect that can be induced using meditative processes in an organization. Past studies have revealed that the practice can be collective or individual in nature. When an organization utilizes these processes, it can maximize mindfulness and ensure more workers and teams benefit from it. Similarly, employees will deal with stress and burnout, enhance self-insight, increase cognitive suppleness, focus on outlined aims, and eventually promote organizational performance.

Rossy (2013) asserts that mindfulness becomes beneficial when it is practiced by a person on a daily basis. Employees can achieve this goal by bringing awareness to their minds using their thoughts, senses, or emotions. Past studies have revealed that workers who practice mindfulness tend to record positive outcomes such as patience, calmness, and kindness (Tang et al., 2015). When such attributes are taken seriously, it becomes easier for individuals to address the challenges affecting them and transform their experiences. Within the working environment, the application of the practice will catalyze new changes that can result in improved personal or organizational effectiveness.

Neuroscientists have acknowledged that mindfulness is an efficient practice for persons working in stressful conditions such as in military organizations (Tang et al., 2015). The harsh and demanding situations can drain soldiers’ energies and increase the level of burnout. Evidence suggests that mindfulness training in the military is linked to increased levels of resilience. This is also the same case for strenuous working environments. Rossy (2013) goes further to indicate that mindfulness is relevant since it does more than just minimizing a person’s level of stress. The practice is applicable in a wide range of units or settings to boost creativity among workers. When individuals train their brains in mediation and mindfulness practices, they establish new neural networks and pathways that can result in productivity.

Findings: Mindfulness in My Organization

I am currently working for the United States Navy (USN). Since the seaborne branch happens to be the most powerful in the world, a wide range of approaches are used to empower every sailor and worker in the naval organization to achieve every outlined aim (Brewer, 2014). Mindfulness was introduced into the organization in an attempt to support individuals and make it possible for them to energize their nervous systems. The approach was embraced with the aim of training guardsmen and guiding them to re-pattern their energies and experiences. The commanders of different units argue that the common practice of stress inoculation has not been appropriate for dealing with challenging situations.

Mindfulness in the organization has been appreciated by many sailors because it improves the recovery process after operating in stressful conditions or environments. The program that has been implemented in my unit is called Mindfulness-Based Mind Fitness Training. The role of this program is to help sailors “monitor their own bodies for autonomic activation and to use mindfulness awareness to tune this activation down efficiently and appropriately” (Brewer, 2014, pp. 803-804). Many people in the unit have revealed that the strategy guides them to work adaptively in stressful environments. The practice has also led to reduced levels of burnout after the sailors are exposed to stress for prolonged periods.

Sailors are encouraged to receive mindfulness interventions before and after deployment. The training process is capable of minimizing anxiety levels among sailors (Rossy, 2013). Unfortunately, recruits and new employees are not supported using the program. This gap has continued to affect their philosophies and meditation processes. Some individuals in the unit have managed to engage in personal mindfulness practices without having to involve their colleagues. Sailors and employees who use this meditation approach have been in a position to support the organization’s goals. The success of my organization is, therefore, attributable to the mindfulness intervention approach that has continued to guide, empower, and support the needs of sailors and employees who always operate in unforgiving situations and environments.

Recommendations

The findings or observations presented in this discussion can be considered to propose a number of recommendations that can transform the manner in which mindfulness is applied in the navy. Mindfulness learning should be introduced in military and naval training academies in order to ensure different people realize the full benefits of the practice (Wong, 2014). My organization should also promote the concept of collective mindfulness models whereby sailors can work as teams. The practice will ensure every person deals with various hurdles affecting performance such as stress and burnout (Rossy, 2013).

Recruited sailors should be introduced to the organization’s Mindfulness-Based Mind Fitness Training program within the shortest time possible. Additionally, evidence-based programs should also be designed in accordance with the changing needs of different individuals in order to achieve positive outcomes (Brewer, 2014). Research should also be done to identify new strategies for employing mindfulness in different military units. These recommendations have the potential to empower the targeted individuals and guide them to achieve their goals.

Conclusion

This discussion shows clearly that mindfulness is a powerful concept that has captured the attention of military personnel and organizational theorists. Institutions can identify mindfulness training programs that resonate with their unique needs or expectations to empower their employees. Naval institutions should embrace similar programs to ensure their sailors deal with stress, re-pattern their energies, and engage in desirable practices that can result in improved performance. Continuous analysis and improvement of mindfulness training programs will support the needs of every sailor. These practices will eventually deliver significant gains such as reduced stress, increased cognitive skills, and enhanced memory.

