The Benefits of Meditation for College Students: A Guide to Improved Mental Wellbeing

Title: 'The Benefits of Meditation for College Students' An outline with the following parts:

1. An introduction that identifies a. the topic: health, mental health, meditation b. the problem or question: 'How can college students improve their mental health?' c. a thesis statement: 'Incorporating meditation into their daily routine can greatly benefit college students' mental health, reducing stress and anxiety and improving their overall wellbeing.' d. Supporting claims (more than two) each of which develops the writer's thesis e. Claim / topic sentence
2. Meditation can reduce stress and anxiety. a. Claim: 'Meditation has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety in college students.' i. Sharma, M., & Rush, S. E. (2014). Mindfulness-based stress reduction as a stress management intervention for healthy individuals: a systematic review. Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine, 19(4), 271-286. doi: 10.1177/2156587214543143 ii. Khoury, B., Sharma, M., Rush, S. E., & Fournier, C. (2015). Mindfulness-based stress reduction for healthy individuals: A meta-analysis. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 78(6), 519-528. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2015.03.009 b. Explain: 'College students often face high levels of stress and anxiety, which can negatively impact their mental and physical health. Meditation has been shown to be an effective tool for reducing stress and anxiety in college students.'
3. Meditation can improve overall wellbeing. a. Claim: 'Meditation can improve overall wellbeing by increasing feelings of happiness and positive emotions.' i. Pascoe, M. C., Thompson, D. R., & Jenkins, Z. M. (2017). Meditation-based interventions for adults living with a chronic illness: A qualitative systematic review. Journal of Health Psychology, 22(10), 1145-1159. doi: 10.1177/1359105315625301 ii. Garland, E. L., Farb, N. A., Goldin, P. R., & Fredrickson, B. L. (2015). Mindfulness broadens awareness and builds eudaimonic meaning: A process model of mindful positive emotion regulation. Psychological Inquiry, 26(4), 293-314. doi: 10.1080/1047840X.2015.1064294 b. Explain: 'Meditation can help college students cultivate positive emotions and increase their overall sense of wellbeing, leading to a more fulfilling and satisfying life.'
4. Meditation can improve academic performance. a. Claim: 'Regular meditation practice can improve cognitive function and academic performance in college students.' i. Mrazek, M. D., Franklin, M. S., Phillips, D. T., Baird, B., & Schooler, J. W. (2013). Mindfulness training improves working memory capacity and GRE performance while reducing mind wandering. Psychological Science, 24(5), 776-781. doi: 10.1177/0956797612459659 ii. Chiesa, A., & Serretti, A. (2010). A systematic review of neurobiological and clinical features of mindfulness meditations. Psychological Medicine, 40(8), 1239-1252. doi: 10.1017/S0033291709991747 b. Explain: 'Regular meditation practice can improve cognitive function, including working memory and attentional control, leading to better academic performance for college students.'
5. Counter Argument a. Claim: 'Some people argue that meditation is too time-consuming and difficult to incorporate into a daily routine.' i. Goyal, M., Singh, S., Sibinga, E. M., Gould, N. F., Rowland-Seymour, A., Sharma, R., … Haythornthwaite, J. A. (2014). Meditation programs for psychological stress and well-being: A systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Internal Medicine, 174(3), 357-368. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.13018 b. Explain: 'While some people may find it difficult to incorporate meditation into their daily routine, even short periods of meditation can have significant benefits for mental health and wellbeing.'
6. Conclusion: a. restates the thesis b. then either i. calls for a specific response, perspective, or action to solve the problem identified in the intro (what should the reader do?) ii. shows a new significance or application (so what? why should the reader care?) c. 'In conclusion, incorporating meditation into their daily routine can greatly benefit college students' mental health, reducing stress and anxiety, improving overall wellbeing, and even boosting academic performance. By taking just a few minutes each day to meditate, college students can take an important step toward improving their mental health and overall quality of life.'

Reference lists

Chiesa, A., & Serretti, A. (2010). A systematic review of neurobiological and clinical features of mindfulness meditations. Psychological Medicine, 40(8), 1239-1252. doi: 10.1017/S0033291709991747

Garland, E. L., Farb, N. A., Goldin, P. R., & Fredrickson, B. L. (2015). Mindfulness broadens awareness and builds eudaimonic meaning: A process model of mindful positive emotion regulation. Psychological Inquiry, 26(4), 293-314. doi: 10.1080/1047840X.2015.1064294

Goyal, M., Singh, S., Sibinga, E. M., Gould, N. F., Rowland-Seymour, A., Sharma, R., … Haythornthwaite, J. A. (2014). Meditation programs for psychological stress and well-being: A systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Internal Medicine, 174(3), 357-368. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.13018

Khoury, B., Sharma, M., Rush, S. E., & Fournier, C. (2015). Mindfulness-based stress reduction for healthy individuals: A meta-analysis. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 78(6), 519-528. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2015.03.009

Mrazek, M. D., Franklin, M. S., Phillips, D. T., Baird, B., & Schooler, J. W. (2013). Mindfulness training improves working memory capacity and GRE performance while reducing mind wandering. Psychological Science, 24(5), 776-781. doi: 10.1177/0956797612459659

Pascoe, M. C., Thompson, D. R., & Jenkins, Z. M. (2017). Meditation-based interventions for adults living with a chronic illness: A qualitative systematic review. Journal of Health Psychology, 22(10), 1145-1159. doi: 10.1177/1359105315625301

Sharma, M., & Rush, S. E. (2014). Mindfulness-based stress reduction as a stress management intervention for healthy individuals: a systematic review. Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine, 19(4), 271-286. doi: 10.1177/2156587214543143