MINDLIVEN
MINDLIVEN - Mindfulness-in-Nature Based Training through Virtual Environments
Description
Over the last decades, social and emotional learning (SEL) has been increasingly acknowledged to impact on competency areas such as self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationships skills, and responsible decision-making. Mindfulness training is a multimodal intervention informed by the principles of positive psychology, with a central focus on skills that enable more effective coping and stress reduction. The application of mindfulness-based practices (MBP) has been strengthened by the results of evaluation studies that typically report on the positive effectiveness of MBP in terms of SEL. In parallel, research results show that exposure to natural environments arouses positive emotions and stress recovery, and improves compliance to mindfulness training, making it more effective. As such, the role of nature in the workplace is receiving increased attention, and existing theory and research suggest that nature contact can be considered as a workplace strategy for reducing stress, while at the same time enhancing performance and overall well-being. Therefore, Mindfulness-in Nature-based practices (MiNBP) joins together the healing effect of nature and the distressful effect of MBP, with greater benefits. It is therefore essential for company’s managers to understand how MiNBP has the potential to benefit their staff towards a systematic approach to SEL, in particular when considering the perspective of the five-competency-area framework. 

 

Challenge

The Mindfulness-in-Nature Based Training through Virtual ENvironments (MINDLIVEN) project aims to provide an innovative solution to this issue. Building on existing research, partners will identify a required set of needs in terms of preventing and addressing work place stress, leading to the development of a set of MiNBP contents supported by an online MiNBP platform with communication tools and additional resources (like an Android and iOS app to facilitate access to the platform and contents) to facilitate the transfer of learning into the workplace but also to create the MiNBP user support community. This e-environment will raise the awareness for the problem and it will enable owners, managers and decision makers to plan for and to mitigate the occurrence and the negative consequences of work-based stress. After the pilot testing the real impact of the MiNBP in the main competency areas and on the individuals’ life and on the companies’ productivity will be assessed and consequently a policy report and recommendations will also be produced. 

Approach
The project targets:
  • Employees and owners/managers of SMEs as end users and main beneficiaries. They will be empowered and helped to improve their personal & professional life by being able to prevent and address workplace stress; 
  • VET trainers, HR and Health & Safety consultants will be provided innovative tools for assessing the situation with their trainees and clients;
  • Professional associations, that have an active role in the sustainability and maintenance of the results of the MINDLIVEN project;
  • Organizational Health decision makers and governmental entities at regional, national and European levels will be contacted in order to persuade and make them aware of the need for more immediate actions. 
Internal Partners
Research Centre Research Group Role in Project Begin Date End Date
BRU-Iscte Organizational Behaviour and Human Resources Group Partner 2020-12-01 2023-05-31
External Partners
Institution Country Role in Project Begin Date End Date
Universita degli Studi di Verona (Universita degli Studi di Verona) Italy Leader 2020-12-01 2022-11-30
Fundacja “Malopolska Izba Samorzadowa” (Fundacja “Malopolska Izba Samorzadowa”) Poland Partner 2020-12-01 2022-11-30
UNIVERSIDAD DE SEVILLA (USE) Spain Partner 2020-12-01 2022-11-30
Virtual Campus Lda (Virtual Campus Lda) Portugal Partner 2020-12-01 2022-11-30
Creative Thinking Development (Creative Thinking Development) Greece Partner 2020-12-01 2022-11-30
Unione Territoriale Sindacale CISL Vicenza (Unione Territoriale Sindacale CISL Vicenza) Greece Partner 2020-12-01 2022-11-30
Project Team
Name Affiliation Role in Project Begin Date End Date
Sílvia Agostinho da Silva Professora Catedrática (DRHCO); Integrated Researcher (BRU-Iscte); Local Coordinator 2020-12-01 2023-05-31
Patrícia Costa Professora Associada (DRHCO); Integrated Researcher (BRU-Iscte); Researcher 2020-12-01 2023-05-31
Sara Cristina Moura da Silva Ramos Professora Associada (com Agregação) (DRHCO); Integrated Researcher (DINAMIA'CET-Iscte); Researcher 2020-12-01 2022-03-31
Project Fundings
Reference/Code Funding DOI Funding Type Funding Program Funding Amount (Global) Funding Amount (Local) Begin Date End Date
2020-1-IT01-KA202-008584 -- Contract European Commission - Erasmus+ 282794 47645 2020-12-01 2023-05-31
Publication Outputs

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Other Outputs

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Project Files

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With the objective to increase the research activity directed towards the achievement of the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, the possibility of associating scientific projects with the Sustainable Development Goals is now available in Ciência_Iscte. These are the Sustainable Development Goals identified for this project. For more detailed information on the Sustainable Development Goals, click here.

MINDLIVEN - Mindfulness-in-Nature Based Training through Virtual Environments
2020-12-01
2023-05-31