How Do I Incorporate Mindfulness & Stress Reduction?
Take a “Brain Break” during class sessions and encourage students to take a break from the class content, interact with classmates, stretch or engage in movement, or practice a breathing exercise. Having a consistent break time each class session helps students be aware there is a break coming and focus more intently during class. • Provide a “Mindful Minute” at the beginning of class or before exams in which you allow students to optionally engage in deep breathing techniques or a short meditation. • Encourage quick periods of movement for students to stretch, move around, or take a brief walk outside before resuming the material. • Incorporate mindfulness activities during highly stressful times, such as before an exam or during midterms or final exams, for example with a Counseling Center mindfulness workshop, or by encouraging students to visit a museum or a quiet space outdoors. • Give students advance notice about which assignments may be more challenging or take longer to complete in order to reduce last- minute stress and help students plan ahead. • Consider granting an extension on an assignment to the entire class if one or more students have asked for one. If one student is overwhelmed and asks for an extension, it is likely that others feel the same way but might
Illustration: Jude Boudon
Mindfulness is the practice of being fully present and attentive to one’s inner thoughts and surroundings in an open, non- judgmental way (Kabat-Zinn, 2015). Mindfulness has been linked to many aspects of well-being, from improving memory and testing performance, reducing stress, and encouraging better physical health (Bonamo, Legerski, & Thomas, 2015; Kerrigan et al., 2017). Mindfulness practices 16 have also been shown to assist in the adjustment and reduction of physiological stress levels in first-year college students (Ramler, Tennison, Lynch, & Murphy, 2016) and to be associated with greater psychological health and self-compassion among college students (Bergen-Cico, Possemato, & Cheon, 2013
not feel comfortable asking for one. • Encourage student to self-care when discussing sensitive topics. It might be helpful to let students know ahead of time if you will address areas that may be challenging or traumatic. Encourage students to take classroom breaks as needed to take care of themselves.
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