UNITED STATES: Being consistent in engaging in mindful exercises aids in rejuvenating the mental health of people, as per a study conducted and incorporated in the journal “PLoS One” Susan Hagness, a professor of electrical and computer engineering and one of the co-contributors to the study, stated, “Because of the state of graduate student mental health nationally, there’s a tangible need for a concrete intervention like this”.
She also added, “How do we help our students develop resiliency and a really robust toolbox, both professional and personal, to flourish in an environment where there’s inevitably going to be stress? We’re getting the word out that investing in self-care is important, and it’s normal.”
This study was done by UW-Madison research, and it involved 215 people over six semesters. They participated in an hour-long, professional mindfulness training program once a week for two months, where they explored the six aspects of emotional style, and inculcated ways to harbour emotional well-being and mental peace, through cognitive skills and techniques. Students reported better mental health and an optimistic outlook on life. They also added that they were able to handle stress and anxiety more effectively.
Graduate students in engineering got the most out of the programme because it gave them a chance to meet other graduate students. Though the study was based on engineering students, researchers believed that anyone and everyone, irrespective of their academic pursuits, can benefit from practising mindfulness.
Pelin Kesebir, an honorary fellow with the Centre for Healthy Minds and the study co-contributor, mentioned, “What was beautiful is that we saw a consistent pattern of results across all of the cohorts we did this study with.”
Practising mindfulness involves being in a tranquil environment, reconnecting with oneself, and engaging in activities like meditation, yoga, or prayer. Employee development activities are incorporated by important corporate groups like Intel, Nike, General Mills, Target, etc. as an imperative step in handling stress and anxiety in the workplace.
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