Mind Milk Process Book by evaricak

THE PROCESS ELLIE VARICAK

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Define

Research

Design & Execut: Logo

Design & Execute: Agenda

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Refine

Exhibit

Reflect

Final Outcome

The Problem Research Questions Influences Project Objectives Target Audience

Section 1:

Define

The Problem

A mental health crisis is raging across college campuses, and UGA is not excluded from this. Despite the growing numbers of college students seeking help for mental health issues, there remains an insufficient amount of attention being focused on successful coping mechanisms and interventions.

nxiety. Depression. Stress. An endless list of accompanying symptoms...

The numbers are multiplying, and our school is struggling to keep up.

The cause of this epidemic of anxiety and depression in college students has been widely talked about and theorized. Some say it may be related to the drastic increase in social media use, others argue the stressors havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t increased, but our ability to cope has decreased. This argument has been attributed to being raised by a generation of helicopter parents and never having to deal with common high-stress situations on our own. Whatever the reason, there is an obvious and clear need for a focus on mental health in our college community.

Universities across the country report the past several years have seen a skyrocketing trend of college students seeking help for mental health struggles. A mental health crisis is raging across college campuses, and UGA is not excluded from this. Our schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Counseling and Psychiatric Services (CAPS), has recently had to hire multiple new counselors to accommodate their growing number of patients. Despite this increase in faculty, students still report a wait list for being seen.

THE PROBLEM

A lack of resources for support on college campuses often leads students to find relief via social media, binge eating, excess sleeping, and self-medication. Resorting to unhealthy means of coping yields vicious cycles of negative mental health factors.

Define

The Problem

ore specifically, there is a lack of attention and resources paid to mindfulness- a heavily researched and highly beneficial means of intervention for mental health problems. Despite the success rate for mindfulness, it remains a stigmatized and overlooked method of coping, often disregarded as trivial. Our campus culture places little emphasis on meditation and slowing down oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s autopilot style life. Our society chooses to emphasize success, grades, and wealth, as opposed to happiness and the importance of mental health. In a college routine packed with tests, exams, future pressures, social struggles, etc., there needs to be an option for students to slow down and breathe. This option comes from education, conversations, and letting the students know that this is acceptable and necessary.

Define

Research Questions

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

hen embarking on the start of my project, I established a series of questions I had hoped to answer from my research. These questions were not only intended to guide my research process, but to also help highlight specific elements that would be necessary to include in my design: What is the cause of this mental health crisis in college students? What do college students specifically struggle with the most? How do students at UGA feel about their mental health levels? Is mindfulness really shown to be an effective means of coping? What is the evidence supporting mindfulness? Why donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t students already practice mindfulness? How can I make it more accessible?

Define

Influences

It is this combination of a challenge I feel passionately about and a topic I find fascinating that ultimately led me to decide on this direction.

INFLUENCES

long with design, I have always had an interest in spirituality and the human mind. For years I have explored yoga, meditation, and occasionally read books on enhancing oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s well-being via mindfulness. While this has always been a side interest, I have never been fully committed to these practices. I believe this interest and my moderate background on the subject made it easier for me to not only acquire a fair amount of research but also provide more of an incentive to find a successful implementation. This related to how I was driven to find a solution for myself, in addition to my audience. Another influential factor -and probably a more significant one- is that I have suffered a great deal of anxiety since beginning college. I have struggled with excessive worrying, irrational fears, constant ruminating, insomnia, etc.

Additionally, I have also known many close to me to experience the hardships of mental health struggles, such as anxiety and depression. Needless to say, mental health is a topic I take seriously, and one I believe should be taken seriously by everyone else. It is this combination of a challenge I feel passionate about and a topic I find fascinating that ultimately led me to decide on this direction for my project. In terms of already-existing products, I was influenced by the app, Head Space. This app promotes daily mindfulness, sends reminders on your phones, tracks your progress, and also utilizes creative animations and doodles in their design. I was definitely inspired by their fun approach to a topic that can be uninviting,

Define

Project Objectives

PROJECT OBJECTIVES

y primary objective for this project included designing a system or product that would allow mindfulness to be more accessible to the UGA undergraduate student. Additionally, my projectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s goal focused on creating something that was not only achievable for students but desirable for them to practice on their own.

would find it easier to take advantage of their free time, experience increased psychological and physical health, and optimistically focus on reaching their full potential.

