SavedAdd your journal

Journals / Eskisehir Medical Journal / 2026 / Volume: 7 Issue: 3

Effects of Conscious Connected Breathing Exercises on Burnout Levels, Self-esteem, and Self-compassion among Female Healthcare Workers

Kadın sağlık çalışanlarında bilinçli bağlantılı nefes egzersizlerinin tükenmişlik düzeyleri, öz saygı ve öz şefkat üzerindeki etkileri

Gulsum Uysal(SAĞLIK BİLİMLERİ ÜNİVERSİTESİ, ADANA ŞEHİR SAĞLIK UYGULAMA VE ARAŞTIRMA MERKEZİ)0000-0002-9381-4892
Gülhan Yuksel(SAĞLIK BİLİMLERİ ÜNİVERSİTESİ, ADANA ŞEHİR SAĞLIK UYGULAMA VE ARAŞTIRMA MERKEZİ)0000-0002-6089-761X
Merthan Tunay(SAĞLIK BAKANLIĞI)0000-0003-2838-5531
Azize Yılmaz(SAĞLIK BİLİMLERİ ÜNİVERSİTESİ, ADANA ŞEHİR SAĞLIK UYGULAMA VE ARAŞTIRMA MERKEZİ)0009-0001-4332-0480
Pages
—
Publication Date
2026-08-29
DOI
—
🏛️Bibliographic metadata and full text access for this article are provided via DergiPark.
DergiPark Record ↗
✨

AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

Including breathing exercises in the curriculum can positively improve burnout programs for healthcare workers.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:Introduction: Burnout is a public health issue due to its effects on patients and public funds.
📊
Key Findings & Data:Methods: A total of 52 participants were enrolled.
💡
Conclusion & Impact:Including breathing exercises in the curriculum can positively improve burnout programs for healthcare workers.
🔬Design:Survey & Empirical Study
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:concious connected breathing · burn out · self esteem

Abstract

Introduction: Burnout is a public health issue due to its effects on patients and public funds. We aimed to determine the impact of breathing sessions on the levels of burnout, self-esteem, and self-compassion among healthcare workers. Methods: A total of 52 participants were enrolled. The Brief Resilience Scale (BRS), Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), and Self-Compassion Scale (SCS) questionnaires were completed prior and after the breathing group sessions. The scores were analyzed for comparison. Results: The average age and duration of employment of the group was 42.48 ± 7.9 and 20.03 ± 9.37 years; respectively. Concerning MBI ratings, emotional exhaustion greatly diminished, but personal accomplishment significantly rose following breathing sessions (p = 0.001). The average score of the RSES was 30.82 prior to the breathing sessions and 33.07 subsequent to them and significant elevation in self-esteem score was noted following the CCB sessions (p= 0.001). All SCS scores, apart from shared humanity and isolation, exhibited statistically significant differences before and after the breathing sessions (p<0.001). Conclusion: CCB sessions can enhance self-esteem, foster self-compassion, and mitigate burnout in the job. Including breathing exercises in the curriculum can positively improve burnout programs for healthcare workers.

