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1juliette.sleilaty@ucalgary.ca 

Emerging	Perspectives		
ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca		

	

The	Impacts	of	a	Regular	Mindfulness	Practice	on	Teachers:		

A	Critical	Review	

	Julie Sleilaty1  
1 Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada  

 

Teaching can be a highly stressful profession and educators have become 
increasingly concerned about their mental health and well-being since the 
beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Recently, mindfulness has emerged in 
the literature as an effective intervention to alleviate educators’ stress levels 
and improve psychological difficulties. The purpose of this literature review 
was to examine the impacts of a regular mindfulness practice on educators. I 
synthesized 40 peer-reviewed studies that were published between 2010 and 
2021 and included a sample of working K-12 educators. The most significant 
and consistent effects of a regular mindfulness practice were reported on 
educators’ overall well-being on psychological measures of stress, anxiety, 
and depression, and on physical health outcomes. Findings also indicated 
strong effects on educators’ emotion-regulation and levels of self-compassion. 
This review concludes by offering specific recommendations for teachers and 
other school-based personnel who are interested in cultivating a personal 
mindfulness practice.  

Keywords: mindfulness, well-being, social and emotional competencies, 
emotion-regulation, prosocial values 

Sleilaty, J. (2022). The impacts of a regular mindfulness practice on teachers: A 
critical review. Emerging Perspectives, 6(1). 32-49. 

 
 Within education, an emphasis on promoting the emotional and mental well-being of 
students has become an issue at the forefront for policy makers, school administrators, educators, 
and parents. While schools are an ideal setting for supporting the mental health of children and 
adolescents, on the frontline of the education system are teachers, whose wellness is often 
overlooked as a critical contributor to the mental, social, emotional, and academic well-being of 
the students in their classroom (Beshai et al., 2016). Teaching has long been considered one of the 
most demanding of the helping professions (Lomas et al., 2017), and perhaps, more so than ever 
before, educators and other school personnel are faced with unprecedented occupational 



 
 
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challenges and demands resulting from the current COVID-19 pandemic. In a recent Teacher 
Mental Health Check-In Survey conducted by the Canadian Teachers’ Federation (CTF/FCE, 
2020), 69% of respondents indicated that they are increasingly worried about their personal mental 
health, well-being, and ability to cope with heavy workloads. Additionally, teachers reported 
increased levels of unhappiness and frustration with their work conditions and environment. 
Although these findings are not surprising given the present circumstances, there remains a lack 
of policies, supports, funds, and resources in place to adequately meet the emotional and mental 
health needs of teachers. 

To address this problem, mindfulness has emerged within educational settings as an 
effective tool for promoting social and emotional well-being, reducing psychological distress, and 
improving self-regulation skills among students and educators (Renshaw & Cook, 2017). The most 
cited definition of mindfulness in the literature is by Kabat-Zinn (2003), who describes it as “the 
awareness that emerges through paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and 
nonjudgmentally to the unfolding of experience moment by moment” (p. 145). An alternative, 
more operational definition was proposed by Bishop et al. (2004) who outlined a two-component 
mindfulness framework that includes “the self-regulation of attention so that it is maintained on 
immediate experience … [and] adopting a particular orientation towards one’s experiences in the 
present moment … characterized by curiosity, openness, and acceptance” (p. 232). Both 
definitions, with their focus on present moment awareness, acceptance of experiences, and 
attention regulation, set the foundation for this review. 

Drawing on the key principles of the interpretivist research paradigm, with its emphasis on 
knowledge as a social construct and understood in the context within which it occurs (Kivunja & 
Kuyini, 2017), the purpose of this traditional literature review is to examine the impact of 
mindfulness on outcomes related to educators, to extend and interpret the existing body of 
research, and to make recommendations for future practice. This review was guided by the 
following question: What are the effects of a regular mindfulness practice on teachers? Given the 
ongoing need for readily accessible mental health supports for educators and the growing literature 
on mindfulness in education, I felt that this was a timely issue that warranted further exploration. 
I approached this research through the lens of both an educator and a mindfulness practitioner. I 
began practicing mindfulness regularly to cope with symptoms related to panic and anxiety and I 
have since implemented mindfulness techniques with my second-grade students. My personal 
context has certainly influenced my research choice; however, I took a critical approach to 
examining the literature selected for this paper. This review begins by acknowledging the origin 
of the term mindfulness, outlines a theoretical framework, and provides a brief commentary on 
mindfulness-based interventions in current educational settings. This is followed by an 
examination of the effects of a regular mindfulness practice on teachers. I further aim to address a 
gap in the literature by providing recommendations for educators who are interested in cultivating 
a personal mindfulness practice. 
 

