Embodying Consciousness through Interoception and a Balanced Time Perspective.

This review presents current research and scientific knowledge in body mind sciences through the lens of interoception, as a representative of the body; and time perspective, as the representative of the mind. This intertwining dichotomy has been a subject of discourse in many fields, all having the common denominator of consciousness. Our aim is to expand on the congruities of these seemingly deconstructed worlds-of science and philosophy, of the body and the mind, to show that the place of consciousness lies in the zone between these two. Being aware of the body in the present moment. We introduce interoception and time perspective, focusing on how interoceptive signals are depicted in autonomic nervous system (ANS) regulation, and how this relates to the concept of a balanced time perspective (BTP), a highly adaptive psychological characteristic. Time perspective and interoception are also reviewed in the case of clinical conditions. We assess findings on interoceptive pathways in the body, finding convergence with balanced time perspective through the neuroanatomical lens. We conclude with findings that both dysregulated interoceptive states and a time perspective disbalance are recognized as defining features of mental disorders, proposing prospective practical therapeutic approaches, as well as implications for further research in the field.

A Balanced Time Perspective and Burnout Syndrome in the Corporate World.

Burnout syndrome is officially classified in the International Classification of Diseases as an occupational phenomenon resulting from chronic workplace stress. Each year it is having an increasingly negative impact on the mental and physical health of employees, as well as on health costs and business performance. With this study, we aim at verifying whether there is a greater propensity for burnout depending on an individual's time perspective, based on the framework of Christina Maslach's burnout syndrome theory (consisting of three burnout dimensions), and Phillip Zimbardo's Time Perspective (consisting of five distinct temporal profiles). Within the time perspective construct, we focused on an indicator of temporal adaptation, referred to as a Balanced Time Perspective (BTP). We used the Maslach Burnout Inventory and the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory on a sample of 129 Polish corporate employees. We found that two dimensions of burnout (emotional exhaustion and feelings of personal achievement) were significantly correlated to a balanced time perspective, while the third (depersonalization) did not pose a significant correlation. This underlines the interrelationships between personality and burnout, which gives way to one possible solution towards the danger of burnout syndrome-balancing an individuals' time perspective through measures such as Time Perspective Therapy. We believe that the awareness of one's temporal profile gives way to supplement gaps in one time perspective, while deterring the excessive effects of another, resulting in a more balanced time perspective, greater mental health and protection from burnout syndrome.