Mindfulness in Action: How Innovative and Inclusive Climates Affect Proactive Behaviors Through Mental Toughness

In competitive sports, formal athletes' proactive behaviors are crucial for their on-stream performance. Recent studies suggest mindfulness training and mental toughness can enhance athletes' performance, but their impact on sustained proactive behaviors remains unclear. Considering the team's psychological climate, our study explores how innovative and inclusive climates moderate the relationship between mindfulness, mental toughness, and proactive behaviors. A cross-sectional survey of 483 formal athletes in China was conducted, employing structural equation modeling to test hypotheses. Results indicate that mindfulness enhances proactive behaviors indirectly through mental toughness. An innovative climate positively moderates the indirect relationship and reverses in direct, while an inclusive climate does not. The study contributes to sports psychology by establishing an integrated model of mindfulness-driven proactive behavior, revealing differentiated moderation paths through mental toughness, and providing practical insights for optimizing team climates to foster proactive behaviors.