Theoretical Framework 
 

Rooted in early Buddhist traditions, mindfulness originated from the Pali language word 
“sati,” translating literally as “to remember”, although it more commonly signifies a state of 
conscious awareness and attention (Brown et al., 2007). Mindfulness is inherently a way of being 
that encompasses the following three elements: intention, understanding the goal for engaging in 
the practice; attention, focusing fully on the present moment; and attitude, the quality of one’s 



 
 
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attention during practice (Shapiro et al., 2016). Contrary to common assumption, the goal of 
engaging in a mindful practice is not to empty the mind of thoughts, but to learn to observe our 
thoughts as they arise. Mindfulness practices can be categorized as either formal or informal, and 
both practices are essential for supporting the other (Shapiro et al., 2016). Formal practices, such 
as focused breathing, body scan exercises, mindful meditation, yoga, and gratitude practices are 
intentional and involve the deliberate training of attention, while purposefully noticing and 
accepting thoughts, feelings, and emotions as they occur. Informal practices involve integrating 
mindful awareness into everyday life activities and routines. Regularly engaging in both formal 
and informal practices enhances the mindfulness capacities of practitioners. 

Levels of individual mindfulness tend to vary and can be considered both a state and a 
trait (Kiken et al., 2015). State mindfulness refers to the state of awareness that occurs during 
formal practice, while trait mindfulness describes the relatively stable and intrinsic dispositional 
changes that occur with consistent practice (Kiken et al., 2015; Wheeler et al., 2017). Those who 
exhibit trait, or dispositional mindfulness, inhabit mindful characteristics beyond the scope of 
formal practice and can skillfully weave mindfulness into daily routines. The cultivation of a 
regular mindfulness practice contributes to increased state mindfulness, subsequently leading to 
the development of dispositional mindfulness over time (Kiken et al., 2015). 

Interest in mindfulness as a secular practice has grown exponentially within western 
society over the last few decades, with the development of two empirically supported clinical 
interventions: mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) and mindfulness-based cognitive 
therapy (MBCT) (Brown et al., 2007). Perhaps the most widely studied mindfulness intervention 
presented in the literature, MBSR was developed in 1979 by Jon Kabat-Zinn, as a group-based 
treatment for adults dealing with chronic pain. Its demonstrated clinical efficacy has been 
influential in the development of recent mindfulness interventions for adults (Cullen, 2011). One 
such program, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), created by Segal and colleagues in 
2002, was originally designed to alleviate depressive symptoms and rate of depressive relapse in 
patients, but is currently used with a broad range of participants in various contexts (Alsubaie et 
al., 2017). This approach combines the elements of MBSR with those of cognitive behavioural 
therapy, a common psychological intervention that focuses on replacing pervasive negative 
thought patterns with more constructive ones (Lomas et al., 2017). Both MBSR and MBCT are 
eight weeks in duration and include various formal, informal, and daily at-home mindfulness 
practices. Empirical evidence supports the effectiveness of both interventions in reducing 
participants’ chronic pain levels and somatic symptoms, decreasing stress, and improving 
psychological outcomes (e.g., Alsubaie et al., 2017; Cullen, 2011).  

