Why Mindfulness?
Mental health problems on university campuses are on the rise, with around 87% of students reporting suffering from stress (National Union of Students, 2016). We believe that practice mindfulness may offer some support to students to help them navigate student life and manage stress.
Effects of Mindfulness
“I do feel less stressed… I might have a pile of problems… but taking that time [for] myself [to be] mindful… make[s] me feel better.” (L., student)
Please note that these effects are not guaranteed as each individual’s experience with mindfulness is different and neither are they, nor mindfulness, intended to be a replacement for seeking medical advice.
For Students
- Multiple benefits for students (Solhaug et al., 2016)
- Act to reduce stress, depression and anxiety (Cavanagh et al, 2013; de Vibe et al., 2015; Kerrigan et al., 2017)
- Help reduce distractibility (Miller et al., 2018)
- Lower social anxiety (Tan et al., 2016)
- Improve sleep problems (Greeson et al., 2014)
- Mindfulness can act as a preventative measure, as a “defense” against future stress (de Vibe et al., 2015)
For Staff
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For a College
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Many universities throughout the UK now offer mindfulness programmes to students. Taking part in Planning for Calm and promoting development of mindfulness skills amongst your students could help to demonstrate a concrete concern and action for improving student wellbeing within your college.