Exploring impacts of a college biology course with integrated mindfulness practice on student well-being: Qualitative insights from student written reflections
Journal of American College Health March 9, 2026 Zhuoya Zhang, Sai S Chilakapati, Pháp Lưu et al.
Undergraduate students in a biology course that integrated mindfulness reported improved well-being, including increased positive emotions, compassion, social connectedness, and ability to use mindfulness to manage everyday stressors. Learning about the body as a dynamic, interdependent system fostered appreciation of interbeing and enhanced connection to themselves, others, and the environment. Increased understanding of physiological systems also led to greater appreciation for their bodies and motivation to adopt health-promoting practices, including consistent mindfulness practice. The findings suggest that integrating mindfulness into human physiology teaching may be an innovative approach to enhance college student well-being.