In terms of design, my objective was to create something that was not only aesthetically calming, but also something Ideally, they would see improvement in their that was efficient and user-friendly. I stress reduction, compassion levels, and overall intended to design something that would allow well-being. Studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; lifestyles would be enriched students to practice methods of mindfulness, by this self-clarity, and the campus would organize their schedule, and simultaneously take develop into more of a peaceful community some time away from technology and setting. By resorting to mindful techniques social media. rather than mindless social media use, students

Define

Target Audience

The audience target for this project student is college undergraduate students at UGA ages 17-23.

TARGET AUDIENCE

he audience I am trying to reach is undergraduate students who undergo prolonged periods of stress, anxiety, and/or depression. More specifically, my audience focuses on students under these conditions who also lack the understanding on how to improve their mental health, or need guidance doing so. This niche also extends to students who struggle with these negative mental side effects and get caught in vicious cycles by resorting to unhelpful means of relief such as cell-phone addiction, food binging, excess sleep, etc. Audience Persona: Reeves is a 19-year-old college student double-majoring in BioChem and Psychology. Reeves is also involved in several student organizations on campus, and working a parttime job to help pay for school. In addition to her strenuous course-load, extracurricular commitments, fast-paced work environment, and new adult responsibilities, Reeves suffers from social anxiety, is often homesick, and is constantly worrying about her future. Due to the lack of attention paid to mental health at her campus university, Reeves copes with this stress by scrolling through social media, binging on late night snacks, and squeezing naps into her sleep-deprived schedule. This lifestyle of prolonged stress and worry has caused Reeves to suffer from anxiety, depression, difficulty sleeping, weight gain, and mood swings. Mindfulness is something Reeves has heard of but never looked into because it seems like a joke to her- just some trend that is obscure, exotic, and probably would have little to no impact on her overall wellbeing.

Brainstorming Collected Imagery Brainstorming Research Answers Interviews/ Surveys Related Studies

Section 2:

Research

Brainstorming

y brainstorming process consisted of several mind maps, journaling sessions, and just writing out every relevant idea that popped into my head. Throughout the brainstorming process, I realized I wanted to design something physical and in print, rather than an app. I also explored the idea of creating mindfulness kits or just designing an education book. I finally settled on the idea of producing a planner that would be given out to incoming freshman students. This planner would incorporate daily mindfulness activities, sync with the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s calendar, and have sections dedicated to listing local mental health resources.

BRAINSTORMING

Research

Imagery

COLLECTED IMAGERY

hile sourcing imagery and collecting photos for the aesthetic inspiration of my project, I ended up leaning more towards simplicity and minimalism. I knew I wanted something that would reflect the nature of mindfulness, something that would be just as calm and clear as the practice aimed to be. The imagery I collected contained similar elements across the board. Many of the photos contained muted color palettes, concise typography, and splashes of texture or hand-drawn doodles. I knew from the beginning that while I imaged something minimal, I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want my design to adhere strictly to the stereotypical meditative approach. I decided that this handdrawn element and addition of texture would ensure that my design wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t too flat or cold. This humanistic element would be how I could make this hard topic a little more approachable, while also adding some warmth and personality.

Research

Sketches

SKETCHES

y initial sketches for this project were everything ranging from doodles to planned out measurements of potential ideas. I did a great deal of writing descriptions that came to mind, in addition to sketching out the concepts. Most of my sketchbook consisted of mindmaps, thumbnails of layouts, rough ideas for names and logos, drawings related to the theme, and sporadic verses of researched information that I felt would be helpful later on in the process.

Research

Answers

An overwhelming number of students expressed what I noticed to be a vicious cycle of negative thought patterns.

RESEARCH ANSWERS

What is the cause of this mental health crisis in college students?

How do students at UGA feel about their mental health levels?

There have been several theories as to why the country has recently seen such a spike in undergraduate mental health struggles. Some suggest this could be related to the increase in social media use, which has been shown to correlate with depression and anxiety. Others theorize this may be a result of the generation of “helicopter parents” that raised us. They suggest that perhaps our generation never learned how to deal with common life struggles because everything was done for us, and now we just don’t know how to cope. There is really no definite answer for this epidemic, I think it’s most likely a combination of all of these elements.

These. Kids. Are. Stressed. So much of the feedback I got from the survey revealed students to struggle with everything ranging from anxiety, depression, self-doubt, and even suicidal thoughts. Most significantly, the majority of responders felt that these mental health struggles had significantly increased since starting college. Is mindfulness really shown to be an effective means of coping? /What is the evidence supporting mindfulness?

All of the research I found confirmed almost immediately that yes, mindfulness is shown to be a serious method of coping. Not only are the vast majority of self-responses positive, but studies What do college students specifically have shown mindfulness to physically change struggle with the most? your brain for the better. For example, one study Based off a survey I sent out to UGA underfound that a regular practice of mindfulness can graduates, the most common responses to this greatly decrease the size of the amygdala- the question involved balancing work life and social part of the bran associated with anxiety and life, dealing with outside pressures, and worrying panic attacks. Another study revealed people about the future. An overwhelming number with psoriasis to heal four times faster when of students expressed what I noticed to be a adding mindfulness to their standard treatment. vicious cycle of negative thought patterns. They Why don’t students already practice feel pressure from their parents to succeed, so mindfulness? How can I make it they overcommit to too many things, then they struggle at balancing their school life and social more accessible? life, then they feel they have let both their friends From the feedback I received, it seemed that the and parents down, and so on and so forth... majority of students didn’t know too much about mindfulness in general, let alone the success rates of the practice.

Research

INSIDE WITH SAGE KINCAID EV: What inspired you to start the mindfulness workshop at the Georgia Museum of Art? SK: It started before I started, so I took over the program from y predecessor. The program was started in collaboration with a professor here at UGA – Dr. Jerry Gale. The museum was interested in it as it is a type of programming that US museums have started offering, especially campus museum, and Dr. Gale has been practicing meditation for over 20 years and has an interest in mindfulness in higher education. He teaches it in his classes as well. EV: How long have you been practicing mindfulness? Have you noticed any benefits from doing so? SK: I have been practicing mindfulness on and off for about three years. I have noticed that I handle stress better, and generally feel more present for everything- from cooking, to getting ready in the morning, and I sleep better.

Interviews

EV: Why do you think mindfulness is something that is often overlooked or disregarded when it comes to coping mechanisms for mental health?

we know it works but it is easier to take a pill or a quick fix than learning new skills, and that relates to the thirs reason is that it is free so no one will make money off of prescriptions so it is not promoted by the usual suspects.

SK: It is slowly gaining recognition – I think it is overlooked for three main reasons- one it is seen EV: What do you think the biggest deteras having religious connections that might keep rent is preventing college students from some people away, it is something like exercise – practicing mindfulness? How would you recommend mending this?

SPECIAL INTERVIEW WITH THE INSTRUCTOR OF UGA’S MORNING MINDFULNESS WORKSHOP

“SLOWING DOWN IS A RADICAL IDEA IN TODAY’S WORLD”

EV: Do you feel there is a need for mindfulness on college campuses? SK: I do think there is a place for mindfulness on campus. Slowing down is a radical idea in today’s world, and taking the time to stop and notice can be a huge relief from stress and all the pressure students feel these days. I also think that being able to see things more clearly and having that ability to take a step back and think less reactively can help with critical thinking and accepting difference, two things we need students to learn how to do. EV: Recent years have seen a spike in college students seeking help for mental health problems such as anxiety and depression... do you see mindfulness as a serious intervention for this? SK: I do see mindfulness as an intervention for this. Learning how to slow down and understand your own reactions and emotions is the kind of reflective process that leads to know how to take care of yourself.

SK: I think if it could be offered as part of a self-care class or something that is built into the standard curriculum- student are so busy, it is hard to find time for it. There are many classes across campus now that offer it. Do you have any parting thoughts about introducing more mindfulness-friendly tools at UGA? Thank you so much for helping with this!

Research

INSIDE WITH REBECCA SHISLER MARSHALL EV: How would you describe mindfulness? RS: I typically use Jon Kabat-Zin’s definition- to be present in the moment, without judement EV: Can you tell me a little about your background with mindfulness? How long have you been doing it? Why did you start? Have you noticed any changes in yourself since starting the practice? RS: I started practicing mindfulness (a little bit at least) in graduate school, but found it more fully around 18 years ago. I picked up little bits and pieces at first, but then in 2005 I attended the full training for Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Program (MBSR) conducted by Jon Kabat-Zinn and Saki Santorelli. I found an immediate difference- the ability to be more present in day-to-day activities, conversations, and relationships were some of the benefits. Mindfulness has helped me in everyway from my work (I research mindfulness), my family (mindfulness has helped with parenting), and everyday living (the person cuts me off on the highway- how do I handle it?

Interviews meditation. We discuss how to use mindfulness in both these formal practices, as well as how to be mindful in everyday activities. EV: Why do you think mindfulness is something that is often overlooked or disregarded when it comes to coping mechanisms for mental health?

