Promoting Well-Being by Teaching Employees How to Segment Their Life Domains
Effects of an Online-Based Mindfulness Intervention
Abstract
Abstract. Changes in technology, economy, and demography have generated today’s mobile and flexible workplace. These aspects, while leading to more permeable boundaries, render it more difficult to manage the boundaries between life domains. We conducted a quasi-experimental study to evaluate the effects of an intervention teaching mindfulness as a cognitive–emotional segmentation strategy to promote well-being. In all, 191 employees participated in the 3-week online self-training intervention and completed the preintervention–postintervention and follow-up questionnaires. As expected, the experimental group participants compared to the control group participants experienced significantly less emotional exhaustion and negative affect, and significantly more life satisfaction. Moreover, we could show that boundary management competency can be improved with an online-based self-training intervention.
Zusammenfassung. Veränderungen in Technik, Wirtschaft und Demographie haben zu der heutigen mobilen und flexiblen Arbeitswelt beigetragen. Durch diese Entwicklungen verschwimmen die Grenzen zwischen den Lebensbereichen und erschweren die Abgrenzung der Lebensbereiche. Die vorliegende Studie evaluiert die Auswirkungen einer Boundary Management Intervention, die durch die Vermittlung von Achtsamkeit als kognitiv-emotionale Segmentationsstrategie die Abgrenzung der Lebensbereiche und das Wohlbefinden fördern will. Zu diesem Zwecke wurde eine dreiwöchige onlinebasierte Selbstcoaching Intervention entwickelt und durchgeführt. 191 Arbeitnehmende beantworteten die Pre-Post und Follow Up Fragebögen. Die Intervention bestand aus drei Modulen, welche sich jeweils aus einem theoretischen und einem praktischen Teil zusammensetzten. Im ersten Modul lag der Fokus auf der Reflexion der eigenen Abgrenzung der Lebensbereiche sowie der Bedeutung von ‚Abschalten können’ für Erholung und Wohlbefinden. Die Inhalte des zweiten und dritten Moduls basierten auf den zwei Komponenten des Achtsamkeitsmodells von Bishop et al. (2004). Das zweite Modul vermittelte den Interventionsteilnehmenden, inwiefern Achtsamkeit als Selbstregulationsstrategie genutzt werden kann, um Grenzen zwischen Lebensbereichen zu gestalten und im ‚Hier und Jetzt’ zu sein. Im dritten Modul wurde das Konzept der Achtsamkeit vertieft. In den Modulen zwei und drei lernten die Teilnehmenden verschiedene ‚achtsame’ Atemübungen, die sie nutzen können, um Achtsamkeit als kognitiv-emotionale Segmentationsstrategie in ihren Alltag zu integrieren. Mittels eines randomisierten Warte-Kontroll-Gruppen-Designs wurden die Effekte der Intervention überprüft. Wie erwartet berichteten die Teilnehmenden der Experimentalgruppe im Vergleich mit der Kontrollgruppe nach der Intervention ein höheres Maß an selbst eingeschätztem ‚Boundary Management’ (Fähigkeit, Grenzen zwischen Lebensbereichen zu ziehen), ein geringeres Maß an emotionaler Erschöpfung und negativem Affekt und ein höheres Maß an Lebenszufriedenheit. Zwei Wochen später zeigten die Teilnehmenden der Experimentalgruppe noch immer ein höheres Maß an Boundary Management und ein geringeres Maß an emotionaler Erschöpfung im Vergleich zur Kontrollgruppe. Außerdem konnte gezeigt werden, dass die Boundary Management Kompetenz durch ein onlinebasiertes Selbstcoaching gefördert werden kann.
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