Mindful Growth
Mindfulness is the process of paying attention to what’s happening right now in our own experience in a curious and open way.
Learning about Mindfulness Practices
In the academic environment, mindfulness can help us improve our ability to focus our attention, improve reading comprehension, and reduce mind wandering.
Generally, mindfulness has been shown to decrease stress, anxiety, and even depression. Mindfulness can help us regulate our emotions, so we are not pulled around by the ups and downs of life. Finally, mindfulness has been shown to foster positive states like joy, gratitude, and happiness.
How We Operate
Mindfulness
Many Mindfulness benefits are attributable to the neuroscience underlying mindfulness, which has shown that mindfulness can reduce the brain’s fear response, build stronger connections between our new brain (prefrontal cortex) and our old brain (amygdala) as well as release feel-good chemicals in our brain. At the same time, we are strengthening neural pathways, which will help us to naturally remain focused, calm and responsive.
Growth Mindset
A growth mindset is a belief that intelligence and abilities can be developed through hard work and dedication. People with a growth mindset believe that they can improve their skills and knowledge with effort. They are also more likely to see challenges as opportunities to learn and grow.
Self-Compassion
While mindfulness increases awareness of the present, self-compassion encourages greater kindness and understanding during periods of suffering. It also helps us accept our flaws, better understand our challenges, and learn about how our hardships relate to others’ struggles. Practicing Mindful Self-Compassion can make us more resilient.
Features
The Best of Mindful Growth
Re-Energize
Regularly practicing mindfulness can increase our mental energy, cellular energy, and boost our mood.
Strength Building
Mindfulness can build our resilience, inner strength, and mental stamina.
Stress Relief
Through mindful practices, we are able to better cope with stress, regulate our emotions, and navigate the world ahead of us.
equity
Evidence suggests that our ability to introspect is plastic and can be enhanced through intentional practice.
Meta-awareness
When we practice mindfulness and meditation, we raise our awareness of conditioning, bias, and positionality.
Mind & Soul
Mindfulness allows us to understand our mental processes, emotions, and beliefs.
Expert Intsructors
Meet Our Team
Jeanne Costello
Guided Pathways Faculty Coordinator Co-Chair
Jeanne Costello is an English Instructor and Faculty Coordinator for Fullerton College.
Sarah Kaump
Mindful Growth Coordinator
Sarah Kaump has been practicing and working with growth mindset, mindfulness, and purpose & belonging through her work in the embedded tutoring programs at Fullerton College and in her graduate work at Cal-State University, Dominguez Hills since 2018. She has previously contributed to the Mindful Growth Initiative planning committee as the Student Workshop Facilitator. She has completed several mindfulness, self-compassion, and growth mindset courses, professional development opportunities, and workshop series at here at FC, and she completed an intensive 10-week course at the Center for Mindful Self Compassion, and the Purpose and Belonging workshop series hosted by Tim Klein. She is thrilled to work as a co-coordinator to collaborate and partner across disciplines and student services on campus to provide access to these research-driven skills and mindsets for community college students.
Our Partners
