Mindfulness and Decision‐Making Style: Predicting Career Thoughts and Vocational Identity

Abstract

Mindfulness has been a focus of psychological research and practice in recent decades. Yet, there is limited research on the relationship between mindfulness and vocational decision‐making. This study’s purpose was to examine the role of mindfulness in a career context by investigating the relationships among mindfulness, decision‐making style, negative career thoughts, and vocational identity. The sample included 258 undergraduate students (204 women, 54 men) at a large southeastern U.S. university. Mindfulness was significantly (p < .01) associated with fewer negative career thoughts, external and thinking‐based decision‐making styles, and higher vocational identity. Multiple regression procedures found that mindfulness, coupled with decision‐making style, accounted for 31% of the variance in negative career thoughts and 22% of the variance in vocational identity. These findings suggest that more holistic career counseling interventions could incorporate mindfulness techniques to help reduce anxiety and negative thoughts while increasing self‐clarity and problem‐solving skills. Future research could include more diverse samples, additional constructs (e.g., choice volition, self‐efficacy), and a pretest–posttest design to examine the efficacy of mindfulness‐based career interventions.

From Role Conflict to Job Burnout: A Mediation Model Moderated by Mindfulness

“…Therefore, practitioners can introduce mindfulness programs in order to provide employees with resources to handle occupational stressors such as role conflict. Previously, mindfulness has been suggested as a coping skill to handle employment uncertainty (Jacobs & Blustein, 2008), to alleviate career anxiety (Pisarik, Rowell, & Thompson, 2017), and to reduce negative career thoughts (Galles et al, 2019). Our results expand the known benefits of mindfulness by suggesting that it can also reduce the impact of role conflict on burnout.…”

“…Indeed, several studies have examined positive effects of mindfulness on occupational health among workers (i.e., Haun, Nübold, & Bauer, 2018; Hülsheger, Alberts, Feinholdt, & Lang, 2013). For example, mindfulness reduced negative career thoughts (Galles, Lenz, Peterson, & Sampson, 2019).…”

Vocational Identity Resources in Emerging Adulthood: Associations With Facets of Dispositional Mindfulness

“…DM has been observed to be positively associated with vocational identity, rational decision‐making style, and an internal/independent decision‐making style and negatively correlated with negative career thoughts (Galles et al, 2019). Our findings, which are based on a life‐span measure of vocational identity (i.e., the VIM) and the five‐facet model of DM, are consistent with results of Galles et al's (2019) study.…”

Do Career Decidedness and Career Distress Influence Psychological and Subjective Wellbeing? The Mediating Role of Mindfulness

“…This study was conducted because it was thought that SWB and PWB of individuals would be positively affected by ensuring these developments in the process of making a career decision and continuing the career. It is known that mindfulness is associated with positive career thoughts, and the use of holistic career counseling interventions including mindfulness practices is recommended (Galles et al, 2019). In addition, mindfulness exercises can be taught to help individuals to cope with negative thoughts they feel due to their concerns for the future and career instability (Jacobs & Blustein, 2008).…”