Mindfulness meditation practices can reduce burnout, increase compassion among physicians

Mindfulness-based interventions may ease burnout, increase compassion and improve the patient-physician relationship, according to a presentation at Healing Healthcare: A Global Mindfulness Summit.

During their presentation, Diane Reibel, PhD, the co-founder of the Stress Reduction Program at the Marcus Institute of Integrative Health at Thomas Jefferson University, and Aleezé Sattar Moss, PhD, the associate director of the Jefferson Center for Mindfulness within the Marcus Institute of Integrative Health, led two guided meditation practices that clinicians can adopt to build resilience and reduce stress and burnout.

The three axioms of mindfulness are intention, attention and attitude, Reibel and Moss said. The intention is to be present; attention is placed on what is actually arising in the moment; and attitude should be nonjudgmental and one of curiosity, open to experiences and kindness, according to Reibel.

“Mindfulness is a natural human capacity for being fully present and aware,” she said.

It is innate and can be cultivated through the practice of mindfulness meditation, or mindfulness-based interventions, she added.

Reibel cited several analyses conducted in the last decade illustrating the benefits of mindfulness for clinician wellness, including a mindfulness program for medical students that Reibel launched 25 years ago at Thomas Jefferson University. The program began as a 4-week intervention and was so “highly successful” that it grew into a 10-week program embedded in the curriculum, Reibel said. Students in the trial program reported less tension, depression and fatigue compared with baseline and significantly fewer of these emotions than students who did not participate in the program (P < .05).

One mindfulness-based intervention that clinicians can adopt is “PRO”: pause, relax and open, according to Reibel. Pausing helps break the autopilot cycle of stress, she said. Then, relaxing the body allows the mind to open and focus. The last step involves being open to what arises in the moment and greeting it with curiosity and nonjudgment.

Moss discussed compassion, another element of mindfulness. She defined compassion as being fully present to someone’s suffering while wishing them to be free of that suffering.

By turning empathy, a key trait among physicians, into compassion, one can increase empathy without feelings of distress, according to Moss. She led a meditation practice called Strong Back, Soft Front as a way to cultivate compassion.

“Strong back is stability: our capacity to stay grounded, centered,” she said. “Soft front represents compassion: our ability to open ourselves to things as they are. In order to meet the challenges and difficulties in our lives, we need both.”

Overall, the interventions are fewer than 10 minutes each in duration. Clinicians can practice mindfulness anywhere, at any time and length, Reibel said.

References:

Moss AS, Reibel D. Mindfulness and compassion practices to foster resilience in clinicians. Presented at: Healing Healthcare: A Global Mindfulness Summit; February 9, 2022 (virtual meeting).

Rosenzweig S, et al. Teach Learn Med. 2009;doi:10.1207/S15328015TLM1502_03.