Living Fully: Mindfulness Practices for Everyday Life
Christine Kessen
Mindfulness and Social Work June 1, 2009 DOI: 10.1093/oso/9781933478609.003.0002 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Mindfulness |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key points | Argues that busy graduate social work students need not find extra time for self-care; instead, brief everyday moments can be used for mindfulness practice. The author contends that such moments are available to anyone regardless of schedule and may help address burnout, which the author identifies as a major cause of poor social work practice. |
Abstract
Abstract: ‘‘No time!’’ a student exclaims. Discussing an article on risk management in a graduate social work ethics class, I see the frustration on the faces in front of me. I had identified burnout as a major cause of poor social work practice. My suggestion that students take time to address their own needs now sounds feeble. These students are juggling jobs, family responsibilities, and graduate school—how could they not be exhausted and depleted at the end of each day? Is there anything I can offer them? I recall my own practice of mindfulness during spare moments each day. We all have little bits of time, no matter how busy our work and personal schedules, but we often fail to recognize them. Students could begin with their own snatches of time, standing in line at the grocery store, walking to class, or picking up children at school. These moments experienced in mindfulness could benefit anyone.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. | 2004 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mechanisms of mindfulness | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective | 2011 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression | 2006 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence (S-ART): a framework for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness | 2012 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |