Mindfulness in Politics: A Qualitative Study on Mindfulness Training in the UK Parliament

Abstract

Objectives While mindfulness in the workplace has received substantial scientific attention in the past decades, it is not yet well-understood if, under what circumstances, and in what ways mindfulness training may be helpful for individuals working in political environments. The aim of this study was to explore the experience of mindfulness training among British politicians, as well as mindfulness facilitators who had taught mindfulness to politicians in the UK Parliament. Method Between September and November 2021, semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with British politicians (n = 18) who had experience of mindfulness training and mindfulness facilitators (n = 4) who had taught mindfulness to politicians in the UK Parliament. The interview material was analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results Two main themes related to the experience of mindfulness training in politics were developed during the analytic process: (1) mindfulness approaches addressing particular challenges in political work, and (2) mindfulness sessions and group dynamics. Taken together, mindfulness training helped the politicians to better deal with the demands and stresses of political work, to reconnect with themselves and be more grounded, and – especially when taught in a group setting – to relate to other politicians and their viewpoints in a more humane and constructive way. Conclusions The results suggest that mindfulness training can be beneficial at both the personal and professional level for individuals working in political contexts, which can provide a rationale for governments to introduce mindfulness-based programs to politicians.

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“…It is defined as a comprehensive awareness of current experiences and non-evaluative acceptance, further delineated into four primary components: awareness, sustained attention, focus on the present and non-judgmental acceptance (Zhang et al ., 2017). Even in the political sphere, mindfulness training proves beneficial for individuals working in political environments, offering advantages on both personal and professional levels (Simonsson et al ., 2023).…”