Practicing mindfulness in addressing the biodiversity crisis

In an era of climate change, biodiversity loss, and a global pandemic, many scientists have experienced grief, anxiety, and despair as they face ongoing ecological challenges. The practice of conservation science has also become contentious in light of increasingly polarized viewpoints and conflicts among stakeholders. These ecological and social challenges may hinder conservation scientists' ability to identify critical science needs that can inform and improve conservation policies, actions, and outcomes. Mindfulness practices provide a centering framework that supports scientists in addressing these challenges while also fostering meaningful collaborations with other conservation scientists and practitioners. In this paper, we synthesize theories from mindfulness and attitudinal foundations that offer practical steps toward the kind of resilient mindset needed to address challenges flexibly and from a solutions‐driven perspective. By cultivating equanimity, gratitude and hope, mindfulness practices bring understanding and empathy to collaborative activities, improving our collective ability to generate meaningful science that addresses pressing environmental challenges.

stakeholders. These ecological and social challenges may hinder conservation scientists' ability to identify critical science needs that can inform and improve conservation policies, actions, and outcomes. Mindfulness practices provide a centering framework that supports scientists in addressing these challenges while also fostering meaningful collaborations with other conservation scientists and practitioners. In this paper, we synthesize theories from mindfulness and attitudinal foundations that offer practical steps toward the kind of resilient mindset needed to address challenges flexibly and from a solutions-driven perspective. By cultivating equanimity, gratitude and hope, mindfulness practices bring understanding and empathy to collaborative activities, improving our collective ability to generate meaningful science that addresses pressing environmental challenges. The headlines are startling: "The climate scientists are not alright", "Conservationists: Living with Grief" and "Why conservationists need a little hope: saving themselves from becoming the most depressing scientists on the planet" (ARC, 2013;Hance, 2014;Quackenbush, 2022). It is becoming clear that natural scientists face both a crisis and an existential dilemma: when the world is in upheaval and there appear to be more obstacles than solutions, what is the scientific community to do? Conservation science has seemingly reached an impasse. The scientific community generally agrees that human activity is linked to ongoing crises such as climate change and biodiversity loss, but conservation solutions can be difficult to agree upon and enact (Bradshaw et al., 2021;Gardner & Bullock, 2021). Global threats to sustainability, unprecedented rates of extinction, and increasingly polarized viewpoints about environmental issues commonly leave conservation scientists and practitioners with feelings of futility, grief, and despair (Boon, 2022;Cunsolo & Ellis, 2018;Hobbs, 2013). Students of conservation biology are also experiencing increasing levels of anxiety (Ramos, et al., 2017;São Pedro et al., 2022;Wallace, et al., 2020). The magnitude of ecological challenges can be overwhelming even for the most optimistic. Add to these challenges a global pandemic and a culture of scarcity within academic science that can pit scientists against one another and discourage collaborative problem-solving, and it becomes clear the field of conservation is facing a problem.
What is neither unclear nor surprising, given the state of ecological systems, is that many conservation scientists are burnt out (Fraser, et al. 2013;Loffeld, et al. 2022;Swaisgood & Sheppard, 2010). Between disagreement over how to convince global leaders and communities that action is needed, disillusionment over perceived public apathy, miseducation or decision fatigue, and frustration over policy decisions frequently at cross-purposes with best practices in conservation, it's easy to understand why conservation scientists often feel the majority of citizens are apathetic toward the biodiversity crisis (Driscoll, et al., 2020;Lees et al., 2020;Vetter, 2022).
Mindfulness-or deliberate focus on the present moment-can provide a framework for transformative conversations, conflict resolution, and increased confidence in one's ability to create change (Alexander et al., 2012;Cash et al., 2021;Yarnell & Neff, 2013). The practices of compassion and self-compassion can facilitate self-care, help teams work more cooperatively, and engender understanding and empathy among involved parties (Bohecker & Doughty Horn, 2016;Klimecki, 2019;Neff, 2011aNeff, , 2011b. When faced with unrelenting stress, individuals can sometimes adopt inflexible beliefs that disrupt communication and reduce compassion and empathy (Gerhart et al., 2016). As the conservation community and the planet itself face ecological decline, it is imperative to move forward toward actionable solutions despite these challenges. Cultivating equanimity (mental calmness and composure) fosters resilience and helps reduce burnout. Mindfulness practices are also beneficial in dispute resolution and negotiation, reducing conflict and increasing the capacity to set aside judgments (Bahl, et. al, 2016;Brach, 2008;Kansky & Maassarani, 2022;Piasecki et al., 2021;Riskin, 2006;Smyth, 2012).