The promising findings established in the psychological literature has sparked an interest 
in the field of neuroscience to gain further insight into the effects of mindfulness training on the 
brain. In functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) brain scan studies, experienced 
mindfulness practitioners showed greater cortical thickness and increased activation in the 
frontal lobe areas of the brain responsible for emotional and behavioural regulation, attention, 
memory, and executive functioning (EF) skills such as planning, problem solving, impulse 
control and cognitive flexibility (Meiklejohn et al., 2012). Additionally, the amygdala, the brain 
region responsible for signalling the presence of threat and responding to emotion-triggering 
stimuli, along with the sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the body’s fight or 
flight physiological stress response, were both less activated among regular mindfulness 
practitioners (Meiklejohn et al., 2012; Tang et al., 2015). Interestingly, neural changes in the 
brain occurred almost immediately following the introduction of various mindfulness techniques 



 
 
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to beginning practitioners, suggesting that even minimal exposure to mindfulness can be 
effective in improving brain functioning (Wheeler et al., 2017). These changes can be attributed 
to the concept of neuroplasticity, a construct within neuroscience whereby the brain’s structure 
and function can be altered and strengthened in response to repeated experiences, practice, and 
knowledge, leading to beneficial cognitive outcomes (Meiklejohn et al., 2012). Thus, as a mental 
skill, mindfulness can be developed, trained, and strengthened with consistent practice over time. 

Given the growing body of empirical evidence supporting its positive effects on adult 
practitioners, there has been increased enthusiasm in applying mindfulness with children in 
educational settings, leading to the introduction of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) in 
schools (Renshaw & Cook, 2017). Defined as “any technique that activates mindfulness 
processes for the purposes of improving some targeted outcome” (Renshaw & Cook, 2017, p. 5), 
MBIs often vary in format but most include elements designed to strengthen self-regulation and 
the awareness of thoughts and feelings (Lomas et al., 2017). Various mindfulness curricula have 
been developed for use across K-12 classrooms, and several mindfulness-based organizations 
have been established to train teachers and other school-based personnel in implementing these 
techniques with students (Renshaw & Cook, 2017). Recently, MBIs created specifically for 
teachers, such as CARE (cultivating awareness and resilience in education) and SMART (stress 
managements and relaxation techniques) have been developed, yielding positive results on 
measures related to teacher stress and well-being (Meiklejohn et al., 2012). Although the 
research on mindfulness in education is quickly advancing, more work is required to examine the 
direct impacts of mindfulness practices on educator-related outcomes.  

Method 

A comprehensive literature search was conducted using four electronic databases: ERIC, 
Google Scholar, PsycINFO, and the University of Calgary Online Library. Key search terms 
included: (a) mindfulness and related terms: meditation, mindfulness intervention, mindfulness 
training, regulation, and (b) teachers and related terms: teaching, educator, instructor. Inclusion 
criteria included peer-reviewed, full text articles that were published in English between 2010 
and 2021 and included a sample of working educators in kindergarten through grade 12. 
Participants varied in age, gender, and years of teaching experience. Due to the limited research 
available on MBIs for teachers, I chose to keep the intervention criteria broad, but most included 
components or adaptations of MBSR or MBCT. I determined a regular practice to include the 
completion of a secular mindfulness training program or intervention at least eight weeks or 25 
hours in duration, or the demonstration of strong dispositional mindfulness, as determined by a 
mindfulness measurement scale. All chosen articles met the criterion for a regular practice. 
Literature that exclusively included samples of preschool educators, university instructors, or 
pre-service teachers, and articles published prior to 2010 were excluded from this review.  

Articles were chosen after a preliminary reading of the abstract, method, and discussion 
sections and were then stored and organized in subfolders using the electronic reference 
manager, Zotero. Forty articles fit all inclusion criteria and are included in this critical review. 
While most of the studies are quantitative, three are qualitative, and six included a mixed 
methods design. Self-report measures, questionnaires, and surveys were used as the primary tool 
for data collection, and several studies collected physiological data from participants. The 
selected articles included empirical reviews, meta-analysis, randomized controlled and non-



 
 
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controlled designs, pilot studies, and a case study. Seventeen of the articles included research 
conducted outside of North America. 

A hard copy of selected articles was printed and organized in a research binder according 
to emerging themes. Notes were taken for each paper summarizing the main findings, sample 
size and demographic, design and methods used, intervention details, and strengths and 
weaknesses of the study. Emerging themes and patterns were highlighted using a color-coded 
system and organized in an excel document. I initially extracted several themes from the 
literature which, after consultation with my academic instructor, were later modified to be more 
cohesive. In the end, three main themes and eight related subthemes emerged in the literature 
regarding the effects of a regular mindfulness practice on teachers (as shown in figure 1). 

