The Impact of Mindfulness on Student Success: A Seneca College Report

This report, addressed to the Seneca College's Curriculum Committee, advocates for the inclusion of a mental health course to improve student success. The student emphasizes the importance of mental well-being in education, citing the stress and pressure students face. The report highlights the need for a supportive environment, the role of parents and educational institutions, and the benefits of mindfulness techniques like the "Just Breathe Method." It references studies and global initiatives, stressing the ethical obligation to support students' mental health. The proposal suggests that a course on mental health would benefit both current and new students, leading to better problem-solving skills and overall academic performance. The author appeals to the committee to consider the long-term impact of such a course on students' lives.

Running head: MINDFULNESS AND STUDENTS SUCCESS
Mindfulness and Students Success
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1MINDFULNESS AND STUDENTS SUCCESS
Street Name of the Student
Recipient’s Name
Recipient’s Address
Date
Title of the Recipient
I am a (course and year) student of (Name of university). I would like to appeal to the
Senaca College’s Curriculum Committee to include the importance of mental health as a new
course for the fall semester.
Acquiring knowledge through the medium of education is essential for the students. The
knowledge gathered by them will shape the nature of the child; their intrinsic characteristics will
depend on what they learn (Wang & Kong, 2014). Care should be taken that during the process
of receiving education, the students are in a facilitating environment. The mental health of the
students in educational institutions is a rising concern for the society. The pressure of education,
along with other problems in the private spheres is often too much to handle for the students.
This letter seeks to persuade the Seneca College’s Curriculum Committee on the importance of
mental health for the students in various colleges. It also mentions what are the various steps that
the concerned administrations can take in order to ensure that the students are happy and content
in their lives.
In order to gain excellence in education, it is imperative that the concerned student should
possess a perfect mental health. This is an appeal to the pathos side of the concerned individuals.
It is only when his mind is capable of comprehending the knowledge that is being imparted to
him will he be able to actually use the knowledge in his daily life (Wang & Kong, 2014). Mental
illness is very common among the students in colleges. This so happens primarily because of the
stress they receive in their educational institutions. Emotionally, this stress manifest itself in
various forms, such as the student may end up crying or he or she may try to rebel against their
respective professors (Wang & Kong, 2014). However, there are many students who try to hide
their mental illness and refuse to seek help. They feel vulnerable to be exposed in front of others.
My aim is to prove the importance of mental well-being for such students. Their mental
health needs to be acknowledged by all the stakeholders in their lives. These stakeholders should
take up initiatives to ensure that the mental health of the students are well maintained. Acuña and
Escudero (2015), in the article “Helping those who come here alone”, opine that it is the duty
and obligation of the parents and the guardians to take significant care of their children. It is
essential that the home environment of the pupil is conducive to the well-being of his mental
health.
Next comes the agency of educational institutions. This is the place where an average
student spends the maximum of his or her time during adolescences. Thus, the educators in
school should take the prerogative to inculcate a class or program solely dedicated to mental
health of the students. If a particular course framed by the college appeals to one student, it can
be assumed that there will be other students who would be influenced by the same course.
In order to facilitate mental well-being and ensure higher concentration among the
student, a technique was developed known as Just Breathe Method. This is a logical approach to

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help the human beings. The main objective of this technique is to increase the mindfulness of the
concerned student. In this technique, the student is required to perform several basic breathing
exercises which will help the individual to calm down. Often times it is observed that people
who are anxious or stressed do not breathe properly, resulting in lower level of oxygen reaching
the brain. This results in further aggravation of the emotional problem experienced by the
individual.
The issue of mental health is so relevant in the recent times that global agencies have
started to take up the initiative to tackle the issue. Lantern is the leading online mental health
program in California, San Francisco. In 2016, it managed to get a fund of around seventeen
million dollars from a healthcare facility in Pittsburg. Even the popular TED Talk is concerned
with the issue of mental health. Many motivational speakers talk about their personal experiences
and aim to inspire the audience with positive messages.
Nearly everyone is affected by some form of mental distress or anxiety on a regular basis.
The ethical concern or ethos of this crisis is immense. We are ethically obligated to ensure the
well-being of our fellow human beings. The aim of my persuasion is to lay stress on the fact that
they the daily anxiety and stress should not derogate itself into affecting the individual so deeply
that it destroys his or her mental health. The contemporary children are the future of this world;
proper care should be given to them, especially to their emotions and mental health. Introducing
a course on mental health will benefit the students largely as they will understand the importance
of having a calm mind. A calm mind will be effective in solving a problem faster than a mind
filled with stress and anxiety. Starting this Fall Semester if the course is introduced, it will
benefit the new students as well as the old students.
Thank you for your time and consideration
Sincerely,
(Signature of the Student)
Name of the student
Contact information of the student

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References:
Acuña, A., & Escudero, P. (2015). Helping those who come here alone. The Phi Delta
Kappan, 97(4), 42-45. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/24579541
Canada : A New Approach for Tripartite Investment in First Nation Mental Health and Wellness.
(2018, May 18). Mena Report. Retrieved November 9, 2018, from
http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-539327366.html?refid=easy_hf
Lantern Raises $17M to Provide Accessible Online Mental Health Wellness Services; Partners
with Healthcare Leader Upmc Funding Represents the Largest Round Yet in the
Emerging Digital Mental Health Wellness Space. (2016, February 10). States News
Service. Retrieved November 9, 2018, from http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-
442946905.html?refid=easy_hf
Staying Mentally Healthy [Web log post]. (2018). Retrieved November 9, 2018, from
http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/staying-mentally-healthy
TED. (2008, July 19). How to manage your mental health: Leon Taylor [Video file]. Retrieved
from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkZl2gsLUp4
Wang, Y., & Kong, F. (2014). The Role of Emotional Intelligence in the Impact of Mindfulness
on Life Satisfaction and Mental Distress. Social Indicators Research, 116(3), 843-852.

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