Work Engagement and Well-being Study (SWELL): a randomised controlled feasibility trial evaluating the effects of mindfulness versus light physical exercise at work.
BMJ mental health February 28, 2024 Maris Vainre, Tim Dalgleish, Peter Watson et al. 1 citation
A randomized trial tested whether a 4-week, self-guided, online mindfulness-based programme could improve work performance compared with a light physical exercise programme among 241 employees from eight employers. Both interventions were highly acceptable, and most participants started the course. The mindfulness programme offered negligible benefits for work performance at both post-intervention and 12-week follow-up. Both interventions improved mental health outcomes, but differences between them were small. The trial was feasible, but results provide little support for a later-phase trial comparing the two approaches, suggesting mindfulness programmes are unlikely to improve work performance beyond light physical exercise.