The effect of online mindfulness training on connectedness to oneself, to others and to nature in students

TL;DR

An online mindfulness program improved students' well-being and connection to nature, but not all aspects of mental health.

Contribution

This study shows that online mindfulness training can enhance specific transformative qualities like self-compassion and connectedness to nature.

Findings

Mindfulness training improved self-compassion and connectedness to nature significantly.

The training predicted reduced stress and increased flourishing in participants.

Not all well-being measures improved, suggesting the need for further research on moderators.

Abstract

These days, students experience a significant amount of stress at university. According to the planetary health concept, internal transformative qualities, such as connectedness, may be essential for enhancing individual well‐being and promoting sustainable behaviour.

This randomised controlled study investigated whether online mindfulness training can enhance well‐being and connectedness. One hundred seventy‐three students completed measurements of stress reduction, flourishing, state mindfulness, self‐compassion, prosociality and connectedness to nature before and after the 8‐week training or the waiting time. The analyses of variances showed a significant improvement in mindfulness (F[1, 170] = 5.116, p < .05, partial η
2 = .029), connectedness to nature (F[1, 171] = 6.838, p < .05, partial η
2 = .038) and self‐compassion (F[1, 171] = 11.019, p < .01, partial η
2 = .061) in the mindfulness group compared to the control group but not in the other dependent measurements. Furthermore, the improvement in self‐compassion and mindfulness from the pretest to the posttest predicted 35.7% and 33.9%, respectively, of the reduction in perceived stress and improvement in flourishing.

Since the mindfulness training only improved some aspects of transformative qualities, it is necessary to investigate the moderators of the relation between mindfulness, internal transformative qualities and sustainable behaviour and attitudes in greater depth.

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