Mindfulness and Studying
Mindfulness is an inner attitude in which people try to perceive themselves and the outside world with all their senses. They focus on the present moment and encounter it consciously—but without evaluating it, themselves or their environment.
Many people find this quite difficult as their thoughts tend to dwell on the past or they are preoccupied with the future or upcoming events. They often draw conclusions about the here and now from the past or (possibly) the future.
Mindfulness for people with depression, psychosis, or trauma experience
People who suffer from depression or have a tendency toward psychosis and schizophrenia should only engage in mindfulness and mindfulness techniques under the supervision of a psychotherapist. Parallel therapeutic support is also advisable for those who have experienced trauma.
Mindfulness and Buddhism
The concept of mindfulness originates from Buddhism. The Buddhist philosophy of life states that human suffering arises from ignorance—but can be overcome. That is why Buddhists strive to free themselves from negative feelings. They view all beings and things without judging them as they are convinced that this is the way to minimize suffering for themselves and others.
Meditation plays a crucial role in achieving this holistic state of being in Buddhism. Focusing on one's own breath during meditation, for example, serves to calm the mind and experience inner balance.
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
In the late 1970s, molecular biologist Jon Kabat-Zinn developed a comprehensive medical training program for stress management based on the Buddhist concept of mindfulness: Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR).
The MBSR program has since been repeatedly tested in various studies. Today, Jon Kabat-Zinn's mindfulness training is considered scientifically proven and its effectiveness in reducing stress has been demonstrated.
MBSR courses usually last several weeks. In weekly sessions, various mindfulness techniques are introduced and practiced in a group setting. Without any religious background, the program aims to help participants understand their personal cycle of stress and tension.
Participants learn relaxation techniques such as body scan, meditation, mindful yoga, and walking. They also try out strategies for approaching their own thoughts and feelings as well as their environment with more serenity and mindfulness.
“Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally.”
Mindfulness-based relaxation techniques
- Body scan
The body scan meditation is a form of mindfulness meditation. As it involves observing sensations in different parts of your body, it helps you train your awareness of your body and get in touch with it step by step. To do this, your perception is systematically directed from one part of the body to another, usually from head to toe. The practice is used to promote relaxation and present-moment awareness as you become more aware of any tension, sensations, and feelings that show up in your body. - Breathing exercises
It is often said that our breath mirrors our mind or even our soul. When you are stressed, you actually breathe more shallowly, quickly, and irregularly. Conscious breathing techniques exercises can help you remain calmer in stressful situations. They also efficiently strengthen the respiratory system. - Meditation
Meditation techniques are used to consciously control individual attention. They help you perceive your breath, sounds, thoughts, and feelings in the present moment and to calm them. Meditation can be practiced while sitting or lying down and can vary in length.
However, please note that in certain cases, intensive meditation can also trigger severe psychological side effects. Physicians and therapists emphasize that emotionally unstable individuals whose perception of themselves or their environment is distorted should not meditate or only do so under medical supervision.
- (Mindful) yoga
Yoga is a holistic practice that promotes well-being and can help reduce stress. It originated in India and includes physical exercises, breathing techniques, and meditative practices. There are many different forms of yoga. Some have a more athletic focus, while others emphasize the connection between body and mind. Mindful yoga attempts to combine physical exercises with an awareness of one's own breathing. - Progressive muscle relaxation
Progressive muscle relaxation is easy to learn and the effectiveness of its exercises has been scientifically proven. It involves consciously tensing and relaxing different groups of muscles one after the other. The aim is to achieve a state of complete relaxation. - Gratitude rituals
Gratitude rituals can serve as a helpful tool for becoming more aware of the positive things in your life. For example, if you write down something you are grateful for in a journal every day, your perspective may change over time. Expressing gratitude spontaneously (and out loud) in your daily life can also help shift your perspective.
Benefits of mindfulness for your studies
Mindfulness can help you experience the present moment more consciously, leading to physical and mental relaxation and calmness. Yet, a mindful attitude toward the challenges of everyday life has even more benefits—especially when studying:
- Self-awareness and self-acceptance
Through mindfulness, we learn to perceive ourselves and our environment better. Over time, we also become more aware of our personal boundaries and situations that do us no good. This concept of self-care is based on treating yourself with love and kindness and is particularly valuable when it comes to overcoming challenges—for example, during your studies. - Strengthening compassion and empathy
Mindful communication helps us to put ourselves in the other person's shoes—those who listen consciously, let the other person finish speaking and do not judge immediately, learn to see things from multiple perspectives. It becomes easier to accept other opinions and to speak and discuss respectfully with others even when you have different positions. - Stress resistance
Mindfulness creates awareness of existing negative thought patterns. Only when you recognize them can you let them go. Various relaxation techniques can also help to better cope with exam anxiety and performance pressure in the long term. - Mood and state of mind
Mindfulness can help us recognize and focus on our emotions. This can help us reduce negative emotions from the past or about the future.
- Physical health
Mindfulness has proven positive effects on physical health—for example, it lowers blood pressure and cortisol levels (stress hormone). The immune system also becomes more robust and sleep problems are reduced. This is particularly important during exam periods. - Time management
Mindful planning and prioritization of tasks is best achieved without pressure and with a lot of self-care—by ensuring that recreational breaks are given the same importance as focused learning phases. - Make good use of learning phases
Learning mindfully means focusing on the task at hand and working through your to-do list step by step. If thoughts do arise, it is worth consciously spending a defined amount of time dealing with them instead of dismissing them as distractions. Otherwise, the thoughts will persist in the background and become permanent. - Increased concentration
Practicing mindfulness exercises can improve the attention span in the long term. Mindful people have learned to focus on the present and the tasks at hand. Thus, concentration during a learning phase increases. It has also been scientifically proven that media multitasking, i.e. the concurrent use of multiple digital media streams, in particular, has a negative effect on the ability to concentrate (Minds and brains of media multitaskers).
Services for students
In many cases, mindfulness can be a good remedy for dealing with stress. But there are also situations where you need more than just being mindful of the present moment. Financial worries, strokes of fate, or (chronic) illnesses require a more comprehensive response and possibly ongoing medical support.
Students can find counseling services at the University of Mannheim and at cooperating institutions. Family physicians are also a good first point of contact and can refer you to specialists if necessary.
Disclaimer: We would like to use these pages to shed light on the topic of mental health and studying. Our staff members in the various departments and institutions of the university are committed to ensuring that you remain physically and mentally healthythroughout your studies. To help you achieve this, we provide some helpful ideas and recommendations on the following pages. We also list contact persons and counseling services offered by the university or external organizations. Please note, however, that the information, tips, and recommendations provided are not a substitute for psychotherapy or medical treatment. For this reason, you will also find information and links to therapeutic services and emergency assistance outside the University of Mannheim.
We would also appreciate any comments and feedback on the pages at onlineredaktionuni-mannheim.de.
