Mindfulness and Creativity in Workplace Contexts: A Critical Narrative Review of an Emerging Field
Rossella de Nisco, Paulina Lamas-Morales, Juan Antonio Torrents Arévalo
Administrative Sciences November 3, 2026 DOI: 10.3390/admsci16110543 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review Preregistered Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based interventions |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | The review suggests possible relationships between mindfulness-based interventions and creativity-related outcomes, including creativity and problem solving, along with related processes such as emotion regulation, working memory, cognitive flexibility, and coping. The authors propose a preliminary integrative framework linking cognitive, affective, and motivational processes that may explain how mindfulness relates to creativity at work, while noting conceptual and methodological gaps in the five heterogeneous studies reviewed. |
Abstract
The relationship between mindfulness and creativity in workplace settings has attracted growing interest, yet empirical research in this area remains fragmented and at an early stage of development. Given this emerging status, the present article offers a critical narrative review aimed at mapping the current evidence and identifying conceptual and methodological gaps to guide future research. A structured literature search, preregistered in PROSPERO (CRD42024627551), was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science up to February 2025, following PRISMA guidelines, and was updated in September 2026 using the same search strategy and eligibility criteria. Five studies met the inclusion criteria. The included studies were heterogeneous in design, intervention characteristics, and outcome assessment, supporting a narrative rather than quantitative synthesis. The findings suggested possible relationships between mindfulness-based interventions and creativity-related outcomes, including creativity and problem solving, as well as related processes such as emotion regulation, working memory, cognitive flexibility, and coping. Building on these findings, the review integrates the available evidence with the broader theoretical literature to outline a preliminary integrative conceptual framework linking cognitive, affective, and motivational processes that may explain how mindfulness relates to creativity at work, while identifying key conceptual and methodological gaps to guide future research.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being Diverse adult clinical populations | 2014 | Meta-analysis | n = 3,515 |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Healthy People: A Review and Meta-Analysis Healthy subjects | 2009 | Systematic review and meta-analysis | |
| The psychological effects of meditation: A meta-analysis. Nonclinical groups of adult meditators | 2012 | Meta-analysis | n = 163 |
| Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Prevention of Depressive Relapse Adults with recurrent depression in full or partial remission | 2016 | Meta-analysis of individual patient data from randomized controlled trials | n = 1,258 |
| Mindfulness‐Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness‐Based Cognitive Therapy – a systematic review of randomized controlled trials | 2011 | Systematic review |
Citations in the library
Cites 25
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Assessment January 27, 2006
- Assessment of Mindfulness by Self-Report Assessment September 1, 2004
- Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation Perspectives on Psychological Science October 10, 2017
- Focused attention, open monitoring and loving kindness meditation: effects on attention, conflict monitoring, and creativity – A review Frontiers in Psychology September 23, 2014
and 20 more in the library