 
Figure 1 

Emerging Themes from the Literature on Mindfulness for Teachers  

 

Note: This figure outlines the three key themes and eight related sub-themes that emerged from 
the literature on the impacts of mindfulness on teachers. Number of articles used per theme is 
also outlined.  
  



 
 
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Findings 

Improves Overall Well-Being 

Psychological Outcomes (stress, burnout, anxiety, and depression) 

Well-being encompasses three main components: an absence of emotional distress, the 
presence of positive emotions, and high levels of subjective well-being—the emotional and 
cognitive evaluation of one’s life (Lee Duckworth et al., 2005). Recent reviews examining the 
impact of MBIs have consistently demonstrated positive effects on teachers’ overall well-being, 
and mental health related outcomes (e.g., Lomas et al., 2017; Klingbeil & Renshaw, 2018). 
Specifically, mindfulness has been shown to significantly reduce teachers’ psychological distress 
and burnout rate (Flook et al., 2013), improve symptoms of depression and anxiety (Gold et al., 
2010; Todd et al., 2018), and decrease perceived stress levels (Hwang et al., 2019a). In a study 
examining the impact of a mindfulness training program with secondary teachers, Franco et al. 
(2010) reported reduced levels of psychological distress, with the most dramatic improvements 
demonstrated on measures of somatization (the physical expression of emotion), hostility, 
depression, and anxiety. Furthermore, these results remained stable at a four-month follow-up, 
indicating that the mindfulness training produced sustained benefits well after the completion of 
the initial intervention. In contrast, Frank et al. (2015) found no significant intervention effects 
on measures of somatization, anxiety, or depression, although it remains unclear if this was the 
result of participants’ higher levels of functioning at pre-intervention, or whether other factors 
were at play.  

Chronic, unmanaged stress and psychological distress can lead to increasing rates of 
educator burnout. Burnout is the inability to cope with stressors over time and involves 
emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation, and feelings of inadequacy (Jennings & Greenberg, 
2009). Studies have found that higher dispositional mindfulness—cultivated through a regular 
practice—protected against emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation, and the sense of low 
personal accomplishment, thereby reducing educators’ burnout levels (Abenavoli et al., 2013; 
Ma et al., 2021). However, in an investigation on the effects of a mindfulness intervention with 
teachers from two middle class schools in Israel, Tarrasch et al. (2020) reported no significant 
differences in burnout rates. The researchers suggested that this finding may have occurred 
because most of the participants in their study were young teachers working in newer, middle-
class schools, potentially contributing to lower levels of self-reported burnout symptoms at 
baseline. Future mindfulness studies should aim to provide more insight into how teachers’ 
educational context and demographics impact their likelihood of experiencing burnout. 

 Described as the presence of positive and absence of negative emotional experiences in 
the work environment (Braun et al., 2020b), occupational well-being is another crucial 
contributor to teachers’ mental health. In an investigation of the effects of mindfulness on 
teachers’ stress and burnout in a work-related context, Braun et al. (2020b) reported 
improvements in primary teachers’ personal and professional outcomes, including overall well-
being (e.g., mental health and life satisfaction) and occupational health (e.g., professional 
accomplishment and work fulfillment). Interestingly, although mindfulness was associated with 
decreasing educators’ occupational stress and burnout, it was not shown in Roeser et al. (2013) 
to significantly improve the number of stress-related work absences. Future studies aimed at 



 
 
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determining how mindfulness mitigates occupational stress levels could provide valuable 
information for school leaders who hope to reduce the rate of absences among teachers. 

Educators who demonstrate resilience are also shown to be better protected against 
negative psychological and emotional health outcomes (Roeser et al., 2013). In short, the term 
resilience refers to an individual’s ability to recover after a challenging situation (Southwick & 
Charney, 2012). Regular mindfulness practices strengthen educators’ adaptive and resilient stress 
responses by improving affect, cognitive reappraisal, and psychological functioning (Beshai et 
al., 2016). In the first known investigation of the effects of an MBI for teachers impacted by the 
COVID-19 pandemic, Matiz et al. (2020) conducted a quantitative analysis with a sample of 
female educators following the lockdown in Italy. Participants were divided into a low or high 
resilience group based on responses to pre-intervention questionnaires, and engaged in an 8-
week intervention, conducted primarily online. At post-intervention, teachers reported significant 
improvements in anxiety and depression symptomology, and a reduction in emotional 
exhaustion, with those in the low-resilience group experiencing the greatest benefits. This study 
highlights some of the current challenges associated with teaching in a global pandemic and 
suggests that MBIs administered online have the potential to be as effective for strengthening 
resilience as those delivered in-person, an important consideration in our increasingly digital 
world.  

