A pilot study of a nature-based contemplation intervention combining mindful awareness with contemplative practice in natural settings found short-term improvements in spiritual well-being that were not maintained at follow-up. Emotional well-being showed sustained gains across all time points, while nature connectedness and social well-being showed delayed effects emerging only at one month. Participants reported moderate to high satisfaction, but qualitative analysis revealed implementation challenges, particularly with the contemplative component. The authors conclude the intervention is acceptable with promising short-term effects but requires refinement to improve long-term sustainability.
A standard eight-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program substantially reduced perceived stress in Dutch elementary school teachers. In a randomized trial with 146 teachers, those who took MBSR reported significantly lower stress than a waitlist control group, with a large effect immediately after the program and a moderate effect three months later. The program also improved teachers' mindfulness skills, emotion regulation, self-compassion, self-efficacy, and classroom climate quality. No effect was found on pupil-teacher relationships. The COVID-19 pandemic did not influence the results. The findings support wider use of MBSR to improve teacher well-being.