Meditation and mindfulness have been shown to reduce burnouts among clinicains and studies are beginning to pay more attention to the benefits of meditation and mindfulness for physicians.
The basic definition of mindfulness is the simple practice of being conscious and present as much as possible. Meditation, as a branch of the mindfulness tree, can informally be defined as using periods of intense focus to hone the skill of being mindful, whether that focus is directed towards only your breath, or a mantra that is repeated for variable amounts of time. The goal of this process is to translate your thoughts more directly into actions in everyday life and be more proactive in dealing with situations in a stable or centered manner.
According to an article on Kevin MD, find the benefits of mindfulness and mediation can include:
Increased gray matter density and cortical thickness in regions of the somatosensory and insular areas have been repeatedly verified. More importantly, these anatomical changes have been shown to be related to psychological and emotional changes resulting in significant reduction of several psychological indices related to worry, state anxiety and depression.
These results can especially be applied to physicians and healthcare professionals who have increased rates of suicide and drug use related to stress. Meditation and mindfulness are showing decreases in stress and helping physicians relax and unwind from the busy lifestyle. Read more on Kevin MD.