With constant distractions available in every waking moment of our lives, it’s easy to fall into the trap of not paying full attention to any specific task or conversation. Mindfulness is an intentional process of being present and fully engaged with whatever you're doing, free from distraction, interpretation, or judgment. By developing mindfulness skills, you can learn to attend to what’s most important while ignoring the external distractions, and learn new ways to respond to your thoughts and feelings. 

Mindfulness Training Opportunities on Campus

The Psychology Services Center offers an 8-week Mindfulness Training Program. In this 20-hour training, participants meet together for eight weekly 2-hour classes and a 4-hour Saturday Practice Session.

Over the eight weeks of the program, you will learn practices to help you:

• To become more present in your physical body as opposed to being lost in thought, stuck in rumination about past events, daydreaming/fantasizing about some imagined future, or actively avoiding aspects of life.
• To become familiar with the workings of your mind.
• To notice the times when you are at risk of getting caught in old habits of mind that re-activate downward mood spirals.
• To explore ways of releasing yourself from those old habits and, if you choose, enter a different way of being.
• To accept yourself as you are, rather than judging yourself.

Visit the Psychological Services Center Mindfulness Training for more information. 

Attend Recognition, Insight, and openness (RIO) Online! 

RIO, led by Counseling Center clinicians, provides an interactive experience that helps you: 

• Learn mindfulness skills to identify why you’re feeling the emotions you are and accept them.
• Manage stress, anxiety, and other emotions productively.
• Identify what’s most important to you and prioritize accordingly.

This series is open to all Illinois students—you do not need to be a current client of the Counseling Center. Visit the Counseling Center RIO for more information.