About Mindfulness

How often do you take a moment from your day to just be still? Stillness can be found in the absence of movement, in our quiet thoughts, listening to calming sounds, being aware of our deep breathing, and many other practices. These intentional practices and exercises are a form of mindfulness. Mindfulness is a contemplative practice that helps address many mental health-related symptoms such as stress, anxiety, or insomnia.

As faculty we spend a lot of our time planning our courses, mentoring students through their academic and life stressors, grant writing, tackling research goals, working toward tenure, and the list goes on. Mindfulness invites us to slow down, check in with our thoughts, and pay attention to our bodies so we can give ourselves what we need in the moment.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness practices are used to reduce stress and when practiced helps build the muscle in our brains to being fully present. Get Started with Mindfulness to learn more about its practice and benefits. Join the DeStress Monday community for weekly mindfulness practices and meditation guides.

Try these Guided Meditation Practices offered by UCLA’s Mindful Awareness Research Center in various languages as a way to develop mindfulness in your daily experiences. When you are ready to build onto this mindfulness work try this 3-minute exercise for Breathing Meditation.

Online Learning Resources

For more self-directed learning on this topic, explore these courses offered by Linkedin Learning, available to you at no charge through the university. Please note that this isn’t an exhaustive list of courses on this topic. For more about LinkedIn Learning at Georgia State, visit the website of the Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learning & Online Education.