| MINDFULNESS AND ECOLOGICAL GRIEF: THE OVERWHELMING CATASTROPHE
In his seminal text, Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness, leading mindfulness expert Jon Kabat-Zinn suggests that catastrophe in this context does not mean disaster, "Rather it means the poignant enormity of our life experience. It includes crises and disaster but also all the little things that go wrong and add up. The phrase reminds us that life is always in flux, that everything we think is permanent is actually only temporary and constantly chang-ing… I have felt that the phrase "the full catastrophe" captures something positive about the human spirit's ability to come to grips with what is most difficult in life and to find within it room to grow in strength and wisdom" (Kabat-Zinn, 1991). The foundations of mindfulness include a strong emphasis on equanimity and the recognition that human awareness encompasses a wide breadth of experiences, from the most devastating to the most joyful-and everything in between.
Effective engagement and communication in the practice of conservation science (i.e., between scientists, policymakers, politicians, corporations, and the general public) remains a challenge (SCBD, 2021;United Nations, 2019). Convincing politicians, leaders of industry, and the general population of the importance of creating and enacting policies to mitigate climate change and environmental degradation is a daunting task. Even if policies and actions are put into place immediately on an international scale, there is still a lingering fear among scientists that it may be too late. Humans have altered many ecosystems in ways deleterious not only to life on the planet, but to ourselves; the loss of species and ecosystems has reduced the planet's ability to support a growing, thriving human population in a way that is harmonious with the natural world.
Mindfulness can help scientists cope with these challenges. Characterized by Kabat-Zinn as "nonjudgmental, moment-to-moment awareness," in our everyday lives, mindfulness offers mental tools to cultivate focus and clarify our perceptions of the world around us, and our space within it (Kabat-Zinn, 1991). In his writing on philosopher, neurologist, psychologist, and Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl, Covey (2004) expounds on the liberative qualities of such awareness: "He [Frankl] could decide within himself how all of this was going to affect him. Between what happened to him, or the stimulus, and his response to it, was his freedom and power to choose that response." Mindfulness practice, at its heart, is about creating both greater awareness of and regulation over counterproductive and self-defeating narratives and thought spirals-something Kabat-Zinn calls "catastrophizing"-triggered by our instinctive responses to stress or overwhelm (Kabat-Zinn, 1991).
The philosophical tenets of mindfulness-what Kabat-Zinn calls its "attitudinal foundations"-offer practical steps toward the kind of resilient mindset needed to address challenges flexibly and from a solutions-driven perspective (Kabat-Zinn, 1991). Neuroscience recognizes mindfulness practice as a legitimate means of mitigating the human response to stress. Studies correlate the self-soothing effects of mindfulness with greater resilience to challenges, which in turn can increase innovation, creativity, and critical reasoning (Rieken et al., 2017;Siqueira & Pitassi, 2016). Mindfulness offers an approach to processing negative emotions associated with biodiversity loss, thereby improving our ability to engage in critical reasoning and consider alternative ideas.
Managing ecosystems and addressing multi-scale climate challenges requires complex thinking, adaptability, and openness to change (Berkes, 2012), all of which can be linked with development of a robust mindfulness practice. Adoption of regular mindfulness practice has been linked to reduced anxiety, distress, the experience of depression (which are barometers of physical and psychological well-being), and also helps counteract burnout (Alexander et al., 2012;Chang et al., 2004;Gerhart et al., 2016;Hulsheger et al., 2013;Kabat-Zinn, 1991;Kinnunen et al., 2019;Sevinc et al., 2020;Strohmaier et al., 2020).

