������Ƶ

Research suggests that a simple daily meditation may reduce psychological strain and even influence biological markers linked to cellular aging.

Howard Butcher, Ph.D., professor in ������Ƶ Atlantic University’s Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, collaborated on a study of whether Transcendental Meditation (TM) could improve psychological well-being and alter telomeres activity, a biological marker of age-related cellular changes, for nurse managers, who often face relentless workplace stress.

“Chronic workplace stress, particularly among nurse managers responsible for staffing, patient care oversight and administrative leadership, has been linked to burnout and biological strain,” Butcher said.

Telomeres help protect chromosomes during cell division. Their maintenance is increasingly studied in relation to stress and aging, he said.

Thirty nurse managers participated in a four-month study. Those assigned to the meditation group received standardized instruction and practiced twice daily. Preliminary analyses show significant improvements in perceived stress and work–life balance, along with measurable changes in telomerase activity, in the nurse managers who practiced TM.