EV: What do you think the biggest deterrent is for college students to practice mindfulness? How would you recommend mending this?

RS: Based on student feedback, what I hear is TIME is what gets in the way (or more accurately, the perception that they don’t have enough time). The best way to handle this chalRS: Is it overlooked? I’d love to see the data on lenge is to schedule it in to the day. Scheduling that! Many of the health professionals I know are in practices that support is one of the best ways mindfulness practitioners and bring it into their to make sure it happens. Signing up for a class or practices. Perhaps people haven’t been trained in hiring a coach (accountability), or simply setting the process or it isn’t comfortable for them aside a specific time of day/place for mindfulness really helps. The other piece is that it doesn’t EV: What do you think the biggest deterhave to be one extra thing! You can mindfully rent is for college students to practice wash the dishes or walk to class. Or if you are mindfulness? How would you recomsitting in meditation, even 2 minutes makes a mend mending this? difference. RS: Based on student feedback, what I hear EV: If a type of day planner were is TIME is what gets in the way (or more designed to help students practice accurately, the perception that they don’t have mindfulness, is there a specific element enough time). The best way to handle this chalor component you would recommend lenge is to schedule it in to the day. Scheduling including? in practices that support is one of the best ways to make sure it happens. Signing up for a class or RS: Including a scheduling component for selfhiring a coach (accountability), or simply setting care practices- maybe questions that help guide aside a specific time of day/place for mindfulness them? Or reminders (BREATHE- Are you really helps. The other piece is that it doesn’t present now?- When will you meditate today? have to be one extra thing! You can mindfully EV: Have you noticed an improvement in wash the dishes or walk to class. Or if you are the students who have taken this course, sitting in meditation, even 2 minutes makes a or has any student expressed a change difference. from mindfulness? EV: What are your biggest struggles when it comes to maintaining a mindful RS: Yes! Students write reflections and many of them have seen a difference and notice on the lifestyle? What are some your best tips days they are more present/mindful versus the for this? days they are not . RS: Good question! I have been doing it so long, I’m not sure if I struggle anymore? I know it works for me, and without it my life is not nearly as enjoyable, so why would I not live a mindful life?

SPECIAL INTERVIEW WITH THE INSTRUCTOR OF UGA’S FIRST EVER

MINDFULNESS COURSE

EV: Recent years have seen a spike in college students seeking help for mental health problems such as anxiety and depression... do you see mindfulness as a serious intervention for this? Why/why not RS: Yes, I think mindfulness has a large body of research demonstrating it’s benefit for a wide range of mental and physical challenges that students have. Many individuals find it hugely beneficial EV: In your course, how do you curate mindfulness to college students? What activities do you teach? What aspects do you focus on? What specific areas seem to resonate with the students most? RS: I teach a modified MBSR program. A tradiational MBSR program meets once a week (2-2.5 hours) for 8 weeks. We are meeting twice a week, for the entire semester (15 weeks) so students are receiving the training as well as additional practice time. The MBSR program includes a training of awareness of breath, mindful conversation, mindful yoga, mindfulness of the body, mindful walking, and sitting

Research

Interviews

UGA UNDERGRADUATE SURVEY Spring 2018

How often have you been bothered by feeling down, depressed, irritable, or hopeless over the last two weeks?

How often have you been bothered by feeling tired or having little energy over the past two weeks?

How often have you been bothered by feeling nervous, anxious, or on edge over the past two weeks?

How often have you been bothered that you have little interest or pleasure in doing things over the last two weeks?

How often have you been bothered by feeling bad about yourself, or that you are a failure over the past two weeks?

How often have you been bothered by feeling you would be better off dead over the past two weeks?

How often have you been bothered by having trouble concentrating on things over the past two weeks?

How often have you been bothered by not being able to stop or control worrying over the past two weeks?

How often have you been bothered by falling asleep, staying asleep, or sleeping too much over the past two weeks?

How often have you been bothered by feeling afraid something awful would happen over the past two weeks?

UGA STUDENT SURVEY 32

correlated with resting activity in these areas (Way, Creswell, Eisenberger, & Lieberman, 2010). hese ﬁndin s are consistent with the association of mindfulness with greater self-reported ability to let go of negative thoughts about the self (e.g., Frewen et al., 2008).