| Resilience to adversity: Practicing mindfulness
For conservation scientists grappling with the existential weight of their work, mindfulness offers a reminder to step back and focus on what can be done, here and in this moment, on the individual level. By stepping back from worry and anxiety, mindfulness allows for a closer reflection upon the fears at the root of them.
To the novice, the word mindfulness may call to mind yoga or the seemingly esoteric practice of meditation. And indeed, both these families of practice-each has its own myriad derivations and forms-are among the formal exercises taught in Kabat-Zinn's own Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) methodology and an array of similar mindfulness-based behavioral-and emotional-health programs. For those daunted by the array of mindfulness T A B L E 1 While formalized mindfulness training programs such as Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction rely on practice of structured mental and physical exercises, daily mindfulness-based practices are surprisingly accessible and simple.

Observe your present moment
Examine what's going on in your outer and inner environments, noting any conflict, emotions, or stressors without judgment of the intention to change them or label them "good" or "bad." Bring attention to your breath Deep, measured breathing regulates our stress response. When we notice our stress building or anxieties spiraling us toward a feeling of despair, anger or overwhelm, a few cycles of intentional breathing calms our emotional state, restores mental focus and clarity, and allows us to approach our problems from a more rational, solution-oriented perspective.
Simply slow down Noticing the texture and nuance of life-the taste of our morning coffee, the simple comforting rituals of our days, the affection we feel toward loved ones-serves to pull our attention from rumination on the past or worry about the future. While the work we do serves the future, taking steps toward that future depends on our ability to thrive and persevere in the here and now.

Bring attention to your senses
With an open and curious mind, take a few moments periodically to notice the sights, sounds, scents, and flavors of your surroundings.
Notice how you feel in your body Just as closely observing the world helps anchor us in the moment and build our innate mindfulness, tuning in to our bodies in a nonjudgmental way-the sensations within them, their rhythms and movements-helps us develop our ability to practice nonjudgmental awareness toward the scenarios of life.
Notice when your mind has wandered into worry or rumination When our minds are locked in patterns of anxiety, we aren't able to think rationally, critically, and creatively. Practice noting when and where your mind wanders, and gently bring it back to the present moment with a few gentle, measured, and intentionally grounding breaths.
Take a moment to be grateful The active practice of gratitude-for anything-stimulates the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which triggers positive emotions, optimism, correlates to a boost of intrinsic motivation and fosters prosocial behaviors.
Commit to 10 min of a daily mindfulness practice Whether it be using a guided meditation app, journaling, simply closing your eyes and breathing with intention, or mindful movement like yoga or stretching, create a habit that fosters a mindful state. As with any exercise, the longer we keep a mindful practice going, the stronger and more habitual our innate mindful centeredness becomes.
programs available (or lacking the time for a 6-to 8-week training commitment), though, there is good news: although MBSR and similar programs are designed around very specific practices for very intentional outcomes, the fundamental philosophical principles and their practical applications are both easily accessible and surprisingly basic (if not simple). By incorporating habits, routines and physical and/or mental exercises facilitating the cultivation of a mindful life-practice that blend with our own lifestyles, sensibilities, and needs, we can all reap the benefits, including greater equanimity, mental focus and clarity, and reduction of stress (Lan, et al., 2015). Many of these practices may already be a part of our self-care efforts, though we may not automatically equate them to mindfulness (Table 1). First articulated in Full Catastrophe Living, Kabat-Zinn's seven attitudinal foundations-non-judging, patience, beginner's mind, trust, non-striving, acceptance and letting go-provide a blueprint for a nuanced life perspective that allows for more intentional and strategic examinations of our challenges (Kabat-Zinn, 1991). We may not always see an immediate solution, but there is tremendous value in being present and doing the work. By striving to live in accordance with these philosophies and bolstering them with reinforcing practices such as meditation or reflection, we can foster the development of our own innate mindfulness (Table 2).
Mindfulness practices offer foundational tools that help scientists contextualize and scale their conceptions of catastrophe, come to terms with their personal stakes in the T A B L E 2 Mindfulness is underpinned by seven attitudinal foundations.
Non-judgment As scientists, non-judgment helps us focus on objective challenges and their solutions rather than being caught up in political debates and emotive arguments. Focusing on emotional entanglements in the practice of science-such as engaging with communities and politicians who resist scientific facts-can only exacerbate feelings of frustration and burnout, which ultimately reduces our capacity to work effectively.

