Healing the Healers
We deliver stress relief to front line workers
458 First Responders Sponsored
The coronavirus pandemic has brought additional stress with higher first responder shortages, longer, more grueling shifts and a lack of necessary personal protective equipment. Healthcare workers are feeling strained to the breaking point with many expressing concerns that the pandemic is negatively impacting their mental health. AWAGO is currently partnering with first responder organizations to bring stress management to at-risk individuals.
Benefits to First Responders has shown…
REDUCED ANXIETY
A meta-analysis has shown that TM reduces anxiety and PTSD to a significantly greater degree than other forms of meditation or relaxation. Studies have also shown that TM produces clinically meaningful results often within a few days to two weeks.
Reduced Physical Burnout
A four-month randomized controlled trial with faculty physicians at Loyola Stritch Medical School, Chicago showed the TM technique brought about a decrease of burnout, depression and insomnia.
Decreased Burnout and Increased
Resilience
In a pilot study of 27 hospital-based nurses, quantitative measures were assessed at baseline and four months after instruction in the TM technique. Post-test results showed statistically significant improvements in resilience and the three subscales of the compassion fatigue questionnaire: nurse burnout, secondary traumatic stress and compassion satisfaction.
Reduction in Perceived Stress and Mood
Disorders
Two months of regular TM practice significantly reduced perceived stress and mood disturbance in family caregivers, including reductions in anxiety, depression, anger, confusion, and fatigue, and increase in spiritual well-being.
The joy of nursing is in being able to give and help others and in being an active and flexible team member. The job demands a lot and stress can pile up on our minds, hearts and bodies. The benefits I received from practicing Transcendental Meditation throughout most of my nursing career are many. Whether on a break at work, or at home after a shift, TM practice would restore my fatigued mind easily to a feeling of calm and my body to a deep level of relaxation, tensions dissolving away. Feeling restored, I was once again able to function from a level of fullness rather than feeling ‘used-up’.
Abalo Margaret Stella
Nurse
Komamboga Health Centre Uganda
