What Is Mindfulness In Occupational Therapy

Kabat Zinn defines mindfulness as “a means of paying attention in a particular way, on purpose, in present moments, and in a non-judgmental way.” With depression on the rise, mindfulness is a wonderful tool for occupational therapy intervention (Hardison & Roll, 2016). After reading this report, you will be able to see the why mindfulness is an emerging practice in occupational therapy. When mindfulness is thought of, mediation comes to mind. However, meditation is not the only way mindfulness is used. Mindfulness practices may have originated from Buddhism, yet mindfulness interventions are based on the philosophy that promotes positive outcomes for mental and physical health (Hardison & Roll, 2016). It is also defined at a state of

By enhancing depth and meaning of occupational experiences, mindfulness assistances occupational therapist to progress the therapeutic occupational engagement process with their clients. “Research is confirming that mindfulness improves the functioning of the brain and subjective mental well-being (Reid, 2011).” Mindfulness helps a client be existing in the world while being involved. The essence of mindfulness is attending to intention, which embodies the sense of presence. The intentionality in mindfulness is not purely cognitive, but rather it is about engaging with and responding with a purpose. Being open-minded, curious, compassionate, a reflective thinker, and not holding onto preconceptions are other ways researchers have characterized mindfulness. Mindfulness allows one to be open and live in the world instead of just holding space in the world (Reid,

Three mindfulness interventions scored the highest through a meta-analysis. The three are mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), exposure-based cognitive therapy for depression (EBCT), and acceptance-based behavioral therapy (ABT). Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR). It is a person centered experimental and educational group intervention for participants to live more adapted lives (Klainin & Creedy, 2012). It uses mindfulness training, not judging, patience, beginner's mind, trust, non-striving, acceptance, and letting go. It is an eight-week program that involves mindfulness meditation focusing on moment-to-moment awareness with nonreactive and non-judgmental attitudes. Hatha yoga, body scan, and sitting meditation are several different types of meditations participants practice with this intervention. Exposure based cognitive therapy for depression focuses on creating a healthy lifestyle (Klainin & Creedy, 2012). The EBCT has three phases: stress management, activation/exposure, and consolidation and positive growth. Acceptance based behavioral therapy (ABT) emphasizes on promoting present moment awareness, encouraging acceptance, learning practicing adapted skills, and engaging in actions. The program aims to maintain and enhance adaptive behaviors by using self-monitoring, mindfulness exercise, behavioral assignments, and psychoeducation (Klainin & Creedy,