Teaching stress management skills through classes that offer down time: Opinion

Students need to be taught to slow down and de-stress by doing “nothing,” writes Beckie Supiano in a recent article for the Chronicle of Higher Ed. Supiano describes how a liberal arts university in the United States implemented a course called “Doing Nothing” that intended to nurture deep thought and creativity by offering students intentional down time. The interdisciplinary class focuses on helping students develop strategies to manage stress, slow down, and take time away from their phones. The class covers stress management techniques and topics such as sleep hygiene, mindfulness, and Tai Chi. Course instructor Constance Kassor encouraged others to consider how they could integrate stress-management skills into their classes. “[P]art of our job is to educate the whole student,” notes Kassor. “It’s not just about cramming as much content as possible into their brains.” Chronicle of Higher Ed (Acct. Req.) Note: Archived stories may contain dead links or be missing source links.