 
Physical Health Outcomes 

Ongoing stress and psychological difficulties can lead to negative long-term physical 
health outcomes, such as cardiovascular disease and impaired immune system functioning (Katz 
et al., 2016). Recent research supports mindfulness as an efficacious practice for improving 
teachers’ physiological regulation of blood pressure and cortisol levels (Harris et al., 2016) and 
in significantly reducing the number and intensity of adverse daily physical symptoms (Jennings 
et al., 2013). In their study examining the physiological impacts of a meditation and emotion 
regulation intervention for teachers, Kemeny et al. (2012) reported improved cognitive processes 
and affect among program participants at post-intervention, with the most significant impacts on 
physiological indicators of well-being. Following an emotion-triggering experiential event 
manufactured by the researchers, teachers in the intervention group demonstrated faster nervous 
system responses and lower blood pressure levels, with positive effects maintained at 5-month 
follow-up. These results indicate that a regular mindfulness practice can improve physical health 
outcomes and prevent stress-related illnesses among educators. 

In addition, participation in MBIs has also been implicated in regulating sleep patterns by 
enhancing both sleep quality and duration, and reducing levels of daytime sleepiness (Crain et 
al., 2017; Frank et al., 2015). In a quantitative study examining the impacts of a MBSR 
intervention with a sample of high school teachers, Frank et al. (2015) found significant benefits 
on measures of sleep quality. Additionally, the researchers reported that all teachers who were 
taking medication to help them fall asleep prior to the intervention no longer relied on this 
measure after program completion. Although encouraging, this finding represented a small 
number of participants and is inconsistent with results from another study that reported no 
significant effects of mindfulness on educators’ sleep outcomes (Harris et al., 2016). Given that 
sleep plays an important role in supporting overall physical and emotional health (Southwick & 
Charney, 2012), it would behoove educational researchers to further investigate whether poor 
sleep and the use of sleep medication is common among teachers, while exploring the role that 



 
 
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mindfulness plays in improving sleep quality and, subsequently, reducing the need for medicinal 
sleeping aids.  

 
Enhances Social and Emotional Competencies 

Self-awareness, emotional regulation, and relationship skills 

Teachers who demonstrate strong social and emotional competence (SEC) are better able 
to cope with the challenges that inevitably arise in a busy classroom environment (Emerson et 
al., 2017). Social emotional competence falls under the umbrella of social and emotional learning 
and involves the ability to recognize and regulate emotions, demonstrate self-awareness, and to 
appreciate the perspective of others (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional 
Learning, 2020). Mindfulness participation allows teachers to slow down and cultivate present-
moment awareness and acceptance, thereby strengthening their capacity for emotion regulation 
and non-reactivity (Berkovich-Ohana et al., 2020; Mackenzie et al., 2020; Reiser & McCarthy, 
2018). Emotion regulation is the ability to observe, evaluate, and manage one’s emotional 
reactions to experiences (Emerson et al., 2017). Teachers who struggle in this area are more 
likely to experience stress and burnout, while those who demonstrate high emotional regulation 
are better able to recognize their thoughts, behaviours, and emotions and can skillfully regulate 
them in different contexts and situations (Jennings & Greenberg, 2009).  

In a mixed-methods study examining the impact of an MBSR training on teachers’ self-
regulation, Rupprecht et al. (2017) found significant improvements on educators’ stress 
management, emotion regulation, and self-efficacy. Surprisingly, levels of work-related 
engagement decreased after the intervention. The researchers speculated that participating in a 
regular mindfulness practice may have increased teachers’ self-regulation to the extent that they 
became more selective of the work demands on which they chose to expend their energy. 
However, given that teacher engagement is crucial for effective instruction, job satisfaction, and 
enhancing the classroom environment (Zarate et al., 2019), more research is needed to determine 
how mindfulness directly impacts educators’ level of work engagement and if this finding can be 
replicated in future studies.  

