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European Journal of Applied Sciences – Vol. 12, No. 6
Publication Date: December 25, 2024
DOI:10.14738/aivp.126.17674.
Li, F., Wei, Y., Pan, L., Li, R., & Cui, W. (2024). From Stress to Creativity: The Application and Prospects of Mindfulness Training in
Graduate Students. European Journal of Applied Sciences, Vol - 12(6). 801-810.
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
From Stress to Creativity: The Application and Prospects of
Mindfulness Training in Graduate Students
Fengyi Li
Key Laboratory of Coastal Environment and
Resources of Zhejiang Province, School of Engineering,
Westlake University, Hangzhou, 310030, Zhejiang, China
Yanping Wei
Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study,
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences,
Hangzhou, 310024, Zhejiang, China
Lingli Pan
Key Laboratory of Coastal Environment and
Resources of Zhejiang Province, School of Engineering,
Westlake University, Hangzhou, 310030, Zhejiang, China
Rong Li
Key Laboratory of Coastal Environment and
Resources of Zhejiang Province, School of Engineering,
Westlake University, Hangzhou, 310030, Zhejiang, China
Weicheng Cui
Research Center for Industries of the Future,
Westlake University, Hangzhou, 310030, Zhejiang, China
ABSTRACT
Graduate students usually encounter various internal and external pressures that
significantly affect their mental and physical health and academic performance.
These stressors arise from poor mentor–student relationships, work–life
imbalance, financial stress and the pressure of postgraduate employment, often
leading to heightened levels of stress and anxiety. Mindfulness training, as an
effective psychological intervention, has emerged as a focal point in psychological
research because of its potential to improve graduate students' mental well-being
and academic outcomes. A growing body of literature indicates that mindfulness
practices can significantly reduce stress levels, alleviate negative emotions, and
improve overall academic performance. Furthermore, this review aims to explore
the under-researched area of mindfulness training's potential to foster creativity in
research. By integrating mindfulness into the academic environment, we propose
that it may serve as a catalyst for innovative thinking and problem-solving, thereby
offering a promising interdisciplinary avenue for future research. This exploration
not only underscores the importance of mindfulness in graduate students’ mental
health but also supports the inclusion of mindfulness training as a strategic
approach to enhance creativity and productivity among graduate students.
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Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom 802
European Journal of Applied Sciences (EJAS) Vol. 12, Issue 6, December-2024
Keywords: Mindfulness, Graduate students, Mental health, Academic creativity.
INTRODUCTION
Recently, increasing evidence has indicated that graduate students are facing severe mental
health crises, with anxiety and depression being particularly common [1-4]. For example,
graduate students are more than six times more likely to experience depression than the
general population is [2]. The primary causes of this crisis include poor mentor‒student
relationships [2, 5-8], work‒life imbalance [2, 7], financial stress [6, 8, 9] and the pressure of
postgraduate employment [10, 11]. These psychological stressors not only lead to anxiety,
stress, and burnout [12], as well as feelings of being overwhelmed and exhausted [1] but also
may result in decreased academic performance [13] and reduced creativity. Moreover,
excessive psychological stress has been closely linked to a greater prevalence of suicidal
behavior and self-harm [14]. As a result, poor mental health not only poses significant risks to
graduate students' overall well-being but also may have far-reaching negative impacts on their
personal development and academic achievements.
Some studies have shown that graduate students typically adopt two types of coping strategies
when dealing with stress: internal and external strategies [15]. Internal coping strategies
include seeking comfort through eating, watching entertainment, physical relaxation, exercise,
and sleep. The effectiveness of these methods largely depends on an individual's self-regulation
ability. In contrast, external coping strategies rely on external resources, such as obtaining
social support from friends, classmates, or family members or seeking professional
psychological counselling and therapy [12, 15]. When self-regulation strategies fail to alleviate
stress effectively, seeking professional help becomes crucial. A survey of more than 6,000
doctoral students worldwide by Nature Magazine revealed that as many as 36% of doctoral
students had sought psychological counselling to address anxiety and depression, but one-third
of them did not receive adequate psychological service support on campus. [16]. Additionally,
psychological counselling often entails high financial and time costs, limited availability of
services, and strict adherence requirements. As a result, graduate students frequently
encounter multiple barriers when accessing psychological support, including high fees, a lack
of time, concerns about confidentiality, worries about academic careers, limited counselling
sessions, stigma, long wait times, and insufficient awareness of available services [17-20]. In
addition to psychological counselling, psychological interventions aimed at managing stress are
also viable coping strategies. These interventions come in various forms, including
mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs), stress management training, and relaxation training.
