Impact of Mindfulness on Stress, Anxiety, and Flow - Case Study Example

Impact of mindfulness on stress, anxiety and flow Name: Tutor: Course: Date: Abstract The aim of this study was to find out whether greater mindfulness is correlated to increased flow experience and lowered perceived levels of stress as well as anxiety. A total of 284 athletic students from the University of New South Wales were administered with online questionnaires with scale items measuring the various variables. The measurements were basically through a Likert scale that offered a range of test scores and measures of reliability. The study showed that there are no statistically significant gender differences on mindfulness. Similarly, it obtained that there is a statistically significant correlation between mindfulness and the perceptions of stress, anxiety, and flow. Increased mindfulness is associated with increases in flow of experiences and reduction in perceived stress, depression and anxiety. The implication of this study is that increased mindfulness training through athletic training exercises increases mindfulness and concentration. 1.0 Introduction Mindfulness has dominated health and well-being discourse and research in the recent past. As such, many researchers have attempted to link it to certain levels of stress, anxiety and flow (Bergin & Pakenham, 2016; Scotte-Hamilton, Brown & Schutte, 2016; Scotte-Hamilton & Schutte, 2016). Nonetheless, involving oneself in sporting activities is one way of increasing mindfulness and flow experience while reducing anxiety. Mindfulness is not only the unique quality of consciousness but also purposely paying attention non-judgmentally in the present moment. According to Lazarus and Folkman (1984), stress is the relationship between the environment and the person and is perceived by the latter as endangering well-being, exceeding resources and is taxing. Meanwhile, anxiety is an emotional response linked to the reactivity of the stressor-evoked cortisol in a high stress condition (Brown et al., 2012). As well, flow is the sense of enjoyment and effortlessness due to the perceived feeling of unity between the mind and the body (Scott-Hamilton, et al., 2016). A significant progress has been made to establish relationships between mindfulness, anxiety, stress and flow. While mindfulness is developed through practice and formal training, higher dispositional mindfulness is related to greater well-being, and reduced anxiety and depression. Also, perceived stress is negatively correlated to personal growth and life satisfaction but positively correlated to the symptoms of anxiety and depression (Bergin & Pakenham, 2016). Similarly, experience of flow is increased through mindfulness training especially among athletes (Scott-Hamilton & Schutte, 2016). Achieving flow may be difficult when one is anxious because it disrupts concentrated attention and invokes a negative self-conscious focus. From the above literature, it indicates that greater mindfulness is associated with greater flow, and reduced anxiety and stress. In addition, mindfulness is correlated with lowered depression levels, life satisfaction, optimal feelings of deep engagement and enhanced well-being. The aim of this study is to find out whether greater mindfulness is correlated to increased flow experience and lowered perceived levels of stress as well as anxiety. 1.1 Research question Is greater mindfulness associated with reduced perceived stress, anxiety, and greater flow? 1.2 Hypotheses H01: There is no statistically significant correlation between mindfulness and the perceptions of stress, anxiety, and flow. H02: There are no statistically significant gender differences on mindfulness 2.0 Methods 2.1 Participants The study sampled a population of both males and females with ages ranging between 18 and 65 years visiting the Millennium Fitness Sports Center at The University of New South Wales. Age was recorded in years while gender was entered as male and female. The participants were informed about the study and asked to fill a Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) which required recording of experiences and observations. 2.2 Measures The study measured mindfulness, flow, perceived stress and anxiety. Mindfulness was measured using the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) consisting of 39 items for non-judging of inner experience and non-reactivity to inner experience, observing, describing and acting with awareness. Scores ranged from 39 to 195. On flow, a 36-item Dispositional Flow Scale-2 (DFS-2) was used to measure person’s experiences of flow in sport. It was assessed on a 5-point Likert scale of nine separate flow dimensions. Meanwhile, perceived stress used the perceived stress scale (PSS) to determine situations, feelings and thoughts an individual finds stressful within a month. It contained a 10-item on measured in a 5-point Likert scale. Also, anxiety was measured using the Depression anxiety and stress scale (DASS-21) based on a 7-item anxiety scale. The observation was set for a period of a month on a 4-point Likert scale so as to show the frequency and severity of experiencing negative emotions. 2.3 Procedures Data was collected using an online questionnaire from sporting students from The University of New South Wales. The sporting club e-mailed an ad of the study to the target students including the electronic learning portal to the department of physical sciences and sports. Being a voluntary participation, the inclusion criteria were based on current enrolment of Bachelor and Post Graduate students of Physical Sciences and Sports program. Since the number of university students accessing the portal could not be determined, accurate response rates could not be monitored. As such, there were no exclusion criteria. 3.0 Results A total of 284 respondents successfully filled the online questionnaire. Higher FFMQ scores demonstrated higher levels of mindfulness and showed internal consistency range of 0.75-0.91 and each of the five FFMQ facets had coefficient alpha of 0.85. The scores of flow ranged from 36 to 180 with good internal consistency for the DFS-2 scales were 0.94 for the range of 0.88 to 0.95. The PSS scores ranged between 10 and 50 with good internal consistency of 0.84 for the alpha ranges of between 0.84 and 0.86. Meanwhile, the anxiety measured on a 7-item anxiety subscale had higher summed scores within a range of 7 and 28. The results were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics as shown in the table below. The first table shows the Mean and Standard Deviation as well as Independent Sample t-test Differences. The differences show Male and Female groups on Mindfulness, Anxiety, Perceived Stress, and Flow. Table 1: Descriptive statistics Males (n=205) Females (n=79) Variable M SD M SD t-tests for Difference Mindfulness 126.86 19.95 125.21 19.68 t(282) = .63, p = .532 Anxiety 28.40 7.18 28.30 7.74 t(282) = .10, p = .921 Stress 11.28 3.82 11.03 3.79 t(282) = .48, p = .629 Flow 128.58 19.78 127.03 17.83 t(282) = .61, p = .545 From the table above, it is evident that there was no significant differences for p Read More

