A Mindfulness-Based Mobile Health Intervention Improved Anxiety and Depression Symptoms Among University Students in Quarantine During The COVID-19 Pandemic Researchers from the US and China conducted this randomized controlled trial…
We all went into this pandemic together. Quarantine, washing hands, wearing masks, experiencing profound fear, increasing anxiety, showing compassion all became a collective consciousness for many of us. News reports flashed from around the world of people in isolation, trying to make the best of it. “Some Good News” with John Krasinski, videos of Italians singing from balconies, folks in NYC cheering on healthcare workers, photos of loved ones outside of nursing home windows waving to relatives locked inside were all broadcasted this time last year. Now that the pandemic dynamics have shifted with vaccine success, we are attempting to return to “normal” which has been anything but normal! Re-entry has been a solo experience for many of us, with each of us re-entering at different times and at different paces. This experience has felt isolating at times with new feelings of unexpected loneliness. In addition, feelings of uncertainty have arisen as we have tried to navigate this new normal, adding more stress to an already stressed-out baseline.
Changes Coming to Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Courses Starting in February, 2022, the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction courses offered through the UVA Mindfulness Center will be returning to 2.5 hour long classes…
The Impact of Psychological Interventions with Elements of Mindfulness on Empathy, Well-Being, and Reduction of Burnout in Physicians This systematic review aimed to analyze psychological interventions with elements of mindfulness…
Mindfulness and Emotional Intelligence Part 2
In last month’s Monthly Musing, I wrote about the relationship between mindfulness and the first two aspects of Emotional Intelligence (EI): self-awareness and self-management. These provide the basis for the other two components of EI: social awareness and relationship management. The former is the topic for this month. Social awareness refers to paying attention to others, especially their emotions. Being aware of others emotions is central to empathy, which has been defined as the capacity to understand and share another person's emotional experience. Empathy is the principal competence underlying social awareness, and can be cultivated by both paying attention to others when we are in relationship with them, really listening, and also paying attention to what we are feeling when we are in the presence of others. When we give someone else our full attention we can better connect with what they are feeling.
Fall Classes Underway The Mindfulness Center has a full slate of classes underway now. All are being offered virtually. These include Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and Mindful Eating courses that are…