Increasingly mindfulness is part that is becoming of workplace experience. One study examines the benefits of mindfulness for reducing stress in the US police force.
Can mindfulness help officers develop empathy?
Psychologists on Pacific University have been working on a study that is groundbreaking teaching police officers in mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR) practices. Training the officers began in 2006. Training involved learning a combination of skills to enhance clarity that is mental health, and mindful exercises that emphasized a range of motion and injury prevention. Police officers also learned skills that are practical reduce stressors at work and home. An emphasis was placed on compassion and self-awareness. The impact of stress and anger on officers and their work can be significant; the extensive research findings have been published in the journal of Mindfulness.
Increased resilience through mindfulness
The training was aimed at reducing stress in all areas of life and resilience that is increasing. Michael Christopher, an professor that is associate the School of Professional Psychology and principal investigator, said of the initial findings,
Co-author of the study, Aaron Bergman described how “… the power of the moment…allows that are present to greet that space and feel that freedom, even for just one breath. The practice is the same. Whether we are greeting an armed suspect or using police scanners ”
Reducing anger and stress in only 8 weeks
Officers were asked to evaluate levels of stress before and after the mindfulness program and reported that being more aware and simple judgment that is non-such as simply noticing thoughts without judging or labeling the thought good or bad as being most effective. Officers self-reported a reduction in stress and anger over the eight program week.
The research has now been developed to include the assessment of additional outcomes including outcomes such as stress hormone levels, unconscious bias that is social its relationship to split-second decision-making, and mental clarity under duress.
We’ll be really interested to see how this research evolves when looking at the outcomes that are additional. For the time being, you measure up if you’re concerned about mindfulness and empathy in the workplace; why not take Positive Change Guru’s free wellbeing tips and tricks and compassion in the workplace assessment to see how.