Beginner's mind
As scientists, why and how are often our first questions when confronting a new challenge. In mindfulness, approaching life-including its challenges-with openness, gentle inquisition, and a sense of curiosity and wonder allows us to examine perspectives and situations without preconception, predisposition or prejudgment and instead encouraging creativity, innovation, openness, and a more collaborative, solution-driven spirit.

Acceptance
We have limitations both in our physical capability to address the magnitude of the work and in our ability to influence others. We have to accept what we can accomplish, knowing the work we do carries momentumwhether we see it today or otherwise. We can guide change and progress, but we cannot drive it on our own. Change is a process-and each of us has a role to play in the greater story.
Letting go Once we accept that we are, in fact, doing the best we can to progress conservation goals, we have to let go of outcomes. Letting go is a first step toward creating a space for what may happen next, sometimes referred to as letting in. To ruminate and worry about things outside our control only creates stress, draining mental, physical and emotional energy that could be better focused in other areas. To sustain ourselves and further the field of conservation, we have to know which battles are ours to fight, and when.

Trust
Part of letting go is learning to trust-trusting that so long as our science is accurate, we have done our job of laying out the case for shifts in policy. We've laid the groundwork for action that others-policymakers, everyday citizens, leaders and changemakers-can follow and carry the work forward. It also means trusting that broader conservation goals can and will be realized, particularly when collaborative processes with other practitioners may at times require prioritizing mindful social outcomes over conservation outcomes.
Non-striving In mindfulness meditation, non-striving refers not to being without goals, but understanding and accepting that we cannot force the process. Conservation science is about finding solutions and seeding change-but change itself also requires broader cultural shifts beyond our control.

Patience
The ability to sit and wait calmly in the face of frustration or adversity has long been described as a virtue. The practice of patience toward self, others, and the outside world, acknowledges that everything emerges in its own time. In conservation science, there is often a sense of urgency to the work: forests are burning now, and change needs to happen immediately. Conservation science is a long game. Work we do today may not bear fruit for some time, but we have to trust that slow work is no less impactful in the long term.
F I G U R E 1 Reaction versus response. In creating a pause between stimulus and reply, mindfulness allows us to choose a reasoned response in place of an instinctive, automatic reaction, thus providing us with the power of agency and freedom of choice.
work, and carry on despite emotionally fatiguing work. The practices can help us maintain perspective, avoid overwhelm, and focus our energies where we can make the most impact-such as the co-production of science and collaborations with stakeholders. These foundational practices encourage deeper reflection, as understood in Covey's (2004) description of space between stimulus and response. They provide the pause that allows us to respond with reason, intent and purpose rather than to react out of conditioned habit (Figure 1). By encouraging us to separate what is happening from our conditioned reactions to what is happening, mindfulness encourages a meta-awareness of our internal dialogue and encourages us to label thoughts and emotions as "mental events, and not the things they seem to represent" (Dunne et al., 2019;p. 307). Science is understood as logical and unbiased: its approach to knowledge is dispassionate, reasoned and objective. Even if we seek out no additional formal mindfulness-building techniques or training, consistently striving to maintain an outlook based on the attitudinal foundations (Kabat-Zinn, 1991) can remind us to practice the unbiased logic of our scientific disciplines.

| Of hope and change: Finding joy and wonder
The development of mindfulness practices can serve as a safeguard against psychological distress. The full catastrophe of which Kabat-Zinn writes is one of our own making through our choice of narrative and outlook: in other words, by catastrophizing. As climate scientists, it is all too easy for our passions to lead to binary thinking: either we save the world or we destroy it; politicians, leaders of industry and the common populace are either with us or against; we are either heroes on the side of conservation or we are villains bent on destruction. And by succumbing to such binary narratives, we compound our sense of catastrophe and doom. We either care too much or too little, tipping ourselves toward either apathy or burnout.
We know apathy is not our answer, so we push onand in doing so, risk colliding with seemingly insurmountable obstacle after obstacle. It's no wonder we fall into burnout, along the way losing sight of empathy and compassion for those whose priorities and values do not align with our own. Mindful awareness is a viable alternative to the "numbing" behaviors that often characterize burnout.
T A B L E 3 Mindfulness practices to overcome burnout and overwhelm can help conservation scientists combat ecological grief.

