The Contribution of Long-Term Mindfulness Training on Personal and Professional Coping for Teachers Living in a Conflict Zone: A Qualitative Perspective

Abstract

It has been suggested that mindfulness training can provide teachers with coping mechanisms and influence their perceptions of self and others. However, how does mindfulness help teachers cope in a stressful security situation both as Israeli citizens who live in a war zone and as teachers who are responsible for their students’ lives? Fifteen female teachers, who lived and worked in the western Negev and who had completed two-years of mindfulness training, were interviewed. Interviewees reported that their coping skills had been heightened as result of being able to put aside intrusive thoughts and feelings that used to paralyze them and to focus on active coping, centered on what they needed to do promptly. Most also noted a more accepting attitude of themselves, without self-criticism or blame for what they should have or should not have done when facing the stressful situation. In relation to their students, they were more accepting of the behaviors and emotions expressed by their students and reported being more compassionate. The results will be discussed through the prism proposed by Lazarus and Folkman (1991). Educational implications of the outcomes of mindfulness training for those living in areas under the shadow of war will be suggested.

Salutogenesis and Coping: Ways to Overcome Stress and Conflict

“…Tal Litvak-Hirsch and Alon Lazar [ 13 ] explore long-term mindfulness training and its contribution to personal and professional coping among teachers living in a conflict zone. These authors present their findings from a qualitative study conducted in the Western Negev region of Israel.…”