MBIs have been shown to significantly improve mental health in clinical populations, alleviating
symptoms of anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and mental illness [21-24]. Additionally,
MBIs have demonstrated positive effects in nonclinical populations, such as increasing
attention, reducing stress, promoting emotional and physical well-being, boosting immune
function, and fostering self-compassion, empathy, and perspective-taking [25-30].
THE SCIENTIFIC DEFINITION AND METHODS OF MINDFULNESS TRAINING
In modern psychology, one of the most commonly cited definitions of mindfulness is "paying
attention, on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally, to the unfolding of
experience moment by moment" [31]. In this context, "nonjudgmentally" refers to an attitude
of acceptance. For mindfulness practitioners, acceptance of mindfulness does not mean passive
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Li, F., Wei, Y., Pan, L., Li, R., & Cui, W. (2024). From Stress to Creativity: The Application and Prospects of Mindfulness Training in Graduate Students.
European Journal of Applied Sciences, Vol - 12(6). 801-810.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/aivp.126.17674
resignation or fatalism [32]. Rather, it involves fully experiencing events without becoming
overly absorbed in or suppressing emotions. As a result, mindfulness is often viewed as an
effective strategy for addressing common psychological difficulties, which are frequently
characterized by avoidance, suppression, or overreaction to distressing thoughts and emotions
[33, 34]. By cultivating mindfulness, individuals develop a set of psychological tools that help
them better understand their mental and emotional patterns. Through nonjudgmental
awareness and acceptance, mindfulness practitioners can focus on the present moment rather
than dwelling on the past or worrying about the future.
Mindfulness training, as a clinical intervention, was originally pioneered by Jon Kabat-Zinn for
the treatment of chronic pain patients [35]. This approach has gradually evolved into the widely
applied mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program. Typically, MBSR consists of an 8-
week course with weekly sessions lasting approximately 2.5 hours each. MBSR incorporates
techniques such as meditation, body scanning, and breath regulation. Its core objective is to
cultivate present-moment awareness and a nonjudgmental mindset. The training of MBSR
includes both formal and informal mindfulness practices. The formal practice aims to enhance
focus and emotional regulation, involving activities such as body scanning (systematically
becoming aware of different body parts), mindful breathing (expanding awareness alongside
breath regulation), and mindful movement (e.g., mindful walking and gentle Hatha yoga).
Informal practices are integrated into daily life, such as practicing awareness during mindful
eating and communication [36-38]. Since the introduction of MBSR, other mindfulness-based
interventions have emerged, including mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) [39],
dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) [40] and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) [41].
These interventions have been widely applied to various clinical and nonclinical populations
and have demonstrated profound impacts on mental health [25, 42-44].
Mindfulness training must be adapted to fit the specific needs and backgrounds of different
populations [45]. Mindfulness programs for students have been gradually introduced in
educational settings to enhance academic performance and emotional well-being [31]. For
graduate students, classic mindfulness training includes MBSR [46, 47] and MBCT, which was
developed from MBSR [48-50]. Additionally, researchers have developed adapted mindfulness
training programs to address specific needs, such as interpersonal mindfulness training (IMT)
and mindful self-compassion (MSC). IMT mirrors the structure of MBSR and consists of a 6-
week course primarily designed for graduate students working under high social pressure, with
an added emphasis on relationship awareness. This program has been shown to reduce
perceived stress and enhance interpersonal well-being among graduate students [51]. The MSC
targets graduate students with low levels of mindfulness or compassion fatigue who are prone
to self-criticism in highly competitive academic environments. The MSC focuses on fostering
self-compassion, reducing self-criticism, and enhancing emotional resilience [52]. This training
includes the following components: (1) discovering mindfulness and self-compassion; (2)
practicing mindfulness; (3) practicing loving kindness; (4) discovering compassionate voice;
(5) living deeply; (6) meeting difficult emotions; (7) exploring challenging relationships; and
(8) embracing one’s life. Compared with classic MBSR, MSC has a stronger effect on cultivating
self-compassion [53]. Through both classic mindfulness training programs and adapted
versions tailored to specific needs, mindfulness training has proven to be an effective
psychological intervention for addressing various mental health challenges faced by graduate