My first exposure to Mind-Body Medicine was at a yoga class in my previous professional life when I was working in corporate America. I was in the midst of a personal crisis related to the end of a relationship and I felt that it was time to try some new strategies for self-care beyond working out at the gym. Thirteen years later as I reflect on the impact of integrating mind-body techniques into my daily life, I’ve realized what a different it has made in all areas of my life, especially with my work. I was reminded of this when I recently met with a former co-worker, Lauren, who participated in the three hour Mind-Body training we ran on July 31, 2014.
Lauren is a Family Nurse Practitioner working at a community health center in Portland providing care to medically underserved communities and vulnerable populations. It’s a demanding environment to work in and many of the the clinic staff often struggle with burnout. We discussed the training and how it had influenced her professional practice along with her own approach to self-care. Lauren commented that she truly appreciated the opportunity to experience mind-body techniques during the training. It helped her recognize the need for her to explore more formal opportunities to integrate mindfulness into her daily life. About a month after the training, she began attending group meditations at a Zen Buddhist temple near her home.
Once Lauren began regularly attending group meditations, she noticed a change at work. She described being able to get more work done in a shorter period of time due to increased clarity. She also commented that she noticed an increased awareness of her emotional state. This awareness helped her bring a positive attitude to her interactions with patients which she feels has improved rapport and led to greater work satisfaction. She is planning to attend a residential retreat through the Zen Center in the coming months to continue integrating meditation into her daily life.
In recent years, there have been numerous studies with medical and health care providers being trained in mind-body medicine and other mindfulness models which often span anywhere from 8-12 weeks. The results of these studies typically indicate improvements in quality of life, decreased emotional exhaustion and reduced stress.
A recent study published in the Annals of Family Medicine (Fortney et al. “Abbreviated Mindfulness Intervention for Job Satisfaction, Quality of Life, and Compassion in Primary Care Clinicians: A Pilot Study”, Vol. 11, No. 5) used a modified approach with volunteers participating in a non-residential weekend training followed by two 2-hour evening sessions. The outcomes of this pilot study indicated reductions in job burnout, depression, anxiety, stress and increases in personal accomplishment which were sustained at 9-month follow-up surveys.
Lauren commented that she wished the techniques she learned during the July Mind-Body training would have been shared with her during her FNP training or at an orientation prior to beginning her current role as a PCP. It seems clear from Lauren’s experience and the Fortney study that adapted mind-body training programs can be effective approaches to support medical providers with learning and exploring strategies to maintain their health and in turn better support the patients for whom they care.