Uncovering the link between mindfulness and sustainability - an experiment

Mindfulness is defined as "the awareness that emerges through paying attention on purpose in the present moment and non-judgmentally to the unfolding experience, moment by moment". Mindfulness enhances people's capacity to deal with stress and can be practiced through awareness-building techniques such as meditation. The positive effect of mindfulness on people's well-being, cognitive abilities and behaviour has been proven by medical, psychological and organisational research. Consequently, mindfulness has evolved to a business worth over one billion USD with an increasing number of companies investing in in-house mindfulness activities to boost productivity of their employees. Newer research is exploring how mindfulness affects "sustainable behaviour", which we understand as a more ethical, pro-social and pro-environmental, behaviour. Publications advocate the potential of mindfulness for supporting the transition to a sustainable society. The positive link between mindfulness and sustainable behaviour can be grouped in five main arguments: 1) Increased awareness about one's own actions and their impact are the basis for sustainable behaviour. This is because decreased automaticity, increased self-control and resilience to external persuasion prevent people from unchecked consumerism and harmful actions. 2) Increased well-being and happiness reinforce sustainable behaviour as happy people are more likely to direct their attention to the needs of others and the environment. Furthermore, increased well-being stimulates pro-social behaviour, which in turn enhances well-being. Happiness and pro-environmental behaviour are not trade-offs. 3) Higher awareness and stronger experience of the environment strengthens the connectedness to nature, which is the basis of pro-environmental behaviour. 4) Mindfulness creates social empathy and feelings of compassion towards other living beings, including future generations. 5) Mindfulness changes one's values and goals. Mindfulness practitioners have a better connection to intrinsic values like relationships and community instead of measuring their lives by external, materialistic values and ambition. Mindfulness also reduces the "hedonic treadmill", the need to acquire ever-increasing material welfare. The distinction between needs and wants becomes clearer. This does not consider the complex interrelations between the different arguments. Research summarised above shows a positive correlation between mindfulness and sustainable behaviour. However, there is a lack of research and experimental evidence to support causality. Both quantitative and qualitative research efforts are needed to inform decision-makers about the potential of mindfulness for a "double-dividend" strategy, which improves both people's well-being and their sustainable behaviour. Siqueira and Pitassi (2016) emphasize the potential of mindfulness for the corporate sustainability research. This study seeks to explore the causal relationship between mindfulness and sustainability in business settings, reflected in the following research question: to what extent does a regular mindfulness practice increase the sustainability awareness of employees? This mixed-methods research is constructed around an experiment with 50 to 100 employees from diverse companies, who have never practiced mindfulness before. The experiment aims to use a survey to detect if there is any change in the sustainability awareness of the participants at the beginning, at the end and 3 months after the course. The theoretical framework of the study is based on the theory of change (ToC), usually applied to plan and promote social change (Quinn, 1988). The detailed design of experiment and evaluation approach will be based on literature review in the areas business management, education, mindfulness, (policy) evaluation, psychology, and sustainability. Also, there shall be continuous personal exchange with survey-experienced researchers of these areas.