Abstract:

Background:
Addressing burnout has been a persistent topic recently. Maslach & Leiter (2017) define it as “an overwhelming exhaustion, feelings of cynicism and detachment from the job, and a sense of ineffectiveness and lack of accomplishment.” Mindfulness is defined by Kabat-Zinn (1992) as “paying attention in a particular way on purpose, in the present moment, and without judging.” A growing body of scholarly literature is suggesting mindfulness practices and activities as a successful approach in addressing burnout (e.g. Janssen et al., 2018; Marie & Cook-Cottone, 2022; Waddell, A., et al., 2023). This systematic literature review examined how mindfulness approaches address burnout in higher education settings. The review was guided by the following two questions: How can we address burnout with mindfulness practices in higher education settings to achieve positive effects? What are the positive effects of addressing burnout with mindfulness practices in higher education settings?

Method:
The focus of this review was on research articles addressing burnout with mindfulness approaches in higher education settings in relation to educators. The search was conducted in the following databases: Web of Science, ERIC, PsycArticles, and Google Scholar. The search terms used were: mindfulness, burnout, and higher education. The research articles were selected for the review in accordance with specific predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Results:
The research articles included in the review were from the past five years (2018-2024). The review confirmed mindfulness practices and activities for addressing burnout as follows: meditation, mindful eating & dieting, breathing techniques, gratitude practices & reflection, and relaxation through mindful movement & yoga. Almost all studies outlined positive results from addressing burnout with mindfulness practices and activities as well as recommended more research to be conducted.

Conclusion:
The results of this review revealed that more research is needed to reinforce the evidence for positive effects of mindfulness approaches in addressing burnout in higher education settings in relation to educators. Next steps for the researchers will be to design and execute a study on developing an innovative mindfulness approach to address burnout in higher education settings in relation to educators.

References:
[1] Janssen, M., et al. (2018). Effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction on employees’ mental health: A systematic review. PloS one, 13(1), e0191332.
[2] Kabat-Zinn, et al. (1992). Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 149, 936–943.
[3] Marie, K. S. T.-S., & Cook-Cottone, C. (2022). Mindful self-care to manage the effects of trauma, burnout, and compassion fatigue in educators. In L. L. Douglass (ed.), Trauma in Adult and Higher Education: Conversations and Critical Reflections, 129-147. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.
[4] Maslach, C., & Leiter, M. P. (2017). Understanding burnout: New models. In C. L. Cooper & J. C. Quick (Eds.), The handbook of stress and health: A guide to research and practice. (pp. 36–56). Wiley Blackwell.
[5] Waddell, A., et al. (2023). How effective are interventions in optimizing workplace mental health and well-being? A scoping review of reviews and evidence map. Scandinavian Journal of Work Environment & Health, 49(4), 235–248.

Keywords:

Mindfulness, burnout, higher education.