References

Brewer, J. (2014). Mindfulness in the military. American Journal of Psychiatry, 171(8), 803-806. Web.

Rossy, L. (2013). Mindfulness cuts stress, boosts productivity.TD Magazine. Web.

Tang, Y. Y., Holzel, B. K., & Posner, M. I. (2015). The neuroscience of mindful meditation. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 16(4), 213-225. Web.

Wong, K. (2014). There’s no price tag on a clear mind: Intel to launch mindfulness program.The Guardian. Web.

Introduction

Mindfulness is an idea that has long existed and has been reinvented to solve the challenges of the digital era. In essence, it refers to a state of being available and leaving behind one’s tendency to judge (Kersemaekers et al. 2018). It involves pausing amid a continuous inflow of stimuli and cautiously making an informed decision to act rather than react indecisively. Therefore, mindfulness is perfect for balancing the digital-age challenges of a massive load of information and constant distractions. The benefits of the idea are ideal, explicit, and proven. In a company, mindfulness programs have been helpful to leaders towards reflecting effectively, being able to focus appropriately on the task at hand, and mastering of climax level of stress. It is a crucial aspect in establishing trust in an organization and unlocking employees’ full potential. This paper shall outline more concerning mindfulness and offer recommendations about the same.

Instilling Mindfulness in the Workplace

It is essential to bring and establish mindfulness in the workplace. It can be achieved through offering and creating the idea in the workplace (Kersemaekers et al. 2018). There are two campaigns that help educate mindfulness ideas, one of which focuses on personal mindfulness and the other on practicing mindfulness in the workplace. Employee mindfulness is web-based and teaches its practices through interactions and videos. For instance, the campaign on personal mindfulness could involve taking a mindful walk, learning how to perform deep breaths, and practicing gratitude efficiently. Mindfulness in the workplace campaign consists of the practice by the participants towards the tendency to listen to their language, being available, being patient, and compassionate (Montero-Marin et al. 2020). It could also be worthy to find expertise on the idea and learn about it. Therefore, with such kinds of campaigns, it will ensure its establishment and practice in the organization, and people tend to become more aware of the present than the past, or rather the future.

Mindfulness Instances and Its Benefits

It is stated explicitly that managers must be able to control themselves, and when they can, they will undoubtedly be more successful and effective (Greiser & Martini, 2018). Their leadership is well-recognized, which leads to advancement in their careers. This is most likely due to the fact that the personnel they oversaw, particularly those in the information economy, were more productive and appropriate. For instance, a manager trying to venture into a new opportunity, and is mindful, is far much beyond just being adequate to changing how to perceive and correlate with the world. Therefore, trained personnel can manage their nervousness calmly. Mindfulness also entails owning a sense of being able to solve issues in an imaginative world. It is therefore vital to have and practice mindfulness in the workplace as it is a pathway to creating good relations with all the workers and the management and establishes broader perception and up-to-date skills.

Recommendations and Conclusion

The integration of the corporate context and mindfulness could be a challenge. More often, some companies are challenged with vocal skeptics, while others face ingrained working habits. Therefore, it has made managers and even employees try the idea, and they find it hard. Thus, organizations have to embrace an efficient approach to corporate agility to unleash mindfulness, which necessitates coping with uncertainties. It is crucial to embrace a holistic approach when instilling mindfulness in an organization. Companies that have established the idea have had positive returns to both individuals and the organization.

References

Greiser, C., & Martini, J. P. (2018). Unleashing the power of mindfulness in corporations. Boston, MA: Boston consulting group.

Kersemaekers, W., Rupprecht, S., Wittmann, M., Tamdjidi, C., Falke, P., Donders, R., Speckens, A. & Kohls, N. (2018). A workplace mindfulness intervention may be associated with improved psychological well-being and productivity. A preliminary field study in a company setting.Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 1-11. Web.

Montero-Marin, J., Kuyken, W., Gasión, V., Barceló-Soler, A., Rojas, L., Manrique, A., Esteban, R. & García Campayo, J. (2020). Feasibility and effectiveness of a workplace-adapted mindfulness-based programme to reduce stress in workers at a private sector logistics company: An exploratory mixed methods study.International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(5), 1-24. Web.