Research

Studies

here is also emer in evidence from studies comparin meditators and non-meditators on a variety of performance-based measures that su est that re ular meditation practice is associated with enhanced co nitive ﬂexibility and attentional functionin

He was one of the biggest influencers in merging mindfulness into the medical field, and comprised one of the most common definitions of mindfulness

hese studies found that extensive mindfulness meditation experience is associated with increased thic ness in brain re ions implicated in attention, interoception, and sensory processin , includin the prefrontal cortex and ri ht anterior insula Lazar et al., 2005); increased activation in brain areas involved in processing of distracting events and emotions, which include the rostral anterior cin ulate cortex and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, respectively (Hölzel et al., 2007); and greater gray matter concentration in brain areas that have been found to be active durin meditation, includin the ri ht anterior insula, left inferior temporal yrus, and ri ht hippocampus Hölzel et al., 2008 . hese ﬁndin s are consistent with the premise that systematic trainin in mindfulness meditation induces chan es in attention, awareness, and emotion, which can be assessed and identiﬁed at sub ective, behavioral, and neurobiolo ical levels cf. Treadway & Lazar, 2009).

Mindfulness: “paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally” - kabat zinn

“the nonjudgmental observation of the ongoing stream of internal and external stimuli as they arise”

https://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/mindfulness

“state of active, open attention on the present” “ careful observation of ones thoughts, and feelings- non judgmental” - way to live in the present rather than dwelling on past or worrying about future

verall, evidence from correlational research su ests that mindfulness is positively associated with a variety of indicators of psycholo ical health, such as hi her levels of positive affect, life satisfaction, vitality, and adaptive emotion re ulation, and lower levels of ne ative affect and psychopatholo ical symptoms. here is also bur eonin evidence from neurobiolo ical and laboratory behavioral research that indicates the potential roles of trait mindfulness and mindfulness meditation practices in reducin reactivity to emotional stimuli and enhancin psychological well-being.

Slowing down https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/metacognition-and-the-mind/201706/why-should-weslow-down-the-lost-art-patience

ey notes on rait indfulness mindfulness shows difference in brain activity ndividuals who are mindful may be better at re ulatin emotional responses mindfulness is ne atively correlated with restin activity a a helps you sleep resting activity is positively correlated with depressive symptoms

average American checks their phone 150 times a day How many times does college student do this? growing issue for younger generation necessary to slow down in this high speed, technology consumed world eneﬁts of slowin down - Marshmallow test- placed marshmallow in front of small children and told if they eat it then that’s the only one they get but if they wait they will be given a second one. Followed up same kids later. Ones who waited had better SAT scores, lower substance abuse, better tolerance to stress, better social skills, etc. - slow internet connection yields more thoughtful searches, more focus and slower consumption on what we research

Viewing Mind and Body as connected:

- Eastern vs Western views on divide between mind and body (Tao of Physics) hile researching - People who view the two as connected often lead healthier lifestyles

mindfulness I explored quite a range of subtopics and studies. Quotes: I researched the beginnings of mindfulness https://www.mindful.org/meditation/mindfulness-getting-started/ and meditation in the eastern hemisphere, the Jon Kabat-Zinn, creator of the research-backed stress-reduction program Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), explains how mindfulness lights up parts of our brains that aren’t slow expansion to the west, and the new data normally activated when we’re mindlessly running on autopilot. brought by the recent buzz of the word. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3679190/

Mindfulness is the miracle by which we master and restore ourselves. Consider, for example: a magician who cuts his body into many parts and places each part in a different region—hands in the south, arms in the east, legs in the north, and then by some miraculous power lets forth a cry which reassembles whole every part of his body. Mindfulness is like that—it is the miracle nd empirically with psychological which can callassociated back in a ﬂash our dispersedwell-being. mind and restore it to wholeness so that we can live yeach awareness and nonjudgmental acceptance of one's minute of life. e regarded effective antidotes against Hanh (1976,asp.potentially 14) ess—rumination, anxiety, worry, fear, anger, and so on daptive tendencies to avoid, suppress, or over-engage d emotions

I read a great deal on Jon Kabat Zinn, a researcher credited with starting the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction technique (MBSR). He was one of the biggest influencers in merging mindfulness into the medical field, and comprised one of the most common definitions of mindfulness:

