Finding presence during a pandemic: a qualitative analysis of participation in an Irish University online mindfulness practice during the COVID-19 emergency

Introduction

Mindfulness is a contemplative practice which is now widely accepted to improve coping skills, (Chiesa & Serretti, 2006; Kabat-Zinn, 2013), emotional regulation (Chambers et al., 2009) mental/physical health, cognitive performance (Goldberg et al., 2021) and to reduce emotional distress (Hofmann et al., 2010). It is defined as the awareness that arises from paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgmentally (Kabat-Zinn, 2013; Kabat-Zinn, 2021). With this practice, the participant is guided to cultivate attention of the body, mind and environment just as it is in each moment. Practicing mindfulness allows attention to be directed to the present moment experience with acceptance and less emotional reactivity (Chambers et al., 2009; Kabat-Zinn, 2013; Kabat-Zinn, 2021). Bringing awareness to what is present in each moment helps to gain an understanding of how we perceive ourselves and the world. Strengthening this practice of mindful attention and observation to what is in the present moment can help to shift attention from unhelpful patterns of mental activity like worry and rumination and reveal a new understanding of what we are experiencing, be it wanted or unwanted, comfortable or uncomfortable.

Without developing a self-awareness, recurring feelings of stress and fear result in a state of anxiety. This can become more stable overtime with more enduring characteristics and patterns of behaviour that form a trait of anxiety. The individual then commonly reports negative emotions such as worry, fear and anxiety in many daily experiences and life.

Practicing a more mindful way of being invites moment to moment awareness, revealing habitual ways of being, thinking and reacting, and the effect this has on us. Thus, the practice can help to open up important questions and help to produce insight. For example, how do we experience difficult emotions? What are unhelpful habits and behaviours? What way do we experience stressful situations? Allowing this observation builds capacity to see our current ways of being, thinking and reacting and the effect it has on how we meet and experience difficulties. Insights from this honest exploration can strengthen resilience during uncertainty and adversity (Chambers et al., 2009; Chiesa & Serretti, 2006; Kabat-Zinn, 2013).

Mindfulness can be practiced in two main ways-formal and informal. Formal relates to practicing mindfulness meditation and not doing something else at the same time. The informal practice of mindfulness means to be present and attentive while we are going about other activities and it brings awareness into existing routines and everyday life. The ability to be mindful in daily life (informal practice) can be developed from the formal practice of mindfulness meditation and also informally through the conscious choice of bringing attention into this moment of now. When the mind is not engaged with the present moment then it tends to activate the brain’s default circuits (Brewer et al., 2011) which are commonly active during rumination and worry and therefore leave a person vulnerable to depression and anxiety. Formal and informal mindfulness (Hanley et al., 2015) practice help to switch off this default mental activity. With consistent practice over time of the formal and informal practice of mindfulness creates neuroplastic changes within the brain causing reorganisation of the brain’s connections based on experience, giving rise to the experienced benefits of mindfulness (Hölzel et al., 2011).

The generally high rates of anxiety, stress and depression in the community has led to a high level of demand for mindfulness training in recent years. This demand increased when the pandemic swept across the globe from 2020.

In March 2020, the global health pandemic of Corona Virus 2019 (COVID-19) was declared (World Health Organisation Coronavirus Disease Advice for the Public). In response to the initial outbreak in Wuhan (Hubei, China) and the spread of outbreaks across Europe and the United States, a series of preventative public health measures were implemented to reduce rates of transmission including social distancing and lockdowns which significantly impacted on the communities causing loss of freedom, financial insecurity, health fears and social isolation for many. As a result, during this unprecedented time, changes in people’s wellbeing and mental health were predicted (Campion et al., 2020; Xiang et al., 2020) and identified (Otu et al., 2020; Reger et al., 2020; Wang et al., 2020).

Historically for communities effected by an epidemic, the psychological impact can persist for individuals and have a subsequent influence on the mental health of an individual (Kelly, 2020).

While the societal and economic impact of lockdowns, social distancing and quarantine created considerable upheaval and uncertainty in peoples’ lives, the loss of human contact is associated with an increase in psychological distress, including anxiety and depression (Brooks et al., 2020; Leigh-Hunt et al., 2017; Otu et al., 2020; Santini et al., 2020; Wang et al., 2020).

At a time when experts were still learning about this virus, many frightening depictions of the pandemic were portrayed in the media, which added to a generalised sense of fear and anxiety (Tasnim et al., 2020).

Ireland’s first lockdown was in March 2020, which became one of the longest cumulative lockdowns in Europe (NPHET, 2021). Two further lockdowns were implemented in August and December 2020. To date, as of March 2022 Ireland has been reported to have 1704,502 cases and 8708 deaths attributable to this virus (John Hopkins, University of Medicine, COVID-19 Virus Resource Centre).