Self-compassion
Self-compassion can be understood as giving ourselves the same care and attention we would give to a loved one in their time of need. Neff (2011aNeff ( , 2011b) notes that the practice of self-compassion is comprised of three elements: • Self-kindness (as opposed to self-judgment): Conservation scientists may feel that their efforts are inadequate in the face of impending apocalypse. The practice of kindness toward the self can reduce critical judgment, anger, and pain. • Common humanity (as opposed to isolation): Stress and suffering is a part of every human's lived experience.
Understanding that suffering is a universal emotion can deepen compassion for others while reducing the feeling of isolation. • Mindfulness (as opposed to over-identification): Mindful awareness offers a pathway to greater regulation of thoughts and emotions, thereby creating a meta-awareness that we are infinitely more than the feelings we experience. Taken together, these core self-compassion concepts allow for an honoring of the shared human experience, gentle acceptance of failures and observation of (rather than identification with) negative thoughts.

Self-regulation
Mind-body techniques, such as deep breathing, calm the nervous system and curtail the fight/flight/freeze response. Under a chronic state of stress, we are focused on survival, and our higher executive functioning is suboptimal. In this state, creativity and innovation is impaired, diminishing the ability to come up with novel solutions to problems (Akinola et al., 2019). Calming, deep breathing practices can boost cognition, leading to a greater ability to solve problems. Mind-body practices also lead to improved mood, lowered perceived stress levels and significant anxiety reduction, especially if treated as a daily practice (Magnon et al., 2021;Perciavalle et al., 2017).
Remembering the "why" Mindful reflection, or an open and curious mind, can help conservation scientists remember the "why" behind the reason that they engage in this work. Short-and long-term intentions and goals can be evaluated or reimagined with regular contemplative practice. Writing, walking, deep breathing, or even intentionally listening to music can bring about a state of reflection where previous attempts are evaluated without judgment, and ideas for a focused effort can emerge.

Maintaining hope
Hope, or the desire or anticipation for something to happen, can keep conservation scientists going in spite of setbacks and adversity. Cherishing and cultivating the desire for a sustainable future acts as a protective barrier against feelings of frustration or defeat.
It allows us to recognize our own catastrophizing spirals or nonproductive narratives and step back, regain our emotional equilibrium, and relinquish our binarism. Then we can see that although the world faces numerous daunting challenges, there can simultaneously be vibrancy and joy in life. In other words, mindfulness can hold the key to not only combatting the crippling anxiety and fatigue facing members of the conservation science community, it offers tools to build resilience, bolster internal resolve, and help build (or re-build) relationships (Biber, et al., 2020). But there's another benefit to mindfulness for conservationists: it provides us a greater ability to express compassion and empathy, to calm impulses toward binarism or scientific tribalism, to recognize and acknowledge the validity of alternate perspectives and needs, and to seek accord and understanding in search of solutions. Mindfulness, with its emphasis on patience, non-judgment and acceptance, provides an internal compass and driving force, helping practitioners reflectively guide and clarify their own values while better understanding and empathizing with those whose values might at surface appear at odds with our own. When we care passionately about our work-and when we know it carries high stakes for our children, the world, the state of the planet itself-we can lose sight of the human bonds connecting us. These bonds are what not only replenish our energy to continue the work, but unite us in purpose and in our shared humanity. They are the strongest chance we have in creating the culture needed to enact lasting change.
Conservation scientists face a myriad of challenges on a scale far greater than ever before. Mindfulness may not provide direct solutions, but it can equip scientists with tools for facing and moving through challenges more adeptly. Environmental policy has always negotiated moral and environmental tradeoffs. Finding a balance between addressing the resource needs of communities and the well-being of planetary ecosystems is an ongoing dilemma. Balancing conflicting economic, conservation and climate objectives outlined in the UN Sustainable Development Goals can often feel like an overwhelming uphill struggle. Mindfulness, in addition to fostering patience and building fortitude to deal with disappointment and frustration, can also do something far more powerful: it can encourage us to view the world through the lens of a beginner's mind (Kabat-Zinn, 1991). Mindfulness can help us find and reconnect with the sense of enthusiasm, wonder and passion that brought us to the field of conservation in the first place.
T A B L E 4 Mindful practices for empathy and compassion-for both ourselves, for others, and for the world-can help conservation scientists combat the challenges of our work.

