Development of self-awareness and emotional regulation among teaching professionals

Abstract

Background. In the context of an increasing pace of life and growing psycho-emotional stress, especially in the educational environment, finding effective methods for increasing awareness and emotional regulation remains an urgent task for modern psychology. Despite the growing interest in breathing practices, their impact on awareness and emotional regulation in the context of energy-resource techniques remains understudied. The analysis of breathing practices in the context of students as subjects of the educational environment at different levels of education as ways of overcoming stressful situations is poorly studied. Most studies focus on classical methods, while the specifics of practices aimed at restoring energy balance require separate analysis. Purpose – to evaluate the effectiveness of energy-oriented breathing techniques in increasing the level of personal awareness and emotional regulation. Materials and methods. The study involved an experimental and a control group. The experimental group (EG) performed energy-resourceful breathing practices using the author’s method, while the control group (CG) participated in a placebo intervention that included neutral breathing exercises without an emphasis on energy balance. The study lasted for 8 weeks, during which participants in both groups performed 30-minute sessions daily. The design included three key stages: testing (T0) before the intervention, testing (T1) immediately after the program is completed, and delayed testing (T2) 3 months later to assess the sustainability of the effects. The study involved 120 participants aged 18 to 55 (mean age: 34.2 ± 8.7 years), those living in urban environments, as well as those studying at different levels of education (university, postgraduate, retraining). The main tool for assessing the level of awareness was the Five-factor Mindfulness Questionnaire, adapted by N.M. Yumartova and N.V. Grishina. The Russian-language version of the PSS-10 Perceived Stress Scale Schulz K.F. et al. was used to measure stress levels as a secondary parameter. Results. The results of the study revealed statistically significant differences between the experimental (EG) and control (CG) groups in terms of key PFOO scales after an 8-week intervention. In the EG, there was an increase in the average values of all five factors of mindfulness, while in the CG, the changes were not significant. The data supports the hypothesis that energy-resource breathing practices significantly increase the level of mindfulness, including among students, especially in terms of focused attention and emotional regulation. Additional data analysis revealed a significant correlation between the frequency of breathing practices and the dynamics of mindfulness indicators. Unlike classical mindfulness techniques, energy-resource breathing showed a more pronounced effect on emotional regulation, which may be due to its direct physiological focus on the autonomic nervous system. The results of this study convincingly demonstrate that energy-resource breathing practices have significant potential for integration into psychological prevention and rehabilitation programs.