Student Corner

MPU Hosted Mindfulness Workshop to Improve Students’ Sleep Quality and Reduce Stress

To enhance the mental and physical well-being of university students and cultivate a healthy campus culture, the Student Affairs Office of Macao Polytechnic University hosted a Mindfulness Experience Workshop. A certified instructor from the UK Oxford Mindfulness Centre was invited to introduce the concept of mindfulness and guide students through various mindfulness practices, helping them to relieve stress, regulate emotions, and appreciate the beauty in life.

Mindfulness has ancient roots in Eastern philosophies and was later introduced and developed by Western scholars. In recent years, it has received substantial support from psychological research demonstrating its significant effects in improving insomnia, reducing stress and anxiety, and enhancing focus and self-awareness. The workshop consisted of a wide variety of content, including introduction of mindfulness concepts and applications, mindful breathing exercises, mindful eating experiences, body scanning practices, and gratitude exercises.

Students participating in the workshop expressed how they felt very comfortable and relaxed during the mindful breathing process, helping to slow down the perceived passage of time, and even falling asleep. While practising body scanning, they were able to pay more attention to their physical conditions and changes, learning to accept their feelings without judgment. This helped to relax them both mentally and physically, and they have decided to apply mindfulness into their daily lives and practise it regularly.