Ireland has faced the same challenges during imposed lockdowns and during the pandemic as other nations, including the effect on psychological wellbeing (Burke et al., 2020; Stafford et al., 2021).

In response to the change and distress that many faced during this time of the COVID-19 pandemic, a twice weekly online practice of mindfulness meditation was delivered to staff, students and also for the wider community outside of the University of Galway.

This twice weekly practice offered a regular mindfulness meditation, and this was delivered in the context of what was happening during this time; this being living with the changes and preventative measures during the pandemic in Ireland.

The aim of this study is to examine the effect of the offered regular online practice of mindfulness meditation for participants during the COVID-19 emergency, exploring through qualitative analysis of their own lived experience with this intervention.

Methods

Results

Of the 30 people who participated in this intervention, six agreed to be interviewed after five months of the regular online practice of mindfulness.

The mean age of the participants was 56 years, with four female and two males making up the participant group. The average number of sessions attended was 14, with 40 sessions being offered over the 5 months period. Participant characteristics are presented in Table 1.

On analysis of each of these personal accounts, four themes were identified as being common across the six participants.

Discussion

This study explored the experience of staff, students and the public outside of the Universirty of Galway that took part in a twice weekly online practice of a mindfulness meditation. This was delivered during the first lockdown (March-May 2020) implemented in Ireland due to the pandemic (NPHET, 2021). From participating in this regular practice at this time, participants reported improved self-awareness, stress management and emotional regulation. Along with this participants reported the felt sense of empathy and compassion and also a sense of connection from attending this practice.

The benefits of mindfulness are well established, having beneficial effects in improving wellbeing, promoting good mental health and improving stress-related illnesses (Chiesa & Serretti, 2006; Hofmann et al., 2010). The findings in this study support the positive findings related to mindfulness.

With technological advances and the displacement secondary to quarantine restrictions during the pandemic and now hybrid models of working, many mindfulness programs are delivered now in an online format; either synchronously or asynchronously (Loucks et al., 2021). The positive effects from this online intervention delivered from the university are in keeping with the findings of a metanalysis of randomised controlled trials studying the effectiveness of online mindfulness meditation to help promote mental health, reducing stress, anxiety, and depression (Spijkerman et al., 2016). Similarly, a study carried out in Italy during the initial outbreaks of COVID-19 in Europe looked at the effects of online mindfulness meditation practice offered to female teachers during this time. This study showed that this practice was associated with the promotion of good mental health for participants during this difficult of the pandemic (Matiz et al., 2020).

In this study participants became aware of the stress that was present in their lives during this extraordinary time of the announcement of the pandemic with the subsequent life changes that came about following the advised lockdown. Anxiety and fear stemming from the sudden changes in life in this unprecedented time and uncertainty for the future contributed to this stress, leading to rumination, worry and irritability. These findings support other studies, that predicted and identified what the effects were from the pandemic for the mental health of individuals (Brooks et al., 2020; Ettman et al., 2020; Killgore et al., 2020). Through this formal practice of mindfulness meditation, participants reported how developing self-awareness helped them to recognise the relationship to stress and their response to stress. The development of self-awareness that comes from mindfulness helps the individual to recognise how we perceive. This is well described in Kabat Zinn’s Full Catastrophe Living (2009). Mindfully observing what is occurring within when we encounter any experience (stimulus) and the thoughts, feelings, impulses and action that may then come about (response). Developing a conscious awareness of the present fosters acceptance of what is in the now and the choices we have in each moment.

In this study, participants reported that self-awareness of the difficulties faced and acceptance of the feelings of uncertainty relating to health, safety and existential fears helped mitigate feelings of panic and loss of control. Similarly, without mindful awareness, the process of observing and responding is often replaced by reacting, which reflects much of the stress experienced in modern day life, which predates the pandemic. This concurs with the growing body of evidence supporting how mindfulness changes the relationship to stressors in life, having a subsequent positive effect on health behaviours (Sala et al., 2021) and stress-related health (Epel et al., 2009; Greeson & Chin, 2019; Kuyken et al., 2016; McEwen, 2004; Ong et al., 2014; Rosenkranz et al., 2013). With the stress experienced in daily life, many of the responses to stress become conditioned, resulting in what is known as the automatic pilot (Goleman & Davidson, 2017). In an environment where stress is perceived regularly, the automatic pilot is immediate and occurs without due consideration or autonomy. Commonly this results in what is known as living in a default mode of stress. With the automatic pilot, there is less awareness within the individual of the interaction between the stimulus and the response. Participants in this study described how with the practice of mindfulness their patterns of response changed over time and despite an awareness of stress, they were able to choose healthier ways of responding. In the absence of self-awareness, the individual’s response to difficulty and adversity can give rise to recurring feelings of stress and fear, perpetuating further a state of anxiety. To mitigate stress and the negative effects of this, mindfulness offers an effective solution (Chiesa & Serretti, 2006; Kabat-Zinn, 2013).

