The impact of mentality on health. study of hotel waitresses

Groundbreaking research explored how mindset or conscious perception about one's activities can directly influence physical health, even without changes in actual behavior.

This study, focusing on hotel maids, illustrates the power of mindfulness applied to the interpretation of daily work.

Context and Study Participants

The research was carried out in seven different hotels, with the participation of chambermaids.

Initially, the perception of these workers on the amount of physical exercise they performed was evaluated.

Surprisingly, one-third of them felt that they did not exercise at all, while two-thirds felt that they did not exercise regularly, despite the physically demanding nature of their work.

As part of any rigorous research, several measures were taken to assess the participants' fitness level prior to the intervention.

Mindset Change Intervention

The core of the study consisted of changing the mentality of a group of these waitresses with respect to their work activity.

This experimental group was informed in detail that the work they performed daily - cleaning approximately fifteen rooms, vacuuming, scrubbing bathtubs, changing sheets - equaled or even exceeded the daily physical activity recommendations (30 minutes) proposed by health authorities such as the U.S. Surgeon General.

To make it more convincing, they were given specific information, such as that fifteen minutes of vacuuming burns about fifty calories, or that fifteen minutes of scrubbing surfaces burns about sixty calories. The control group was not given this information.

Surprising Results

Thirty days after this informative intervention, the health indicators of both groups were measured again.

The results were remarkable: el grupo de camareras a las que se les había informado que su trabajo era un buen ejercicio (el grupo experimental) había perdido, en promedio, casi un kilo de peso (dos libras) y su presión arterial había disminuido en 10 puntos. En general, presentaban una salud significativamente mejor.

Most importantly, these positive changes in health occurred without any changes in their actual behavior; they did not start exercising more outside of work or change their diet significantly.

The only change was his mentality: ahora se consideraban a sí mismas como personas que hacían ejercicio regularmente.

The Lesson of Mindfulness and Perception

This study underlines the importance of mindfulness understood as "noticing new things" and being aware of one's own activity and its meaning.

By simply changing the waitresses' perception of their work, viewing it as a valid form of exercise, measurable physical improvements occurred.

This demonstrates the profound impact that the mind and beliefs can have on the body and health.