A new study conducted by researchers from North Carolina State University and Clemson University highlights the vital role of hope in maintaining mental well-being and professional engagement during prolonged periods of stress, surpassing the benefits of mindfulness.
In a pioneering study published in Stress and Health journal, researchers from North Carolina State University and Clemson University have uncovered that hope significantly outperforms mindfulness as a tool for managing stress and maintaining professional engagement during difficult times. This revelation comes at a crucial moment, as professionals across various industries continue to navigate the challenges spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mindfulness, often praised for its benefits in promoting moment-to-moment awareness, faces limitations during high-stress periods.
“There’s a lot of discussion about the benefits of mindfulness, but it poses two challenges when you’re going through periods of stress,” co-author Tom Zagenczyk, a professor of management at NCSU’s Poole College of Management, said in a news release. “First, it’s hard to be mindful when you’re experiencing stress. Second, if it’s a truly difficult time, you don’t necessarily want to dwell too much on the experience you’re going through.”
In contrast to mindfulness, hope fosters a forward-looking perspective.
“Because hope is inherently forward looking, while mindfulness is about appreciating your current circumstances, we wanted to see how each of these two mindsets influenced people’s well-being and professional attitudes during difficult times,” Zagenczyk added.
To explore this, the research team gathered insights from 247 professional musicians associated with MusiCares through two surveys conducted one month apart, beginning in September 2021. The participants reflected on their experiences from the early pandemic months and their levels of hope and mindfulness between September 2020 and March 2021.
A subsequent survey in October 2021 evaluated their work engagement, work tensions, emotional positivity and distress levels.
By employing robust statistical analyses, the researchers established a clear relationship between hope, mindfulness and various outcomes related to personal well-being and professional attitudes.
“Fundamentally, our findings tell us that hope was associated with people being happy, and mindfulness was not,” Kristin Scott, a professor of management at Clemson University and co-author of the study, said in the news release. “And when people are hopeful – and happy – they experience less distress, are more engaged with their work and feel less tension related to their professional lives.”
While the valuable aspects of mindfulness are not dismissed, the study emphasizes the importance of maintaining a hopeful outlook, especially during prolonged periods of stress.
“Being mindful can be tremendously valuable – there are certainly advantages to living in the moment,” added co-author Sharon Sheridan, an assistant professor of management at Clemson. “But it’s important to maintain a hopeful outlook – particularly during periods of prolonged stress. People should be hopeful while being mindful – hold on to the idea that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.”
Although focusing on musicians during an extraordinary set of circumstances, the study’s implications are widespread.
“Whenever we have high levels of job stress, it’s important to be hopeful and forward looking,” said co-author Emily Ferrise, a doctoral student at Clemson.
This insight underscores the potential benefits for organizations across various sectors to integrate hope and forward-thinking into their cultures and practices.
“Every work sector experiences periods of high stress,” concluded Zagenczyk. “And every company should be invested in having happy employees who are engaged with their work.”