In the study, development of self-awareness appeared then to be associated with emotional regulation during this difficult time. The practice of mindfulness helps to build emotional regulation within an individual, leading to better coping skills and an improved sense of wellbeing (Chambers et al., 2009; González-García et al., 2016; Hofmann & Asmundson, 2008).

As participants showed a conscious awareness of the difficulties life posed for them in this global pandemic and the stress that was experienced, this awareness brought acceptance of what was present at that time. This presence of mind and acceptance, allowed participants to consider how they responded within themselves, to their family, friends and work and to the situation they now faced. In effect, the development of this awareness, showed the participants the choices that are present in each moment, choosing how to respond to what is, instead of automatically reacting. Participants in this study showed improved coping mechanisms and a sense of letting-go of what is out of their control.

The practice of mindfulness can be strengthened and improved upon over time through practice and commitment (Kabat-Zinn, 2013). For the individual this practice must be acceptable to them with a belief in the benefit that comes from this practice. For some, engagement and commitment to nurturing mindfulness into daily life comes after a life event which involved considerable stress, with the individual understanding the harmful effects of stress based on their own lived experience.

Mindfulness meditation helped participants of this study to build an understanding of the present moment experience. Emotional regulation comes from recognition of the current emotional state, knowing previous ways of reacting and then choosing to respond from a place of presence.

Participants in this study reported an awareness of others during this time of the pandemic and the feelings that others likely experienced during this challenging time. In this way the practice of mindfulness developed an awareness initially for the individual’s own experience and response and then helped to orientate this awareness interpersonally, becoming then more aware of the other person and their experience. Participants revealed in the interviews an intentional concern for others during this time and for their wellbeing. Innate qualities of understanding, kindness and compassion are expressed with the presence of mind and emotional regulation that comes from the practice of mindfulness. Empathy, empathetic concern and compassion have been shown to improve mental health by reducing perceived psychological stress (Arch et al., 2014; Luo et al., 2019). Along with developing self-awareness, cultivating compassion and empathy has been of interest to navigate the difficult times that the pandemic has brought (Khoury, 2020).

A group identity formed among the participants of this online practice of mindfulness meditation. Participants reported a sense of connection, being part of a larger community of people during this time of social distancing. This inspired further engagement in the twice weekly delivered practiced. This finding suggests a real sense of common humanity among participants that wished to deepen and extend their mindfulness practice during this extraordinary time of the COVID-19 pandemic. Reduced access to healthcare during the COVID-19 emergency has been reported, with people looking for ways to improve their mental and physical health (Loucks et al., 2021). While mindfulness is not a replacement for access to healthcare, engaging in the practice as a community and individually can be helpful to reduce the effect of life stressors.

This research has some limitations however. The participants in this study self-selected by volunteering to participate. Given this, it is unknown what the effect of this mindfulness meditation was for those that did not self-select to be part of this study. Noteworthy also is the fact that the sample size overall is small and this may not be representative of the group. As this is a qualitative form of research, use of a quantitative measures such as a validated self-report scales and stress biomarkers could offer another perspective on the impact of mindfulness meditation further. Participants of this study also were from professional backgrounds. It has been suggested that some studies of mindfulness based interventions oversample a distinct group, that being of a white, middle-aged and educated background from countries of higher incomes (Loucks et al., 2021). Inclusion of diverse backgrounds and marginalised groups as participants could offer further insight on the effect of mindfulness based interventions. These are groups that are disadvantaged socioeconomically and are likely to be affected by the pandemic the most.

Finally, it would also be interesting to include a control group in this study. The control group would not attend this online practice of mindfulness meditation but may be facilitated with another non-mindfulness based intervention that may account for the perceived benefits found in this study.

However, despite these limitations, this is a study from a university setting in Ireland that highlighted through qualitative interviews the benefits of a regular online mindfulness meditation during the COVID-19 emergency.

Conclusion

This study has shown that during the difficult time of the COVID-19 pandemic, an online mindfulness meditation led to better wellbeing. The qualities that came from this intervention gave rise to improved wellbeing were improved stress management, emotion regulation, empathy and compassion and also building social connection amongst people who took part in this regular practice.

These findings provide a rationale for developing further opportunities for mindfulness training for staff in the workplace, with development of further online resources. Further studies are required to extend these initial findings and study the development of online mindfulness resources.