Taking up a mindfulness meditation practice may benefit doctors who feel fatigued or stressed out, according to a recent study.
For the study, researchers assigned 70 primary care physicians to eight weekly 2 ½-hour sessions of training in mindfulness meditation, followed by 10 monthly 2 ½-hour sessions. Over the course of the program, and at a follow-up, the doctors showed a significant improvement in wellbeing, as well as decreases in burnout and mood disturbance. The study members also showed an increase in empathy and positive changes in how they related to their patients.
The majority of practicing physicians report symptoms of stress and emotional exhaustion, according to the study's authors. A mind-body technique meant to hone your attention, mindfulness meditation has been found to boost mood, lower stress levels, and strengthen the immune system in past studies.
One of my students is a doctor who uses his meditation practice in the treatment of chronic pain patients. So not only is his own stress levels mitigated by meditation, but those of his patients as well. See his website at http://www.mindbodytraining.org