Practicing gratitude
Cicero called gratitude "not only the greatest one [virtue] but also the mother of all the other remaining virtues". In a seminal paper examining empirical research on the effects of gratitude, Emmons and Crumpler called gratitude "an emotion, a virtue, a moral sentiment, a motive, a coping response, a skill, and an attitude" (2000). Regular gratitude practice has been linked to greater demonstration of gratefulness through disposition, mood and affect (McCullough et al., 2004;Toepfer, et a., 2012), as well as demonstration of prosocial behaviors (Bartlett & DeSteno, 2006). By taking the time to reflect on people, things, and circumstances for which we are grateful in a daily gratitude journal or meditation, we can help reinforce our own sense of altruism-and thus create for ourselves a protective buffer against emotional overwhelm.

Lovingkindness meditation
A lovingkindness meditation is a beneficial practice to cultivate compassion both toward ourselves and others. Similar to self-compassion meditation, lovingkindness guides the practitioner to offer love to ourselves, others, and the larger world. A mantra, or a repeated phrase or word, allows a focused attention and calls for an appreciation of the interconnectedness of all life forms. A lovingkindness mantra may involve such phrases as: "May you/we be happy, healthy, free, and safe from suffering." Starting with the self and expanding outward to include all living creatures, conservation scientists may use this powerful meditation when feeling disconnected, disengaged or disheartened.

| Mindfulness practices for conservation scientists
Mindfulness emphasizes present moment awareness. These practices can modulate how we are often not present in the moment but instead review the past with thoughts of pleasure or pain, or project onto the future feelings of eagerness or dread (Smyth, 2012). For example, in a negotiation when one feels threatened, the most common impulse is to retaliate. "Mindfulness helps us to insert a "wedge of awareness," which allows us to examine [the retaliation] impulse" and determine if an alternate response would be more likely to foster value creation and understanding (Riskin, 2006; Table 3). Mindfulness practices such as empathy and mindful communication can enable people with different perspectives to communicate honestly and calmly, which helps build rapport and trust among stakeholders (Rosenberg, 2002;Williams et al., 2021). Practicing empathy in particular can increase public tolerance and compassion toward wildlife, improve listening skills, and help resolve environmental conflicts more broadly or in conservation communication in general (Kansky & Maassarani, 2022). In addition, practices such as empathy and deep listening have been shown to support effective pathways of knowledge to action in conservation science, improve communication, and engender collaborative relationships (Carr Kelman et al., 2022;Gerber et al., 2020). These practices can also facilitate more meaningful, inclusive, and equitable conservation processes (Williams et al., 2021). Inclusivity means recognizing that local and indigenous communities also experience ecological grief as they bear witness to dramatic environmental change; these upheavals impact livelihoods and challenge traditional ecological knowledge such as weather prediction (Cunsolo & Ellis, 2018). By mindfully recognizing our shared ecogrief (Pihkala, 2019), we can foster greater solidarity as we address ecological challenges together (Table 4).
In conclusion, collaborative ecological stewardship requires open dialogue, respect, and trust between multiple stakeholders. Conservation scientists themselves report that the ability to empathize-deep listening, understanding and accepting different perspectivesallows researchers to engage more openly with other stakeholders, particularly those who hold valuable knowledge that can improve environmental outcomes. Mindful approaches, such as empathy, are essential when working in the field, helping scientists resolve conflicts and find common ground with decision-makers (Gerber et al., 2020). Studies show that practicing mindfulness can significantly improve social cohesion among groups; recognizing that mutual understanding is a cornerstone of team-building (Crace & Hardy, 1997). Mindfulness can help us cultivate compassion and gratitude-which in turn reminds us of the myriad reasons to hope for a better future.