1. Workshop 2

2. What we will cover in today’s workshop
FOCUS
Guided mindfulness activity
What is mindfulness? How is it useful?
THINK
What stops you from being mindful?
Mind traps and self kindness
Combatting common study problems using mindfulness
FINISH
Showing gratitude
How can you build a practice of mindfulness?
Wrap up and questions
Today’s workshop is designed to be interactive, and also introspective.

3. ACTIVITY – Five senses exercise
We are going to start with a short mindfulness activity.
ACTIVITY – Five senses exercise
The five senses exercise allows participants to open up to the idea of mindfulness with their eyes open. Follow the following order:
Notice 5 things that you can see. Look for things that you normally would not notice. Try not to disturb anyone elses concentration.
Notice 4 things that you can feel. Concentrate to really notice what it is that you can feel. Be specific in your observation.
Notice 3 things that you can hear. Listen intently. What is it that you can hear? Are you hearing unexpected sounds?
Notice 2 things that you can smell. Draw your focus back to the things that you normally filter out.
Notice 1 thing in your mouth that you can taste. If you find this one hard, you can open your mouth to see if you can taste/experience the air.

4. Do you ever….. MINDFULNESS Feel confused? Helps to improve clarity
Feel disconnected from yourself, and the world around you?
Feel like everything is going too fast?
Find it hard to concentrate?
Have trouble relaxing or sleeping?
Feel stressed?
MINDFULNESS
Helps to improve clarity
Increases body and environmental awareness
Allows to you slow things down, ‘take stock’
Boosts concentration
Aids relaxation
Helps you cope with stress

5. Discussion What do you think of when I say ‘MINDFULNESS’?
There is more to mindfulness than meditation
Mindfulness is focussing our attention
It should be practiced with an attitude of non-judgemental acceptance.
It is not just ‘a relaxation exercise’ or a way to avoid things.
MINDFULNESS is the nonjudgmental observation of the ongoing stream of internal and external stimuli as they arise. (Baer 2003, p. 125)

6. How can I use mindfulness for study?
In preparation for study
To get more out of study time through reduced distractions
To allow you to transition from study – sleep
Focussing on the present improves concentration and retention
Reduce anxiety around test/exam situations
Boost confidence through visualisations/mental holidays

7. COMMON STUDY PROBLEM – ‘I can’t seem to focus’
Do you have a ‘monkey mind?’
Mindfulness is about FOCUS
THOUGHTS - ACTIONS - RESULTS
Your results will reflect your thinking
Are your actions getting in the way of your results?
Is your thinking taking you further away from, or closer to the results you want?
ACTIVITY – COME BACK
Where else could you use this technique?
Focus on sitting where you are now and on your breath. Quietly think about how you feel as you sit in the chair. Be as present as you possibly can in the current moment. Any time you feel your mind wandering, gently remind yourself to ‘COME BACK’.

8. ACTIVITY – Breath river
COMMON STUDY PROBLEM – ‘I feel overwhelmed’
Noticing the ‘HERE and NOW’.
Is there a difference between thoughts and feelings?
How do you centre yourself when you are being pulled in many directions?
ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS – Breath River.
Bring your awareness to what you are doing, thinking and sensing in this moment.
Take a moment to notice the thoughts that come up, and acknowledge your feelings. Think of them as constantly flowing. Let them flow and pass.
Take a moment to acknowledge where you are at, in this current moment.
The goal of this activity is to focus the mind again on the breath. Be aware of the movement of your body with each breath. Notice the rise and fall of your chest, the in and out of your belly and the expansion of your lungs. Look for the pattern. Notice the pattern in your breath, and be present with it. Try to just focus on the breath.
Now, allow your focus to expand to other sensations you are feeling in your body. Is there any tension? Any lightness?
Bring your focus back to the breath.
If at any point you feel your mind wandering – gently remind yourself to ‘come back’

9. COMMON STUDY PROBLEM – ‘I procrastinate’
Do you have trouble ‘getting started’
Do you leave things to the last minute?
Procrastination can be due to underestimation, overestimation, cognitive distortion or intolerance of uncertainty.
Remember…..Mindfulness is about FOCUS
Procrastination is linked to emotional-regulation, which is linked to mindfulness.
THOUGHTS - FEELINGS - ACTIONS
ACTIVITY – Mindful awareness and acceptance
Get students to think about the next deadline they have coming up.
Or think about something they have been procrastinating about. Notice the feelings as they arise around the situation. This is about taking a non-judgemental approach. Procrastination is task avoidance, because we don’t like what we are doing. When we are able to notice the emotional response without a judgemental response, we are better placed to move ourselves in the direction of the task, and therefore getting it done.

