From meditation to adult coloring books—what we can do, and why it matters

By Amber Foster, Ph.D. – April 8, 2020

Last week, I noticed a link going around all my social media circles: a free online course, offered by Yale University, on the “Science of Well Being.” The course’s strategies for increased happiness are no surprise; they include “eating properly, getting enough sleep, being kind, connecting with others, valuing time, meditating, getting more sleep, and exercising.” Common sense advice, although—as the course disclaimer indicates—easier said than done.

It’s unsurprising that the course’s website, last I checked, had over 30 million recent views. In times of crisis, we look for ways to reduce stress, improve our happiness, and—since we can’t go out—focus our energies inwards.

Similarly, since the emergency shift to online instruction, many of us have sought out ad-hoc methods for reducing our students’ stress, whether synchronously (during class time) or asynchronously (via social media and discussion boards).[1] Some of the strategies I’ve seen making the rounds include:

  • Spending the first ten minutes of class doing reflective or creative writing
  • “Show and Tell”: sharing pictures of pets, craft projects, or other staying-at-home hobbies
  • Captioning an image, à la The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest.
  • Coloring in adult coloring books
  • Guided meditation or breathing exercises
  • Yoga or stretching

These strategies are nothing new. For decades, scholars have argued that paying more attention to student well-being can improve learning outcomes for undergraduates. This is especially true for Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) techniques, such as guided meditation and yoga. One recent study found that MBSR (sometimes called “contemplative pedagogy”) proved “successful in reducing student stress, increasing engagement and meaningfulness in the classroom.”[2] Others have argued that MBSR can be transformative, providing avenues for the expression of kindness and compassion—for others, and for ourselves.[3]

That said, we must be cautious in applying any mindfulness technique to our classes. In some cases, meditation may aggravate trauma, or exacerbate pre-existing mental health conditions.[4] In addition, many of us lack sufficient training or expertise in properly conducting guided meditation. I therefore recommend using your best judgement about what kinds of stress-reduction activities will work best for you and your students, depending on your unique teaching context.

For my own classes in writing and critical reasoning, for example, I’ve found it most useful to begin with a ten-minute creative writing prompt, or freewrite. “What are you grateful for today?” I ask. “What’s helping you to cope?” Students can respond in any way they choose—whether it be a list, a poem, or traditional prose. They then have the opportunity to share with each other, either in writing (via a discussion board), or verbally (via a breakout group). In my experience, freewriting begins class on a positive note, while simultaneously illustrating how writing can serve as a coping mechanism in times of crisis.

We all have to find ways to “keep calm and carry on.” I personally believe it’s worthwhile to incorporate stress-reduction techniques into our online classes, even if our efforts are imperfect or improvised. The resources below should get you started, should you wish to give it a try:

Campus Resources

Other Resources

 

[1] Of course, we can also reduce the stress on our students by adjusting the course infrastructure (things like creating more flexible deadlines and reducing homework), although that is not my focus here.

[2] Tollefson, Michelle, et al. “Effectiveness of Student-Led Stress Reduction Activities in the Undergraduate Classroom on Perceived Student Stress.” College Student Journal, vol. 52, no. 4, 2018, pp. 506. Gale Academic OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A572402028/AONE?u=usocal_main&sid=AONE&xid=5b9f3bd9.

Accessed 5 Apr. 2020.

[3] Martin, Moira. “Mindfulness and Transformation in a College Classroom.” Adult Learning, vol. 29, no. 1, Feb. 2018, pp. 5–10, doi:10.1177/1045159517744752.

[4] Compson, Jane. “Meditation, Trauma and Suffering in Silence: Raising Questions About How Meditation Is Taught and Practiced in Western Contexts in the Light of a Contemporary Trauma Resiliency Model.” Contemporary Buddhism, vol. 15, no. 2, Routledge, July 2014, pp. 274–97, doi:10.1080/14639947.2014.935264.