Accept the Stress? Examining the Role of Emotion Regulation Strategies to Explain the Relationship between Mindfulness and Burnout

The negative association between mindfulness and burnout has been extensively demonstrated in the literature, but the mechanisms of this relationship are unclear. This study examined the mediating role of seven emotion regulation strategies between dispositional mindfulness and burnout. Data were collected from a professionally diverse German population via an online survey and analysed using mediation analysis. Results showed that dispositional mindfulness was inversely related to burnout symptoms, reinforcing previous research results. Mediation analysis showed that reduced rumination and increased acceptance partially mediated this relationship. Other strategies did not significantly mediate the relationship. The findings demonstrate that acceptance and reduced rumination may act as mediating mechanisms in the relationship between mindfulness and burnout. Future research should examine whether acceptance and reduced rumination pose distinct mechanisms of action.