B.C. study finds mindfulness helps people view their tasks as less threatening – but others question its effectiveness
Mindfulness makes people view their tasks as less threatening and more challenging, which, in turn reduces stress, according to a study out of B.C.
Conducted by SFU Beedie School professor Lieke ten Brummelhuis and former PhD student Mariana Toniolo-Barrios, the research found that when employees embraced mindfulness, they were more likely to view their work tasks as challenges rather than threats.
Toniolo-Barrios, now an assistant professor at the University of the Fraser Valley, conducted two studies, both of which yielded the same results: "When employees were more mindful, they would be more likely to see their work tasks as challenging and less likely to see their work tasks as threatening.”
This shift in perception is key, as seeing tasks as challenges opens the door to growth and development, whereas viewing them as threats breeds anxiety. The study showed that only threat appraisal was related to stress, while challenge appraisal didn't have any impact on stress level. This means that by reducing the perception of tasks as threatening, mindfulness directly mitigates stress levels among employees, she said.
"Challenge appraisal is something positive because when we appraise something as being challenging, this means that we consider it to be something that will enable us to grow and develop as a result," Toniolo-Barrios said.
Integrating mindfulness into workplace culture
Toniolo-Barrios suggests employers can effectively integrate mindfulness into their culture by offering formal mindfulness interventions through hiring mindfulness coaches or teachers. Outside of a formal approach, employees themselves can incorporate mindfulness practices into their daily routines, she said.
“Simple exercises like breathing exercises and momentary check-ins can make a significant difference in cultivating mindfulness amidst the hustle and bustle of work life.”
One common misconception about mindfulness is that it requires dedicated time and effort. However, Toniolo-Barrios asserts that mindfulness is something that can be practiced and implemented, no matter where you're working or how much time you have. Merely paying attention to the present moment, whether during work tasks or daily activities, constitutes mindfulness, she said.
These practical applications also extend to those in leadership positions, as managers can play a pivotal role in alleviating stress by minimizing the threatening aspects of work tasks, she says.
“If managers can find a way to diminish the threatening aspects of job tasks, perhaps through highlighting the positive outcomes associated with the tasks, supporting employees in the sense that they are allowed to make mistakes and don't need to feel threatened by the work, managers could directly diminish the threatening aspect of the work tasks. So, this would also decrease stress,” she said.
Does mindfulness work in high-stress environments?
While some studies may focus on physiological indicators, Toniolo-Barrios's research underscores the psychological benefits of mindfulness. She draws parallels with studies involving university students facing exams, where mindfulness correlated with reduced threat appraisal. Additionally, other research aligns with her findings, demonstrating the positive impact of mindfulness on challenge appraisal and negative effect reduction, she said.
However, a University of Buffalo study suggests that mindfulness provides little or no benefit when individuals are coping with active stressors. Measurements of cardiovascular activity suggest that people who practice mindfulness continue to “sweat the small stuff” during periods of stress, and the study suggests that mindfulness may offer other benefits, but helping people remain calm and composed during stressful events is not one of them.
Pat Armstrong, research professor of sociology at York University, questions the practice of mindfulness for those in certain professions like long-term care, particularly when there are larger stressors at hand. In these high-pressure environments, employees may not have time to sit and conduct mindfulness practices, she said.
While there is no harm in mindfulness practices, Armstrong recommends more teamwork and support within teams to help reduce stress and provide the “same kind of function” as mindfulness does.
“Do I think mindfulness is harmful? No, but I think it is harmful to suggest that this is something we should invest money into without fixing the larger issues first because it's a very individual strategy,” she said.
“Mindfulness requires you to focus on doing something to help yourself, but so much stress is caused by the whole organization of your work and the demands of the job, and mindfulness is not going to fix that.”
