Trait Mindfulness Helps Explain the Relationships Between Job Stress, Physiological Reactivity, and Self-Perceived Health

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess, for the first time, the associations among work stress as measured by the job-demands resources (JD-R) model, trait mindfulness, and indices of the physiological stress response. Method: Dairy farmers (N=79) completed job stress (using the JD-R model), trait mindfulness, burnout, and self-reported health questionnaires and provided physiological indices of the stress response. Results: Our findings suggest that those reporting higher mindfulness have better physical and mental health, and that being more mindful may buffer the effects of a large cortisol awakening response on poor physical health. Conclusion: Alth-Although assessments of both psychological and physiological indicators of stress and ill-health will inform the underlying mechanisms of the associations between work stress and disease, assessing the role of trait mindfulness in this relationship may prove useful.