In addition, mindfulness is correlated with lowered depression levels, life satisfaction, optimal feelings of deep engagement and enhanced well-being. The aim of this study is to find out whether greater mindfulness is correlated to increased flow experience and lowered perceived levels of stress as well as anxiety. 1.1 Research question Is greater mindfulness associated with reduced perceived stress, anxiety, and greater flow? 1.2 Hypotheses H01: There is no statistically significant correlation between mindfulness and the perceptions of stress, anxiety, and flow.

H02: There are no statistically significant gender differences on mindfulness 2.0 Methods 2.1 Participants The study sampled a population of both males and females with ages ranging between 18 and 65 years visiting the Millennium Fitness Sports Center at The University of New South Wales. Age was recorded in years while gender was entered as male and female. The participants were informed about the study and asked to fill a Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) which required recording of experiences and observations. 2.2 Measures The study measured mindfulness, flow, perceived stress and anxiety.

Mindfulness was measured using the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) consisting of 39 items for non-judging of inner experience and non-reactivity to inner experience, observing, describing and acting with awareness. Scores ranged from 39 to 195. On flow, a 36-item Dispositional Flow Scale-2 (DFS-2) was used to measure person’s experiences of flow in sport. It was assessed on a 5-point Likert scale of nine separate flow dimensions. Meanwhile, perceived stress used the perceived stress scale (PSS) to determine situations, feelings and thoughts an individual finds stressful within a month.

It contained a 10-item on measured in a 5-point Likert scale. Also, anxiety was measured using the Depression anxiety and stress scale (DASS-21) based on a 7-item anxiety scale. The observation was set for a period of a month on a 4-point Likert scale so as to show the frequency and severity of experiencing negative emotions. 2.3 Procedures Data was collected using an online questionnaire from sporting students from The University of New South Wales. The sporting club e-mailed an ad of the study to the target students including the electronic learning portal to the department of physical sciences and sports.

Being a voluntary participation, the inclusion criteria were based on current enrolment of Bachelor and Post Graduate students of Physical Sciences and Sports program. Since the number of university students accessing the portal could not be determined, accurate response rates could not be monitored. As such, there were no exclusion criteria. 3.0 Results A total of 284 respondents successfully filled the online questionnaire. Higher FFMQ scores demonstrated higher levels of mindfulness and showed internal consistency range of 0.75-0.91 and each of the five FFMQ facets had coefficient alpha of 0.85. The scores of flow ranged from 36 to 180 with good internal consistency for the DFS-2 scales were 0.

94 for the range of 0.88 to 0.95. The PSS scores ranged between 10 and 50 with good internal consistency of 0.84 for the alpha ranges of between 0.84 and 0.86. Meanwhile, the anxiety measured on a 7-item anxiety subscale had higher summed scores within a range of 7 and 28. The results were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics as shown in the table below. The first table shows the Mean and Standard Deviation as well as Independent Sample t-test Differences. The differences show Male and Female groups on Mindfulness, Anxiety, Perceived Stress, and Flow.

Table 1: Descriptive statistics Males (n=205) Females (n=79) Variable M SD M SD t-tests for Difference Mindfulness 126.86 19.95 125.21 19.68 t(282) = .63, p = .532 Anxiety 28.40 7.18 28.30 7.74 t(282) = .10, p = .921 Stress 11.28 3.82 11.03 3.79 t(282) = .48, p = .629 Flow 128.58 19.78 127.03 17.83 t(282) = .61, p = .

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