Soft is hard: building resilience with loving kindness meditation at work
International Journal of Complementary & Alternative Medicine 2018 DOI: 10.15406/ijcam.2018.11.00381 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 28 |
| Population | Employees of Microsoft Corporation in the United Kingdom |
| Intervention | Loving-kindness meditation |
| Duration | Seven-week intervention |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Citations | 19 |
| Key findings | Loving-kindness meditation practice significantly increased psychological resilience and reduced depression, anxiety, and stress in employees compared to a wait-list control group. |
Abstract
Stress remains a common factor in modern work life, and resilience building strategies have been shown to support and enhance natural human adaptability in overcoming workplace stress.This study examines the resilience and well-being building efficacy of loving-kindness meditation (LKM).Following initial training with employees of Microsoft Corporation in the United Kingdom, through a seven week intervention, participants (N=13) regularly practiced LKM, comparing results with a wait-list control group (N=15).The study showed significant increases in psychological resilience in the experimental group, along with reduced depression, anxiety and stress; while the control group changes remained insignificant.Overall, the results and prior literature suggest that LKM practice is an effective strategy for building resilience, improving employee adaptability to stress at work and so increasing employee value.