Trajectories of mindfulness, flow experience, and stress during an online-based MBSR program: the moderating role of emotional exhaustion.
Frontiers in Psychology January 1, 2024 Charlotte Hohnemann, Florian Engel, Corinna Peifer et al. 3 citations
Over eight weeks, mindfulness and flow experience increased linearly while perceived stress decreased among participants in a mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program compared to an inactive control group. Emotional exhaustion amplified the beneficial effects: the more emotionally exhausted individuals were, the stronger the positive link between growing mindfulness and increasing flow, and the stronger the negative link between growing mindfulness and decreasing stress. These results suggest that mindfulness training can both reduce stress and enhance the autotelic experience of flow, particularly for chronically depleted people. The quasi-experimental design, self-report measures, and participant dropout limit the conclusions.