Although the relationship between educators’ levels of mindfulness and emotional 
regulation has been established in the literature, there remains little information about how this 
practice impacts teachers who experience chronic and extreme life stress in addition to the daily 
demands of the occupation. In a qualitative study examining the impact of a two-year 
mindfulness training program with teachers living in a high conflict zone in Israel, Litvak-Hirsch 
& Lazar (2020) reported increased regulation of fear responses, improved application of 
effective coping skills, and enhanced classroom environments among participants. Although it is 
unclear how much time participants devoted to practicing mindfulness outside of the formal 
sessions, this study indicates that engaging in a long-term mindfulness practice not only 
enhances educators’ ability to regulate strong emotions such as fear, but also provides the skills 
needed to successfully cope in high-stress environments.  

Developing positive and supportive relationships through effective communication, 
boundary-setting, acceptance, and perspective-taking is an essential competency for successful 
teaching and was shown to be strengthened through a regular mindfulness practice (Gouda et al., 
2016; Schnaider-Levi et al., 2017). In a large randomized controlled trial of kindergarten to fifth 
grade teachers working in low socio-economic schools, Jennings et al. (2017) found that, 



 
 
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although no noticeable differences were reported on measures of teacher self-efficacy, those in 
the mindfulness intervention group demonstrated higher levels of emotional supportiveness, 
awareness, and responsiveness to their students’ needs as measured through classroom 
observations. Similarly, Hwang et al. (2019b) reported improved person-centered teaching, 
enhanced student-teacher relationships, and improved student outcomes among educators 
following mindfulness training.  

Positive effects have also been found on teachers’ relationships with colleagues (Matsuba 
& Williams, 2020). In the first known publication examining the impact of an MBI on teachers 
in a developing country, Matsuba & Williams reported improvements in relationship skills, 
greater levels of emotional supportiveness, and increased friendship among a sample of Northern 
Ugandan middle school educators. The authors hypothesized that these findings may be due to 
the group-setting nature of the intervention which allowed teachers to speak freely and openly 
with like-minded peers about their emotions and challenges. Because teaching can be an 
isolating profession, with much of the day spent within the confines of the classroom, 
implementing MBIs with groups of educators, rather than individually, may contribute to the 
overall success of the intervention.  

 
Fosters Prosocial Values  

Self-compassion, empathy, and forgiveness  

Mindfulness practices have been shown to foster educators’ prosocial values, including 
self-compassion, empathy, and forgiveness. Jennings (2015) describes prosocial as the ability to 
promote positive social and emotional experiences within ourselves and among others. Empirical 
studies have established the relationship between mindfulness and educators’ levels of self-
compassion (Emerson et al., 2017; Beshai et al., 2016; Flook et al., 2013). Conceptualized as the 
ability to empathize with one’s suffering with an attitude of warmth, acceptance, and 
understanding (Shapiro et al., 2016), self-compassion can be strengthened by engaging in self-
care. Mindfulness has been shown to strengthen educators’ awareness of their physical and 
emotional needs, allowing them to recognize and give themselves permission to practice self-
care when needed (Schussler et al., 2016; Taylor et al., 2016).  

The enhanced sense of self-compassion following mindfulness participation has also been 
associated with improving teachers’ perceived personal and professional accomplishments (Yuan 
et al., 2020), enhancing work-related conscientiousness (Fabbro et al., 2020), strengthening 
occupational self-compassion within the workplace (Roeser et al., 2013), and increasing positive 
emotions and supportiveness towards others (de Carvalho et al, 2017). However, notable 
inconsistencies on outcomes related to compassion for others were reported in the literature. 
Although high levels of self-compassion and a decreased tendency for over-identification with 
feelings of inadequacy were reported by Mihić et al. (2020), participants’ level of compassion for 
others remained the same at post-test but improved at 6-month follow up. Furthermore, Sharp & 
Jennings (2016) found that teachers demonstrated greater perspective-taking abilities and 
compassion towards their students after completing an MBI, whereas Taylor et al. (2016) 
reported no significant effects on teachers’ compassionate attitudes towards others. A possible 
explanation for these inconsistencies posited in the literature is that developing compassion for 
oneself may be a precursor for expressing authentic compassion towards others (Mihić et al., 



 
 
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2020). However, more insight is needed to determine how mindfulness directly influences 
teachers’ compassionate mind-sets towards themselves and, in turn, towards others. 

