SPONSOR CONTENT PAID FOR BY DR. REENA KOTECHA
Those working in healthcare often experience a chronic state of stress. There are lots of reasons for this: chronic excessive workload, long working hours, rotating shift patterns, patient demands, administrative burdens, exam pressure, and more. Over the past two decades, research has shown how mindfulness can be an effective tool for stress management and stress reduction. Here’s how it helps clinicians working in fast-paced, pressured, and under-resourced healthcare systems:
1. Managing difficult emotionsMindfulness helps healthcare professionals become more aware of their physical sensations, mental thought patterns, and emotional states during stressful situations such as challenging patient encounters. This can reduce the intensity and duration of negative emotions such as anxiety, fear, and anger that often accompany stress, and as we know, affect our ability to care for patients. In a research study of an intervention developed and facilitated by physician Dr. Reena Kotecha called Mindful Medics, neurosurgeons undergoing the course were found to have a post-course statistically significant reduction in perceived stress scores and emotional exhaustion, which is known to be a core component of burnout. (1)
2. Enhancing relaxationMindfulness-based relaxation techniques—the body scan, guided breathing meditation, and the thought-cloud…