Özet

Giriş: Tükenmişlik, hastalar ve Sağlık kaynakları üzerindeki etkileri nedeniyle bir halk sağlığı sorunudur. Bu çalışmada, nefes egzersizlerinin sağlık çalışanları arasında tükenmişlik, öz saygı ve öz şefkat düzeyleri üzerindeki etkisini belirlemeyi amaçladık. Yöntemler: Toplam 52 katılımcı çalışmaya dahil edildi. Nefes egzersizi grup seanslarından önce ve sonra Kısa Psikolojik Dayanıklılık Testi, Maslach Tükenmişlik Envanteri (MBI), Rosenberg Öz Saygı Ölçeği (RSES) ve Öz Şefkat Ölçeği (SCS) anketleri tamamlandı. Puanlar karşılaştırma için analiz edildi. Bulgular: Grubun ortalama yaşı ve çalışma süresi sırasıyla 42,48 ± 7,9 ve 20,03 ± 9,37 yıldı. MBI puanlarına göre, duygusal tükenme büyük ölçüde azalırken, kişisel başarı nefes egzersizlerinden sonra önemli ölçüde arttı (p = 0,001). Nefes egzersizlerinden önce RSES'in ortalama puanı 30,82 iken, sonrasında 33,07'ye yükselmiştir ve Bilinçli Bağlantılı Nefes(CCB) seanslarının ardından öz saygı puanında anlamlı bir artış gözlemlenmiştir (p= 0,001). Paylaşılan insanlık ve izolasyon dışındaki tüm SCS puanları, nefes egzersizlerinden önce ve sonra istatistiksel olarak anlamlı farklılıklar göstermiştir (p<0,001). Sonuç: CCB seansları öz saygıyı artırabilir, öz şefkati geliştirebilir ve iş yerindeki tükenmişliği azaltabilir. Müfredata nefes egzersizlerinin dahil edilmesi, sağlık çalışanları için tükenmişlik programlarını olumlu yönde geliştirebilir.

🔖

Cite This Article

Uysal, G., Yuksel, G., Tunay, M., Yılmaz, A. (2026). Effects of Conscious Connected Breathing Exercises on Burnout Levels, Self-esteem, and Self-compassion among Female Healthcare Workers. Eskisehir Medical Journal, Volume: 7 Issue: 3. https://ajindex.com/articles/1614168

📄 Full Text PDF Viewer

📄

PDF görüntüleyici hazırlanıyor...

References (29)

