Mindfulness Training Aids Teacher Stress

Spanish Researchers publishing in the Spanish Journal of Psychology recently performed a study exploring the benefits of mindfulness training for teachers.  The study involved 68 secondary school teachers and half received mindfulness training techniques (meditation) and the other half were a control.  While it is difficult to account for all of the variables in a study like this they used a stress measure called the Symptom Checklist-90-R (SCL-90-R) both before and after the program.

Through the mindfulness program the teachers learned easy techniques to help control their stress levels, to be better aware of how much tension they are holding, etc.

On every possible measure the mindfulness group achieved positive changes and these changes were maintained for 4 months after cessation of the training program. 

Certainly this study shows what so many others have in relation to meditation and minfulness training - that relatively simple changes can have huge effects across all dimensions of our lives.  Perhaps more importantly in this case, in the lives of their students as well by default.