How to survive working at a university? UWB employees are trying out mindfulness techniques

Stress, overload, or tiredness. A workday can sometimes be very demanding, yet help doesn't have to be complicated at all. A special workshop offered UWB employees tips on simple exercises to calm down and improve concentration. It was led by the first Czech mindfulness instructor.

Perceiving and being aware of the present moment without judgment or evaluation. That is precisely the foundation of the so-called mindfulness technique. It helps with stress and overload, and can improve concentration. Staff members at the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen were able to experience this firsthand during a June workshop titled “How to Survive at the University.” With the help of instructor and mindfulness expert Michal Dvořák, they learned various exercises at the library on the Bory campus. They took away practical tips that could be easily used during the workday.

“I teach what I live by, and I use mindfulness techniques in both the pleasant and challenging situations that life brings my way. Mindfulness gives me a sense of calm, helps me manage stress and clear my mind, and instills confidence in myself and the life around me,” said Michal Dvořák, the first mindfulness teacher in the Czech Republic. For example, he explained to the course participants what happens in the brain when a person is running on autopilot, as it were. He also described the negative impacts this could have. According to him, such autopilot mode often leads to stress and anxiety, jumping from one thought to another, a lack of focus at work, and a failure to notice what we are eating.

During the workshop with a ZČU staff member, they tried out the basic principles of mindfulness themselves. They were to observe the selected object moment by moment and then also return to the previously perceived reality. They thus experienced firsthand the scientifically proven benefits of mindfulness practice, such as a calmer mind, improved focus and perception, lower blood pressure, better pain management, better sleep, and increased energy. The next task was to perceive the object, but to do NOTHING with it. A very challenging task for some participants. The goal of this exercise was to observe, listen to, touch, taste, and even smell the object while fully focusing on each sense.

“It was refreshing. I liked the mix of theory and practice. I’m taking away the clear insight that sometimes stopping is better than stepping on the gas, along with a guide on how to do it. I don’t know if it will help me survive my job at the university. Still, it will certainly make it more pleasant,” evaluated the workshop Adéla Klimková from the Information and Counseling Center of the University of West Bohemia.

It is precisely this center at the university that has long focused on mental well-being. ZČU will offer further similar workshops to employees in the autumn.