A more consistent finding reported in the literature is that a regular mindfulness practice 
increases teachers’ ability to express feelings of empathy towards students, parents, and 
colleagues (Benn et al., 2012; Mackenzie et al., 2020). An investigation of the impacts of a 
mindfulness training program for teachers of students with special needs found that those in the 
intervention group experienced greater levels of mindfulness, self-compassion, and empathy, 
leading to a reduction in stress, increased sense of self-efficacy, and an improved classroom 
climate (Benn et al., 2012). These findings position mindfulness as a particularly beneficial 
practice for special education teachers, allowing them to skillfully address the diverse cognitive 
and behavioural needs of the students in their classroom. In addition to empathy, an educator’s 
ability to cultivate the capacity for forgiveness is essential for establishing a healthy and 
supportive classroom environment. An emotionally complex, multi-faceted process, forgiveness 
can be strengthened through a regular mindfulness practice (Braun et al., 2020a). In an 
exploration of the effects of a mindfulness-based emotional balance (MBEB) intervention on 
teachers’ forgiveness, Braun et al. (2020a) found significant increases on all measures of 
forgiveness, including the ability to forgive colleagues and students, tendency to forgive, and 
context-specific forgiveness. Moreover, all effects were maintained at follow-up, except for 
teachers’ tendency to forgive students. The researchers suggested that this points to the lack of 
long-term transferability of forgiveness skills within the classroom context. Recognizing that 
forgiveness is important for establishing positive teacher-student connections, this finding 
warrants further investigation in future studies.  

Research Implications and Future Directions 

The research in this review overwhelmingly supports mindfulness as a beneficial practice 
for improving educator-related outcomes, with the strongest effects on measures of stress, anxiety, 
depression, physical health outcomes, emotion regulation and self-compassion. However, there 
are several limitations and gaps in the literature that are worth noting. Primarily, most studies used 
in this review included small, homogenous, and predominantly or exclusively female participants. 
Only one reported on implications of mindfulness for teachers in a developing country (Matsuba 
& Williams, 2020) and one included a sample of teachers working with children with special needs 
(Benn et al., 2012). To increase the generalizability of results, future studies should aim to be more 
inclusive of teachers from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds and who come from various 
personal and professional contexts. Additionally, more randomized controlled trials and 
longitudinal studies are necessary to determine whether MBIs are effective in the long-term and if 
participants continue a personal mindfulness practice after completion of the intervention. 

 Future research should also attempt to determine what specific mindfulness techniques are 
most effective and whether MBIs designed specifically for teachers yield stronger outcomes. It 
could also examine how mindfulness skills transfer from the intervention into educators’ personal 
and professional lives and if this transferability is a natural result of a regular practice. Furthermore, 
determining the appropriate mindfulness dosage necessary for optimal results warrants further 
exploration. Although studies included in this review incorporated interventions of at least eight 
hours long, recent research suggests that even a brief six-hour intervention produced positive 
effects on teachers’ stress and burnout levels (Taylor et al., 2021). This may be particularly 



 
 
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encouraging for educators who are interested in cultivating a mindfulness practice but are 
concerned about the time required to do so.  

Given the increasing occupational challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the 
fact that attrition rates among Canadian educators have been steadily rising over the last several 
years (Clandinin et al., 2015), more insight is needed into how mindfulness impacts educators’ 
level of engagement, job satisfaction, instructional practices, and work-related self-efficacy. 
Finally, further research should seek to deepen understanding of the relationship between levels of 
educator mindfulness and its subsequent impact on student outcomes. Enhanced teacher well-
being is crucial for student achievement and educators who are better able to manage their stress 
and regulate their emotions are more likely to establish positive classrooms and, in turn, increase 
the potential for student success (Zarate et al., 2019). This is a potentially significant implication 
for school districts and educational leaders who see the value in supporting teachers’ well-being 
as a means of advocating for the well-being of students. 
 

