Work environments are associated with numerous stressors that interfere with organizational goals since they hamper employees’ productivity. This reality means that individuals and organizations have to design and adopt practical strategies so that they are in a position to cope with personal and professional demands. Mindfulness training is one of the most practical approaches considering it allows people to be aware of what they are sensing without judgment and training. A military company should embrace mindfulness training as a way of helping soldiers to reduce the stress that is associated with PSTD and post-deployment.
Impacts of Mindfulness on Psychological Wellbeing
Mindfulness, which is a strategy for relieving stress by relaxing the body and the mind, positively impacts an individual’s psychological wellbeing. Research studies that have been conducted in the last 20 years confirm that mindfulness reduces stress levels, thus exerting beneficial effects on one’s mental health. According to Tang et al. (2015), neuroimaging studies on the impact of mindfulness on psychological wellbeing have revealed that this form of meditation reduces the brain’s amygdala. A reduction in the grey matter in the amygdala weakens its connection to the rest of the brain and strengthens the areas associated with concentration and attention. This outcome means an individual is better positioned to cope with all forms of stressors that threaten to interfere with their psychological wellbeing. Lazar et al. (2005) support this assertion by indicating that mediation results in increased cortical thickness, allowing for more awareness of sensory stimuli. More awareness means individuals are better positioned to navigate stressful situations that would arise during the day successfully. These research findings indicate that mindfulness is a practical strategy that induces the brain to be more adaptive and responsive to stressors, thus improving one’s psychological outcomes.
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Mindfulness in the Military Context
The military is one of the fields with numerous stressors, considering that all the stakeholders must risk their lives at the battlefront to promote national security. Soldiers, supervisors, and commanders spend significant periods away from their countries, loved ones, and homes, which is a significant source of stress. This reality means that military units must design practical strategies to help soldiers cope with the stressors associated with their work. Mindfulness training would be an ideal approach since it alters brain function and mental activity but also helps in improving interpersonal relationships. Siegel (2012) notes that mindfulness awareness contributes to emotional balance, allowing people to see life as having meaning. This assertion applies to a military company as mindfulness training would allow soldiers and other stakeholders to believe that their operations are beneficial. At the same time, mindfulness training contributes to response flexibility that Siegel (2012) defines as the ability to pause before acting to reduce the impact of stressors. Essentially, mindfulness training in the military is a strategy for helping soldiers to internalize their environment more positively for enhanced wellbeing.
Conclusion
The military has a responsibility of maintaining national security, a mandate that is associated with numerous stressors. If not dealt with, these stressors impact negatively on employees’ emotional well-being, which in turn reduces their efficiency in the workplace. Mindfulness training is a practical approach to dealing with these stressors, considering it helps to reduce the brain amygdala, which in turn increases attention. More so, mindfulness training equips people with response flexibility, which can think before acting, which reduces stressors significantly. Overall, military companies should consider adopting mindfulness training to ensure that employees are in their right state of mind to improve their chances of achieving organizational goals.
References
Lazar, S. W., Kerr, C. E., Wasserman, R. H., Gray, J. R., Greve, D. N., Treadway, M. T., McGarvey, M., Quinn, B. T., Dusek, J. A., Benson, H., Rauch, S. L., Moore, C. I., & Fischl, B. (2005). Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness. Neuroreport, 16 (17), 1893–1897. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.wnr.0000186598.66243.19
Siegel, D. (2012, May 2). Mindfulness and neural integration . TEDx Talks https://youtube/v=LiyaSr5aeho
Tang, Y. Y., Hölzel, B. K., & Posner, M. I. (2015). The neuroscience of mindfulness meditation. Nature reviews. Neuroscience, 16 (4), 213–225. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn3916
