Evaluating the Impact of a Sit Spot Mindfulness Practice on Students’ Connectedness to Nature, Mental Wellbeing, and Mindfulness

Abstract College students frequently struggle with their mental wellbeing, and stress and anxiety decrease academic performance, satisfaction, and completion. A variety of systemic approaches are needed to address undergraduate mental wellness, including pedagogies of wellness through which faculty create restorative learning spaces that buffer students against negative mental health outcomes. Mindfulness practices and exposure to natural environments have been linked to a range of positive health outcomes such as improvement in mood and reduction of physiological stress. This research utilized a mixed-methods approach to evaluate the impact of a brief, repeated nature-based mindfulness practice in college courses in two separate disciplines on student connectedness to nature, positive and negative affect, and mindful attention awareness. Quantitative analyses of the matched dataset showed statistically significant benefits for both classes in all areas with small (mindfulness), medium (nature connectedness) and large (positive and negative affect) effect sizes. Qualitative coding of student reflections after the activity indicated benefits for students’ self-awareness, positive emotions, beneficial behavior changes, general wellbeing, goal or intention setting, negative emotions, and academic benefits. Student reflections varied in systematic ways that corresponded to the course in which they were enrolled, while nature connectedness outcomes varied in one course according to why students were enrolled in the course. Instructors across disciplines can incorporate this assignment into their courses to help students achieve these beneficial outcomes, while also connecting it to their specific disciplinary content.