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PreprintCited by 78Mindfulness and Compassion InterventionsCOVID-19 and Mental HealthWorkaholism, burnout, and well-being

Mindfulness buffers the impact of COVID-19 outbreak information on sleep duration.

Open access
Zheng, Michelle Xue, Yao, Jingxian, Narayanan, Jayanth·2020·Frontiers in Psychology
DOI 10.31234/osf.io/wuh94PMC PMC7779584

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Abstract

We examine whether mindfulness can neutralize the negative impact of COVID-19 stressors on employees’ sleep duration and work engagement. In Study 1, we conducted a field experiment in Wuhan, China during the lockdown between February 20, 2020, and March 2, 2020, in which we induced state mindfulness by randomly assigning participants to either a daily mindfulness practice or a daily mind-wandering practice. Results showed that the sleep duration of participants in the mindfulness condition, compared with the control condition, was less impacted by COVID-19 stressors (i.e., the increase of infections in the community). In Study 2, in a 10-day daily diary study in the United Kingdom between June 8, 2020, and June 19, 2020, we replicate our results from Study 1 using a subjective measure of COVID-19 stressors and a daily measure of state mindfulness. In addition, we find that mindfulness buffers the negative effect of COVID-19 stressors on work engagement mediated by sleep duration. As the COVID-19 pandemic is ongoing and the number of reported cases continues to rise globally, our findings suggest that mindfulness is an evidence-based practice that can effectively neutralize the negative effect of COVID-19 stressors on sleep and work outcomes. The findings of the present study contribute to the employee stress and well-being literature as well as the emerging organizational research on mindfulness.

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  • Multiple studies found mindfulness-based practices especially effective for improving sleep quality during the pandemic in the UK, China, Iran, Italy, and the US.

    “Multiple studies indicated that mindfulness-based practices have been particularly efficacious in improving sleep quality during the pandemic in the United Kingdom (Zheng et al., 2020), China (Zheng et al., 2020), Iran (Nourian et al., 2021), Italy (Bossi et al., 2022), and America (Weis et al., 2021).”

    From RESILIENCE, COPING, AND THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ACROSS THE GLOBE – AN UPDATE: WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED? (2023) · cites this paper as Zheng et al., 2020

    The paper studied employees in China and the United Kingdom during the pandemic, but its General Discussion says mindfulness influenced sleep quantity, not sleep quality. Study 2 Results likewise report that mindfulness did not significantly moderate the relationship between COVID-19 stressors and sleep quality. The cited finding therefore does not support the claim that the practices improved sleep quality in those countries. (LLM, conf=0.90)

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  • Mindfulness may strongly improve sleep during the pandemic.

    “perhaps mindfulness may strongly improve sleep during the pandemic (e.g., Zheng et al., 2020)”

    From RESILIENCE, COPING, AND THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ACROSS THE GLOBE – AN UPDATE: WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED? (2023) · cites this paper as Zheng et al., 2020

    Study 1 Results (page unavailable) report that mindfulness practice buffered the loss of sleep duration associated with rising COVID-19 cases. The General Discussion (page unavailable) specifies that the finding concerns sleep quantity, not quality. The citation supports a possible sleep benefit during the pandemic, but not a strong, general improvement in sleep. (LLM, conf=0.86)

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  • There is substantial evidence in adults that trait mindfulness promotes resilience to COVID-19 stressors.

    “There is substantial evidence in adults that trait mindfulness promotes resilience to COVID-19 stressors [46–51].”

    From Mindfulness supports emotional resilience in children during the COVID-19 pandemic (2023) · cites this paper as [51]

    The General Discussion reports that induced or measured state mindfulness buffered the effects of COVID-19 stressors on employees’ sleep duration and work engagement. The studies did not test trait mindfulness, so the trait-specific part of the claim is not supported by this paper. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Online mindfulness training increased employees' sleep duration and work engagement.

    “Furthermore, online mindfulness training proved a reduction of anxiety and depression in Covid-19 patients themselves during isolation41, an increase of resilience in adolescents42, as well as employees’ sleep duration and work engagement43.”

    From Mindfulness-based online intervention increases well-being and decreases stress after Covid-19 lockdown (2022) · cites this paper as [43]

    Study 1’s Procedure describes mindfulness practice delivered through WeChat, and its Results show that the practice buffered the loss of sleep associated with rising COVID-19 cases. Study 2’s Results link higher measured mindfulness to a weaker negative effect of COVID-19 stressors on sleep and work engagement, but Study 2 did not test online training. The paper therefore does not establish that online training increased both outcomes in employees. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • These factors enhance the state of being in contact with one's values, overall well-being, and quality of life.

    “These factors enhance the state of being in contact with one’s values, overall well-being, and quality of life (Khandelwal, 2020; Zheng et al., 2020).”

    From Knowledge of COVID-19 and Its Influence on Mindfulness, Cognitive Emotion Regulation and Psychological Flexibility in the Indian Community (2020) · cites this paper as Zheng et al., 2020

    The General Discussion (page not available in our copy) says mindfulness buffered the effects of COVID-19 stressors on employees’ sleep and work engagement, and describes this as mitigating a negative effect on employee well-being. It does not establish that mindfulness enhances contact with one’s values or overall quality of life. (LLM, conf=0.86)

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Cites

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2 of the 81 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. DeArmond S. Chen P. Y. (2004). The effects of job stressors on workplace sleepiness: A meta-analysis. Unpublished master’s thesis, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado.

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Authors
Zheng, M. X., Yao, J., & Narayanan, J.
Affiliations
  • Universidade Católica Portuguesa (PT)
  • National University of Singapore (SG)
Corresponding author
Narayanan, Jayanth
ORCID
Venue
Frontiers in Psychology
Publisher
Center for Open Science
Published
2020-03-20
Volume
11
Pages
610156-610156
ISSN
1664-1078 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.31234/osf.io/wuh94
PMC
PMC7779584
OpenAlex
W3116801266
Cited by
77
References
81
Citations by year
2025: 1 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 14 · 2022: 22 · 2021: 23 · 2020: 7
FWCI
6.61
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Frontiers in Psychology (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • ePrints Soton (University of Southampton) (acceptedVersion)
  • Singapore Management University Institutional Knowledge (InK) (Singapore Management University) (submittedVersion)
  • National University of Singapore (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • CEIBS Institutional Repository (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Portuguese National Funding Agency for Science, Research and Technology (RCAAP Project by FCT) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • PsyArXiv (OSF Preprints) (submittedVersion, public-domain)
  • PsyArXiv (OSF Preprints) (submittedVersion)
Funders
National University of Singapore (Tier 1)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › COVID-19 and Mental Health
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Workaholism, burnout, and well-being
Keywords
mindfulness, COVID-19 stressors, work engagement, sleep duration, buffering effect, mind wandering, occupational stress, employee well-being, COVID-19 lockdown, mediation

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