10. COMMON STUDY PROBLEM – ‘I don’t know what I have to do’
Mindfulness is about FOCUS
THOUGHTS - ACTIONS - RESULTS
Your results will reflect your thinking
Are your actions getting in the way of your results?
Is your thinking taking you further away from, or closer to the results you want?
ACTIVITY – Sorting it out
THOUGHTS
SENSATIONS
EMOTIONS
This activity uses the image of 3 boxes
SET A TIMER FOR 3 MINUTES
Focus on breath. Without trying to change it.
2. Notice thoughts as they arise. Sensations and emotions also will come into your awareness.
3. Imagine there are 3 boxes in your mind, labelled as they are above
4. Continue to focus on the breath, and observe anything that comes into your mind.
5. Identify these things and sort them into the corresponding boxes.
6. Keep sorting until you hear the timer ring.
You should feel a sense of clarity around what it is you are dealing with. You will then be able to assess what you don’t know, and look for the appropriate resources you need. This exercise should leave you feeling empowered, and even if you still don’t know what it is you need to do, you will be in a position to more proactively search for it.

11. COMMON STUDY PROBLEM – ‘I don’t have time/I don’t like the material’
Mindfulness is about ……
Is it your mind that doesn’t like it, or your body?
ACTIVITY – BODY SCAN
Sit comfortably.
Think of something you don’t like.
Allow yourself to feel the sensation of utter dislike/hating something
Notice what is happening in your body. Where is this manifesting itself physically for you?
Observe the intensity of these feelings. Be careful not to judge them – you are merely observing
BRING COMPASSION TO THESE FEELINGS. Recognise that what you are feeling is natural. It is ok to feel this. Try to understand what you are feeling
Release the feelings. As you release the physical feelings, allow yourself to let go of the dislike.

12. COMMON STUDY PROBLEM – ‘I’m not a good student’
Automatic thoughts and mind traps
That mindfulness focus sentence…..again….
THOUGHTS - FEELINGS - BEHAVIOUR
ACTIVITY – CHALLENGING THOUGHTS
Where else could you use this technique?
This activity is based on CBT and looking at the evidence that underpin the thoughts we are telling ourselves.
Think of something that you tell yourself often. Something negative.
Where is the evidence that suggests that this is true?
Thinking something doesn’t make it true, nor mean that it will happen.

13. TRAP
DEFINITION/EXAMPLE
Fortune telling
Making predictions – usually negative ones!
Black and white/All or nothing
I missed one class, I will fail the whole course
Mind-reading
Believing we know what others think, and assuming this is the worst
Generalising
‘Always’ ‘Never’
Filtering
Seeing all the negatives in glorious detail, but filtering out any positives
Catastrophising
If I don’t answer everything I will fail and never get a degree, or a job, or….
‘Should’ statements
Should, Must, Ought to – but what is ACTUAL.

14. The power of self-talk……
SITUATION
Assessment deadline
THOUGHT
‘I’ve got a plan to get it finished. I will talk to my tutor if I need to and get some help’
FEELING
Calm
Scared and Anxious
‘I’m never going to get that done. I have no idea what to do. I will just end up failing.

15. So, what are you saying to yourself?

16. QUESTION: Do you ever criticise yourself to try and motivate yourself?
ACTIVITY: REPLACING FEAR WITH KINDNESS
Think about something that you criticise yourself about.
Think of the language that you use to talk to yourself. Be as honest as you can with what you say.
Look at the words on the page. Would you use the same wording with someone you care about?
How could you change this language to motivate you in a kinder manner?

17. At the end, it is important to reward yourself.
FINISH…..
BE GRATEFUL
At the end, it is important to reward yourself.
This can be done in many ways, but a gratitude journal is a good one.
Quiet contemplation another good one
Saying ‘Thank you’ to your supporters
Appreciating yourself

18. So, how can you incorporate mindfulness into your own study?

19. What we have covered in today’s workshop
FOCUS
5 senses task
Breath river
‘Come back’
THINK
Mindfulness for procrastination
Mindfulness for when you aren’t sure what to do
Mindfulness for deadlines/things we don’t enjoy
Avoiding thought traps
Replacing negativity with kindness
FINISH
Giving thanks
Today’s workshop is designed to be interactive, and also introspective.