Teaching Mindfulness for the Self-Care and Well-Being of Student Affairs Professionals

24/7 student affairs professional : a study of how residence directors make meaning of wellness

“…Workplaces benefit by promoting an environment that values wellness for all staff. While there have been specific efforts to develop effective wellness intervention programs specifically for student affairs administrators to address wellness concerns (Burke, Dye, & Hughey, 2016;Haines et al, 2007;Moxler, 1990), while most programs were deemed successful, the programs focused on individual aspects of wellness, such as physical or emotional, and did not address multiple factors of wellness within one comprehensive program.…”

“…Research focusing on the role of wellness within the context of student affairs has been sparse throughout several decades. Significant existing literature pertaining to the wellness of student affairs professionals depicts that due to the counseling nature of the work of student affairs professionals, along with a large workload, professionals are known not to exercise good wellness, which leads to high levels of stress, poor work-life balance, high burnout, and decreased job satisfaction (Beeler;1988;Beeny, Guthrie, Rhodes, & Terrell, 2005;Burke, Dye, & Hughey, 2016;Carpenter, 2003;Renn, Jessup-Anger, & Doyle, 2008;Sandeen & Barr, 2009).…”

“…Recognizing that wellness is a common issue faced by university professionals, researchers for decades have probed the creation and assessment of wellness programs for faculty and staff (Burke, Dye, & Hughey, 2016;Haines et al, 2007;Moxler, 1990). Haines et al (2007) noted that health promotion programs were developed in benefit of both the employee and employer.…”

“…This study highlighted that while physical wellness is an important factor, tangible improvements to the on-the-job experience and direct interventions to improving job satisfaction are necessary. Burke, Dye, and Hughey (2016) piloted a study focused on improving the emotional well-being of student affairs professionals through the teaching of self-care techniques. The study determined that student affairs professionals' intentional self-care activities to be beneficial to their overall wellness.…”

“…Research has highlighted the importance of the cultivation of a healthy workplace and recognizes that wellness is a common issue faced by higher education professionals. As such, colleges and universities are very involved in the development, promotion, and assessment of wellness programs for faculty and staff (Burke, Dye, & Hughey, 2016;Haines et al, 2007;Moxler, 1990). The literature contends that wellness initiatives not only improve benefits to staff and faculty, but they bring with them lower costs of healthcare paid for by institutions (Buchmueller & Valletta, 2017).…”