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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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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
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students [54], particularly adapted programs, which have shown even more significant effects
in addressing specific psychological issues [51].
THE IMPACT OF MINDFULNESS TRAINING ON GRADUATE STUDENTS' PSYCHOLOGICAL
STATE
Research has explored the effectiveness of mindfulness training in alleviating psychological
distress, including stress, anxiety, and depression, among graduate students [38, 51, 55, 56], as
well as its positive effects on enhancing academic performance [57, 58] and fostering creativity
[59]. The introduction of mindfulness training provides new avenues for graduate students to
improve negative emotions and enhance positive psychological states.
Reducing Negative Emotion
Mindfulness training has been demonstrated to be an effective intervention for significantly
reducing negative emotions such as anxiety, depression, and self-criticism among graduate
students. For engineering students, studies indicate that mindfulness training can decrease
neuroticism and anxiety, improve emotional regulation, and alleviate stress [38]. Moreover,
mindfulness training helps lower perceived stress, reduce anxiety [51, 55, 56], and mitigate the
negative impacts of academic and professional stress on interpersonal relationships [57, 58]. It
also enhances the self-compassion of graduate students, thereby reducing symptoms of stress,
anxiety, and depression [60, 61]. Conversely, mindfulness training significantly promotes
positive emotions and overall well-being. It has been shown to improve emotional health and
happiness, enhance social connections, and increase emotional intelligence [51, 55, 56].
Additionally, mindfulness training elevates interpersonal well-being [38, 58], fosters empathy
[62, 63], enhances mindfulness levels [64, 65], and improves overall happiness [37, 66-68], self- efficacy, and psychological capital [69]. More importantly, the benefits of mindfulness training
are not limited to short-term improvements; long-term practice can further solidify these
positive effects [37, 65]. This finding indicates that mindfulness training is a sustainable
strategy that can provide ongoing support throughout the academic and professional careers
of graduate students.
Enhancing Academic Performance
Mindfulness training contributes to improved academic performance. A qualitative analysis of
mindfulness meditation training conducted with 19 master's students in special education and
educational counselling at an educational institution revealed that mindfulness training
improved their ability to manage conflict and anxiety, leading to greater calmness, focus, and
enhanced skills in course development and implementation [57]. Students who participated in
mindfulness training presented higher levels of skill and emotional stability when developing
and implementing curricula, communicating with patients or clients, and managing stress in
clinical or counselling situations [58]. Students who participated in mindfulness training
presented higher levels of skill and emotional stability when developing and implementing
curricula, communicating with patients or clients, and managing stress in clinical or counselling
situations [51, 55, 70].
Fostering Creativity
Mindfulness training is also a potential method for fostering creativity. In academic settings,
students often experience fear or judgment, which are significant barriers to creativity [71].
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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
Mindfulness training aims to expand awareness in a nonjudgmental manner, contributing to
the creation of an accepting social environment that fosters creative thinking and intellectual
exploration. When learners begin to anticipate diverse ideas and solutions from themselves and
their peers without judgment, the fear or risk associated with presenting new ideas may
diminish, thereby enhancing creative thinking [72]. Consequently, mindfulness training helps
graduate students reduce anxiety, increase focus, and adopt a more open mindset when
tackling complex research tasks, allowing them to respond better to challenges and innovate.
By enhancing their flow experiences, mindfulness training indirectly promotes their research
creativity [59].
PROSPECTS: ENHANCING GRADUATE STUDENTS' CREATIVITY THROUGH MINDFULNESS
TRAINING
Graduate students are a vital force in scientific research, and research creativity is one of their
critical abilities. Thus, the creativity of graduate students has become a key indicator for
assessing the quality of higher education [73]. Research-oriented universities are striving to
increase students' innovative potential by exploring new educational models. For example,
creatively integrating new technologies and methods into curriculum design can promote
innovative teaching and learning [74]. However, the cultivation and stimulation of creativity in
graduate students have not yet received sufficient attention from the academic community
[75]. Some studies indicate that the prospects for developing graduate students' creativity are
not optimistic, partly because universities have not consistently promoted research creativity
effectively [76, 77].
Therefore, there is an urgent need within higher education and the scientific community to
increase the creativity of graduate students (and young scientists). However, the current
academic community lacks in-depth research on the psychological nature of graduate students'
creativity, and effective educational and training methods for enhancing this creativity have yet
to be identified. Our investigation into mindfulness research revealed that mindfulness training
not only has significant effects on reducing stress-related emotions in graduate students [51,
62, 78, 79] but also enhances their ability to cope with high-pressure situations in the
workplace [80], thereby establishing a solid foundation for their mental and physical health
[67]. Additionally, there is a significant correlation between mindfulness and creativity [81]. In
other words, mindfulness training plays a positive role in stimulating and promoting creativity
[82, 83]. In particular, existing research suggests that mindfulness has the potential to increase
the research creativity of graduate students. For example, through mindfulness training,
students gain experiences and opportunities to further develop their creative awareness [75].
The inner calm and focus brought about by mindfulness training help students enter an optimal
state of creative thinking [74].
In summary, mindfulness may play a crucial role in the emergence of creativity, and
mindfulness training could offer both general and unique advantages in enhancing the
creativity of researchers. However, empirical research on the relationship between
mindfulness and research creativity remains scarce [84-86]. In particular, studying how
mindfulness affects the research creativity of graduate students and its underlying mechanisms
is an important topic that calls for further exploration [87]. Therefore, we propose close
collaboration among scientists, psychologists, and educators to investigate the potential and