  1. Fincham GW, Kartar A, Uthaug M V, et al. High ventilation breathwork practices: An overview of their effects, mechanisms, and considerations for clinical applications. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2023 Dec;155:105453.
  2. Fincham GW, Epel E, Colasanti A, Strauss C, Cavanagh K. Effects of brief remote high ventilation breathwork with retention on mental health and wellbeing: a randomised placebo-controlled trial. Sci Rep. 2024 Jul 23;14(1):16893.
  3. Yalcin E, Özbaşaran F. Nefes Terapisinin Genel Sağlık Ve Kadın Sağlığı Üzerine Ekileri. İstanbul Sabahattin Zaim Üniversitesi Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü Dergisi. 2021 Aug 31;3(2):106–11.
  4. Gilbert C. Breathing: the legacy of Wilhelm Reich. J Bodyw Mov Ther. 1999 Apr;3(2):97–106.
  5. Magnon V, Dutheil F, Vallet GT. Benefits from one session of deep and slow breathing on vagal tone and anxiety in young and older adults. Sci Rep. 2021 Sep 29;11(1):19267.
  6. Ekerholt K, Bergland A. Breathing: A Sign of Life and a Unique Area for Reflection and Action. Phys Ther. 2008 Jul 1;88(7):832–40.
  7. Mincarone P, Bodini A, Tumolo MR, et al. Association Between Physical Activity and the Risk of Burnout in Health Care Workers: Systematic Review. JMIR Public Health Surveill. 2024 Mar 18;10:e49772.
  8. Bragard I, Etienne AM, Merckaert I, Libert Y, Razavi D. Efficacy of a Communication and Stress Management Training on Medical Residents’ Self-efficacy, Stress to Communicate and Burnout. J Health Psychol. 2010 Oct 7;15(7):1075–81.
  9. Moody K, Kramer D, Santizo RO, et al. Helping the Helpers. Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing. 2013 Sep 7;30(5):275–84.
  10. Joy GV, Alomari AMA, Singh K, et al. Nurses’ self‐esteem, self‐compassion and psychological resilience during COVID ‐19 pandemic. Nurs Open. 2023 Jul 22;10(7):4404–12.
  11. Shannahoff-Khalsa DS. Patient Perspectives. Integr Cancer Ther. 2005 Mar 1;4(1):87–100.
  12. Smith BW, Dalen J, Wiggins K, Tooley E, Christopher P, Bernard J. The brief resilience scale: Assessing the ability to bounce back. Int J Behav Med. 2008 Sep;15(3):194–200.
  13. Doğan, T. (2015). Adaptation of the Brief Resilience Scale into Turkish: A validity and reliability study. The Journal of Happiness & Well‐Being, 3(1), 93.
  14. Maslach C, Jackson SE. The measurement of experienced burnout. J Organ Behav. 1981 Apr 17;2(2):99–113.
  15. Ergin, C. (1993). Adaptation and validity of MBI for measuring burnout among Turkish physicians and nurses. In VIIth National Psychology Congress. Ankara: Turkish Psychologists Association.
  16. Rosenberg M. Society and the Adolescent Self-Image. Princeton University Press; 1965.
  17. Cuhadaroglu, F. (1986). Self-esteem in adolescents. Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine (Doctoral dissertation, Master Thesis).
  18. Neff KD. The Development and Validation of a Scale to Measure Self-Compassion. Self and Identity. 2003 Jul;2(3):223–50.
  19. Deniz ME, Kesici Ş, Sümer AS. The Validity And Reliability Of The Turkish Version Of The Self-Compassion Scale. Social Behavior and Personality: an international journal. 2008 Jan 1;36(9):1151–60.
  20. Brown RP, Gerbarg PL. Sudarshan Kriya Yogic Breathing in the Treatment of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression: Part II—Clinical Applications and Guidelines. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 2005 Aug;11(4):711–7.
  21. Kim SH, Schneider SM, Bevans M, et al. PTSD Symptom Reduction With Mindfulness-Based Stretching and Deep Breathing Exercise: Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial of Efficacy. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2013 Jul 1;98(7):2984–92.
  22. Jung B, Yang C, Lee SH. Vagus Nerves Stimulation: Clinical Implication and Practical Issue as a Neuropsychiatric Treatment. Clinical Psychopharmacology and Neuroscience. 2024 Feb 29;22(1):13–22.
  23. Huang AJ, Phillips S, Schembri M, Vittinghoff E, Grady D. Device-Guided Slow-Paced Respiration for Menopausal Hot Flushes. Obstetrics & Gynecology. 2015 May;125(5):1130–8.
  24. Li C, Chang Q, Zhang J, Chai W. Effects of slow breathing rate on heart rate variability and arterial baroreflex sensitivity in essential hypertension. Medicine. 2018 May;97(18):e0639.
  25. Zope S, Zope R. Sudarshan kriya yoga: Breathing for health. Int J Yoga. 2013;6(1):4. 26. Bianchi R, Schonfeld IS, Laurent E. Burnout–depression overlap: A review. Clin Psychol Rev. 2015 Mar;36:28–41.
  26. Vedamurthachar A, Janakiramaiah N, Hegde J, Shetty T, Subbakrishna D, Sureshbabu S, et al. Antidepressant efficacy and hormonal effects of Sudarshana Kriya Yoga (SKY) in alcohol dependent individuals. J Affect Disord. 2006 Aug;94(1–3):249–53.
  27. Wang Z, Liu H, Yu H, Wu Y, Chang S, Wang L. Associations between occupational stress, burnout and well-being among manufacturing workers: mediating roles of psychological capital and self-esteem. BMC Psychiatry. 2017 Dec 15;17(1):364.
  28. Erkin Ö, Şenuzun Aykar F. The effect of the yoga course on mindfulness and self‐compassion among nursing students. Perspect Psychiatr Care. 2021 Apr 28;57(2):875–82.
  29. Park CL, Riley KE, Bedesin E, Stewart VM. Why practice yoga? Practitioners’ motivations for adopting and maintaining yoga practice. J Health Psychol. 2016 Jun 16;21(6):887–96.