34 Mindfulness
Learning Objectives
In this section, you will:
- Understand mindfulness and its benefits to college students
- Learn about on-campus events and resources for mindfulness practice
- Learn about online mindfulness practice resources
What is Mindfulness?
What is mindfulness? [Adapted from Rogers, 2016; Smalley & Winston, 2010]
Basically, mindfulness is about awareness. Specifically, it is about being aware of the present moment, or bringing our attention to the present moment. It’s being aware of what is happening right now in your present-moment experience in a way that is curious, accepting, and non-judgmental. Learning to observe your present-moment experiences in this way, learning to bring your mind to the present, whatever is happening, can be very helpful in dealing with challenges and stress. With practice, you can act with more choice and less reactivity. But, as with any art or skill, consistent practice is the key – aim for every day (but don’t be self-critical if you sometimes miss). You can try the body scan and/or breath awareness meditation on the video below if you’d like; each is under five minutes. There are more meditations on the free Apps listed below. And see the Practice Anytime & Anywhere suggestions below as well!
Unveil Benefits of Mindfulness
Research studies have highlighted the benefits of mindfulness practice in areas such as depression, anxiety, sleep disturbances, self-compassion, life satisfaction, and burnout (Mackenzie et al., 2006; Shapiro et al., 2005). In particular, college students can greatly benefit from mindfulness practice for both psychological and physical well-being, as well as academic achievement.
Research studies have consistently shown that college students who practiced mindfulness demonstrated enhanced self-regulation skills (MacDonald, 2021), an increase in self-efficacy and resilience (Vidic & Cherup, 2019), improved attention (Lindsay & Creswell, 2017), better adjustment to college life, and improved academic performance (Britt, 2011). They also experienced increased productivity (Kerrigan et al, 2017). Additionally, mindfulness has been shown to help college students reduce performance anxiety and general anxiety (Diaz, 2018; Stein, 2017), alleviate both overall and academic-related stress, depression (Deckro et al., 2002; Oman et al., 2008; Shapiro et al., 1998), as well as reduce psychological distress (Deckro et al., 2002).
The Impacts of Mindfulness on LaGuardia Students
In a research study conducted with LaGuardia students, students who practiced mindfulness regularly showed significantly higher levels of concentration, self-compassion, along with reduced anxiety levels compared to those who did not practice mindfulness.
Let’s Practice
Practice Mindfulness: Anytime & Anywhere
Hard to find time to add mindfulness? No worries! You can practice mindfulness anytime anywhere. Whether between classes, standing in line at a cafeteria, on a subway, during a break at work, or even while walking across campus, you can practice mindfulness. While you stand in line, for instance, focus on your present surroundings, observe the sensation of your feet on the ground, the sound and sights around you, and the rhythm of your breath. During a break, observe your in and out breath, acknowledging any thoughts without judgmental and letting them pass. Mindfulness practice does not require special equipment or settings. It only requires your presence!
- Practice with LaGuardia students
Join the weekly Zoom mindfulness sessions held on Wednesdays at 8:00-8:30pm and Thursdays at 12:00-12:30 pm. Each session is conducted by certified mindfulness trainers. Register today to join and receive weekly reminders.
In addition, the campus hosts various mindfulness events, such as “Pop-Up Mindfulness” each semester. Events and details can be found on the Campus Event Calendar
Upon request from instructors, the LaGuardia Mindfulness Corps visits classes to introduce and demonstrate mindfulness practices, followed by a discussion with a Q/A session.
- Practice on your own anytime anywhere
Download free mindfulness practice on your phone:
How We Can Help
As you pay attention to your inner self in the present moment, you may experience negative emotions that have been disconnected from you. Those emotions are often unnoticed as they are too painful, yet, they influence the way we feel about ourselves and relate to others, and our life in general.
If you find it overwhelming and difficult to experience such emotions, you are invited to consider working with a mental health professional at the Wellness Center. They will guide you to gradually touch and process overwhelming and distressing emotions in a safe and empowering way. The service is offered to all current LaGuardia students for free. Please contact at WellnessCenter@lagcc.cuny.edu to schedule an appointment.
References
Britt, M. E. (2011). Effect of a mindfulness intervention on community college students’ writing apprehension and writing performance [ProQuest Information & Learning]. In Dissertation Abstracts International Section A: Humanities and Social Sciences (Vol. 72, Issue 10–A, p. 3599).
Deckro, G.R., Ballinger, K.M., Hoyt, M., Wilcher, M., Dusek, J., Myers, P., Greenberg, B., Rosenthal, D.S. & Benson, H. (2002). The evaluation of a mind/body intervention to reduce psychological distress and perceived stress in college students. Journal of American College Health, 50, 281-287
Diaz, F. M. (2018). Relationships among meditation, perfectionism, mindfulness, and performance anxiety among collegiate music students. Journal of Research in Music Education, 66(2), 150–167. https://doi-org.laguardia.ezproxy.cuny.edu/10.1177/0022429418765447
Kerrigan D, Chau V, King M, Holman E, Joffe A, Sibinga E. (2017). There is no performance, there is just this moment: The role of mindfulness instruction in promoting health and well-being among students at a highly-ranked university in the united states. Journal of Evidence- Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine, 22(4), 909-918. doi: 10.1177/2156587217719787
Lindsay, E. & Creswell, J. D. (2017). Mechanisms of mindfulness training: Monitor and acceptance theory. Clinical Psychology Review, 51(2), 48-59.
MacDonald, H. Z. (2021). Associations of five facets of mindfulness with self-regulation in college students. Psychological Reports, 124(3), 1202-1219. https://doi.org/10.1177/0033294120937438
Mackenzie, C.S., Poulin, P.A. & Seidman-Carlson, R. (2006). A brief-mindfulness based stress reduction intervention for nurses and nurse aides. Nursing Research, 19, 105- 109
Oman, D., Shapiro, S.L., Thoresen, C.E., Plante, T.G., & Flinders, T. (2008). Meditation lowers stress and supports forgiveness among college students: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of American College Health. 56, 569-578
Rogers, H. (2016). The mindful twenty-something. New Harbinger.
Shapiro, S.L., Astin, J.A., Bishop, S.R. & Caordova, M. (2005). Mindfulness-based stress reduction for health care professionals: Results from a randomized trial. International Journal of Stress Management, 12, 164-276
Shapiro, S.L., Schwartz, G.E., & Bonner, G. (1998). Effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction on medical and premedical students. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 21, 581-599
Smalley, S. and D. Winston (2010). Fully present: The science, art, and practice of mindfulness. DaCapo.
Stein, S. D. (2017). Impact of a 3-minute mindfulness-based exercise on anxiety and academic performance [ProQuest Information & Learning]. In Dissertation Abstracts International: Section B: The Sciences and Engineering (Vol. 78, Issue 1–B(E)).
Vidic, Z., & Cherup, N. (2019). Mindfulness in the classroom: Effect of a mindfulnessbased relaxation class on college students stress, resilience, self-efficacy, and perfectionism. College Student Journal, 53(1), 130-142.
