Mindfulness and Academia
“The programme was very useful in highlighting how I can manage my response to the overwhelm and in noticing that the tasks are not inherently negative, but they are made negative due to my anxious response.
This has potentially made a difference for me in continuing the PhD rather than quit.”
This was one very satisfying piece of feedback following a mindfulness-based programme designed and delivered for PhD students. You can read more on my Teaching Matters blog post for the University of Edinburgh.
https://www.teaching-matters-blog.ed.ac.uk/mindfulness-based-wellbeing-for-doctoral-students/
But can mindfulness play a role in Academia beyond wellbeing?
“It helped me focus, think, be more creative and productive.”
Whilst mindfulness is widely understood to be associated with individual wellbeing, there is a growing body of scientific evidence to support other performance-related benefits. And, whilst not the intention of this programme, some feedback suggested benefits such as enhanced creativity and ability to stay focussed.
With systematic reviews indicating benefits on prosocial and organisational citizenship behaviour, I am particularly curious about the role such an approach can play in cultivating a more values-driven, compassionate, innovative and open workplace culture. If you are a Higher Education institution interested in exploring this, please do get in contact.