MBSR at Work: Perspectives from an Instructor and Software Developers
Simone Romano, Alberto Conforti, Gloria Guidetti, Sara Viotti, Rachele Ceschin, Giuseppe Scanniello
arXiv Preprint Archive June 13, 2025 preprint
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study |
|---|---|
| Population | Software developers and an MBSR instructor at a multinational company |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Cs.se Mindfulness-at-work Developer-wellbeing Workplace-stress-management |
| Key findings | Developers recognized personal improvements from MBSR practice, but integrating MBSR techniques into the software development working context remained challenging. |
Abstract
In this paper, we present the preliminary findings from a qualitative study (i.e., semi-structured interviews) on how a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program, carried out in the Software Development (SD) working context, is perceived by the software developers of a multinational company who participated in the MBSR program and by the instructor who led it. MBSR is a deeply personal and experiential practice in helping individuals manage stress, particularly in high-pressure environments such as workplaces, healthcare settings, education, and other demanding professional or personal situations. Although MBSR has been experimented in different working contexts; surprisingly, it has never been studied in the SD working context where there are several stress factors that developers experience (e.g., time pressure and uncertainty about the content of a particular task and its outcome). In this respect, qualitative research can generate valuable insights into the application of MBSR in the SD working context that cannot be captured by standardized quantitative measures. Being MBSR instructors and software developers the key stakeholders in delivering an MBSR program in the SD working context, understanding their first-hand experiences can provide a more detailed picture of the investigated phenomenon. The most important takeaway result of our research can be summarized as follows: despite initial skepticism, the developers recognized personal improvements due to the MBSR practice, though the integration of MBSR techniques in the working context remained challenging.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on meditation, most cited first.