Being Mindful at Work and at Home: A Diary Study on Predictors and Consequences of Domain-Specific Mindfulness

Although previous research on mindfulness predominantly focused on benefits of mindfulness, this study investigates quantitative and emotional demands as contextual antecedents of mindful awareness and acceptance both in the work and home domains. In addition, we examine goal attainment and satisfaction in the work and home domains as consequences of mindful awareness and acceptance. Results of a diary study across 5 workdays with 2 daily measurement occasions among 233 employees revealed that both in the work and home domains, quantitative demands were positively associated with awareness, but not with acceptance, whereas emotional demands were positively associated with acceptance, but not with awareness. Awareness and acceptance were both associated with increased goal attainment and satisfaction in both life domains. We did not find strong evidence for cross-domain relations between demands and mindfulness on the one hand and between mindfulness and goal attainment and satisfaction on the other hand. In sum, this study contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of mindfulness by shedding light on contextualized forms of mindfulness and considering both the awareness and acceptance facets of mindfulness and their contextual predictors and consequences.