Mindfulness Training Gets an Upgrade: Innovations in Mental and Emotional Self-Management (MESM) to Combat Stress in Organizations

Abstract

Neuroscientists suggest that chronic stress diminishes cognitive ability, therefore rendering metacognitive exercises such as mindfulness training ineffective for many. An intervention was tested that incorporates tools to regulate the stress response prior to engaging metacognitive stress management techniques. A mixed-method study (N =147) compared business students with Amazon’s mechanical Turkers. After three weeks of practice, trainees scored higher in mindful attention and well-being and training explained 16% of test score variance, suggesting a moderate to large effect size. This pilot study exposes a potential shortcoming in current forms of organizational mindfulness training and offers a solution for future intervention design.