Zayed varsity alumni on course with mindfulness

abu dhabi — Zayed University held specially designed mindfulness programmes for their recent graduates, to help them manage negative thinking and destructive emotions.

Mindfulness is a set of techniques that helps people be more emotionally aware and also deal with stress and troubling emotions.

“This is not something we traditionally teach at the university. So it is good to be able to provide this for our recent graduates, some of whom have gone to work in pretty demanding jobs,” Dr Justin Thomas, Zayed University psychologist and programme leader, said.

Zayed University’s office of Happiness, Tolerance and Positivity ran the programme.

Shamsa Al Taie, Director of Student Life and CEO of Happiness, Tolerance and Positivity, said the university has always been committed to being a beacon of tolerance by disseminating happiness and positivity in its students. “We want to ensure that as a university, we connect to the community, and what better way than through our alumni,” Al Taie said.

During the 8-week programme, participants learned techniques to help better manage their moods. “We learned to respond rather than react,” Nowf Al Qarni, a graduate manager with Etihad Airlines crew care section, said. Mindfulness techniques help reduce stress and improve focus. The programme was specially tailored to be culturally appropriate. “We make lots of references to cultural and religious practices that are familiar to participants, things that are from their world,” Thomas added.

He said the programme also includes a session where participants did archery. “Archery was a big part of Arabian culture, but it is also an excellent activity to capture the essence of mindfulness. It is mind and body focused on a specific goal — the bullseye — and also involves being aware of breathing,” Thomas said.