Recommendations for Practice 

The choice to cultivate mindfulness should be made willingly and involves a personal 
commitment to ongoing practice. Based on the predominately positive findings on the effects of 
mindfulness on improving educators’ overall well-being, enhancing social emotional 
competencies, and strengthening prosocial values, I propose the following five key 
recommendations for teachers who are interested in cultivating a regular personal mindfulness 
practice:  

1. Begin by learning more about mindfulness by accessing online resources, websites, 
podcasts, and books written by experts in the field. The following resources may offer a 
good starting point: 

• Wherever You Go There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life (Kabat-
Zinn, 1994) 

• Mindfulness for Teachers: Simple Skills for Peace and Productivity in the 
Classroom (Jennings, 2015) 

• Mindful: Healthy Mind, Healthy Life (www.mindful.org) is an online resource that 
offers mindfulness advice, practices, and videos tailored to those of all experiences 
and is especially useful for new practitioners.  

2. Engage in a daily formal practice. A general recommendation is to begin with just five 
minutes a day and increase this time to 20 minutes over several weeks; however, 
consistency and frequency are more important than the length of time spent in formal 
practice (Eva & Thayer, 2017). The following strategies can help support consistency: 

• Set aside a specific time during the day and create an inviting space dedicated to 
formal practice.  

• Access various guided meditations or mindfulness practices online or through 
readily available free apps such as Insight Timer (http://insighttimer.com) and 
Headspace (www.headspace.com)  

3. Cultivate an attitude of self-compassion and self-care. Four personal development domains 
that are enhanced through self-care include: physical, emotional, spiritual, and cognitive 
(Jennings, 2015). These areas can be supported by making time for physical activity, 
getting out into nature, eating well, reading a book, interacting with friends and family, and 



 
 
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allowing for rest when needed. Simply being aware of what the body needs and responding 
to this need is a meaningful way of practicing self-care.  

4. Intentionally weave mindful moments into the day: 
• Set an intention in the morning, envisioning the feelings, attitudes, and behaviours 

that will set the tone for the day. 
• Practice self-awareness and reflection: pay attention to the thoughts, feelings and 

physical sensations that arise during routine activities (e.g., eating breakfast, taking 
a walk, driving to work).  

• Use cues in the environment as a reminder to pause and take a few deep breaths 
(e.g., every time the school bell rings). 

5. Enroll in an evidence-based mindfulness intervention or training program to further 
strengthen skills. In-person training can help foster a sense of community and offer 
valuable support from mindfulness facilitators. However, online mindfulness training 
programs, either with or without facilitator involvement have also been shown to produce 
positive effects (Fish et al., 2016; Matiz et al., 2020). Two resources that offer evidence-
based mindfulness training and intervention programs through an exclusively online format 
are Mindful Schools (www.mindfulschools.org) and the Centre for Mindfulness Studies 
(www.mindfulnessstudies.com). 
 

Conclusion 
 
The purpose of this study was to examine the current research on the impacts of a regular 

mindfulness practice on teacher-related outcomes. After critically synthesizing 40 peer-reviewed 
studies, the most significant impacts were found on measures of educators’ overall well-being, 
social and emotional competencies, and prosocial values. The research strongly indicated that 
developing a regular mindfulness practice can provide educators with the tools needed to skillfully 
navigate the challenges related to the ever-evolving and complex nature of the COVID-19 
pandemic and the increasing occupational demands associated with the profession. This review 
extends the current literature by providing a contextual overview of mindfulness, describing the 
main effects of a regular practice, and recommending strategies for establishing a personal 
mindfulness practice. By doing so, I hope that educators and other school-based personnel will see 
the value in incorporating mindfulness in both their personal and professional lives and that the 
recommendations provided will allow them to feel confident in beginning this practice whenever 
they are ready.  

The many benefits that result from a regular mindfulness practice have a strong potential 
to extend far beyond just improving educator-related outcomes. Teachers who attend to their own 
mental and emotional needs, are better able to address the needs of their students which, in turn, 
creates sustainable impacts on the entire school system. It would, therefore, benefit district leaders 
to consider incorporating mindfulness training within the school setting as an easily accessible, 
low-stigma, and cost-effective prevention and intervention tool to support the mental and 
emotional health needs of educators and other school-based workers.  
 

 
  



 
 
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* Indicates articles included in the literature review. 
 


