Qualifying and Quantifying the Benefits of Mindfulness Practices for IT Workers

TL;DR

This paper addresses high stress and burnout in software engineers and IT workers, evaluating mindfulness via breathwork as a stress-alleviating intervention. It uses an 8-week Rise2Flow program with 90-minute weekly sessions and daily journals to collect quantitative well-being ratings ($610$ entries from $65$ participants; $33$ completed) and qualitative reflections. Quantitative results show an overall increase in well-being and perceived productivity, while thematic analysis reveals changes in self-management, resilience, and workplace experiences. The study suggests potential industry benefits but notes limitations in sample size and external validity, pointing to in-house trials and broader breathwork mindfulness experiments as future work.

Abstract

The well-being and productivity of IT workers are crucial for both individual success and the overall prosperity of the organisations they serve. This study proposes mindfulness to alleviate stress and improve mental well-being for IT workers. During an 8-week program, IT workers learn about mindfulness, coupled with breathing practices. This study investigates the potential effects of these practices by analysing participants' reflections through thematic analysis and daily well-being ratings. The analysis showcased an increase in mental well-being and perceived productivity. It also indicated a change in the participants' perception, which showed increased self-awareness. The study recommends continuing the program in the industry to see its impact on work outputs.

Figures (3)

• Figure 1: Graphic of the first two iterations of the algorithm were the authors compares all weeks to each other, green arrows were the iterations for week 1 and red arrows were for week 2.
• Figure 2: Graphic of the 6 phases of thematic analysis
• Figure 3: Graph of average daily ratings by week