Mindfulness in the academy: An examination of mindfulness perspectives

Abstract

In a complex and demanding higher education, environment wellness for scholars is an ethical imperative and is an essential component of self-care, required to prevent burnout, distress, and impairment. As we navigate the contemporary higher education environment, it is important to look at ways of working that bring to the forefront self-care and mindfulness. In this chapter, we explore how scholars understand and apply the concept of mindfulness in higher education contexts. We examine ways academics implement mindfulness practices that build the capacity to accept, tolerate and transform mind and body states without reacting so intensively to them by drawing on concepts such as compassion, kindness, gratitude, curiosity, self-awareness and non-judgmental stances. We explore how mindful ways of researching, writing, learning and teaching, leading and engaging with others leads us to be self-aware and engaged in the present.We introduce the notion of Dramaturgical Theory of Social Interaction as a framework for examining mindful practices in academia. This chapter presents a thematic analysis of the work of the authors presented in this volume, situating this in a broader discussion of mindfulness, and we raise questions for further consideration.