Mindfulness, self-compassion and flow: Mediators of body satisfaction and mental wellness of university faculty

The sedentary nature of the academic profession may lead to increased body weight and body concerns among faculty members, and when faculty deal with work pressures and stressors, they may also suffer from mental health issues. As such, the aim of this study is to investigate the mediating effects of mindfulness (e.g. awareness of the present moment), self-compassion (e.g. practicing self-kindness in difficult moments), and work-related flow (e.g. state-of-mind at work) in the positive relationship between body satisfaction (e.g. positive feelings about one's body) and mental wellness (e.g. an internal positive state of mind). Regression and mediation analyses were conducted using a cross-sectional sample including 181 U.S. faculty participants working in higher education. The sample was composed of 66% females (34% males) and 70.9% Caucasian/Non-Hispanic with an average age of 51.05 (range = 27 to 81, SD = 12.04). Results showed that body satisfaction was positively related to mental wellness. Additionally, this study provides evidence of the simple and multiple mediating effects of mindfulness, self-compassion, and work-related flow on the relationship between body satisfaction and mental wellness. These findings have implications for implementing interventions, workshops, and practices that increase body satisfaction, mindfulness, self-compassion, and work-related flow with the support of higher education institutions, administrators, and faculty.