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- emotion focused method of copin with stress- puttin thin s in perspective, - compassion practice - http www.naturallivin ideas.com -seriously-dama in -side-effects-of-your-smartphone-

addiction eople turn to cell phone to deal with unwanted feelin s of anxiety and depression - loss of sense of time - eye strain, nec problem - sleep disturbance, depression, ocd, - esearch shows that colle e a ed students usin cell phones are more li ely to feel anxious durin downtime - emale colle e students spend avera e of hours a day on cellphones

after a regular practice of mindfulness. While I am underqualified to delve into the specific chemical changes and anatomical details, I can relay the bottom line: Mindfulness has been theoretically and empirically associated with psychological well-being. Mindfulness has been found to physiThe elements of mindfulness, namely awareness and nonjudgmental acceptance of one's moment-to-moment experience, regardedin as potentially effective antidotes against cally change yourare brain ways that reduce common forms of psychological distress—rumination, anxiety, worry, fear, anger, and so on —many of which involveand the maladaptive tendencies to avoid, suppress, or over-engage anxiety, stress, negative thought process with one's distressing thoughts and emotions while enhancing attention ability, sleep patterns, said to contain two components: compassion - and self regulation of attention:levels. non-elaborative observations of experiences, thoughts,

Frewen, Evans, Maraj, Dozois, and Partridge (2008) found that, among undergraduate students, mindfulness was related both to a lower frequency of negative automatic thoughts and to an enhanced ability to let go of those thoughts. Two other studies have also demonstrated an association between mindfulness and enhanced performance on tasks assessing sustained attention (Schmertz, Anderson, & Robins, 2009) and persistence (Evans, Baer, & Segerstrom, 2009).

ervention for psychological health. Jon Kabat-Zinn explored ents with chronic pain (Mindfullness Based Stress

artridge (2008) found that, among undergraduate students, wer frequency of negative automatic thoughts and to an oughts. Two other studies have also demonstrated an d enhanced performance on tasks assessing sustained bins, 2009) and persistence (Evans, Baer, & Segerstrom,

elated not only to self-report measures of psychological in activity observed using functional neuroimaging r, and Lieberman (2007) found that trait mindfulness was ygdala activation and greater widespread prefrontal cortical sk. There was also a strong inverse association between responses among those who scored high on mindfulness, on mindfulness, which suggests that individuals who egulate emotional responses via prefrontal cortical

Mindfulness has been shown to be related not only to self-report measures of psychological health, but also to differences in brain activity observed using functional neuroimaging methods. Creswell, Way, Eisenberger, and Lieberman (2007) found that trait mindfulness was associated with reduced bilateral amygdala activation and greater widespread prefrontal cortical activation during an affect labeling task. There was also a strong inverse association between prefrontal cortex and right amygdala responses among those who scored high on mindfulness, but not among those who scored low on mindfulness, which suggests that individuals who are mindful may be better able to regulate emotional responses via prefrontal cortical inhibition of the amygdala. Trait mindfulness also was negatively correlated with resting

indfulness

The resources and information I gathered from my research were not only helpful when developing my content, but they helped me narrow in on the specifics of my design. Based on the student feedback from my survey, as well as my interviews, I had settled on the idea of designing a mindfulness agenda for college students. I decided I wanted to incorporate a design element that would help students balance their school life and social life because verall,that evidence from correlational research su ests that mindfulness is with a variety of indicators of psycholo ical health, such as hi her levels o was one of the most complained about struggles. I also decided that I wanted to designsatisfaction, a physical vitality, and adaptive emotion re ulation, and lower levels of n psychopatholo ical symptoms. here is also bur eonin evidence from ne product in print, as opposed to an app or website, in order to give students some moments away laboratory behavioral research that indicates the potential roles of trait min mindfulness meditation practices in reducin reactivity to emotional stimul from their screens. psychological well-being.

specifically an attitude and acceptance One study thatofIcuriosity, foundopenness, particularly compelling mindfulness the Buddhist tradition is viewed as one factor of an interconnected system of involvedin two groups of people with psoriasis. practices that are necessary for attaining liberation from suffering, the ultimate state or end goal The first group was given the Thus, standard prescribed to spiritual practitioners in the tradition. it needs toultrabe cultivated alongside with other spiritual practices, such as following an ethical lifestyle, in order for one to move toward borative observations of experiences, thoughts, violet treatment, and the second the goal of phototherapy liberation. t to moment - focus on introspective specifically, how one reacts to and perceives external senses one’s experiences: one’s attitude towards experiences, group was given this same standard treatment openness, and acceptance Western conceptualization of mindfulness, on the other hand, is generally independent of “the careful observation of one’s thoughts or feel- any inspecific addition to regular The people circumscribed philosophy,mindfulness. ethical code, or system of practices. on is viewed as one factor of an interconnected system of awareness of internal and external experiences, focus on the external senses ning liberation from suffering, the ultimate state or ings end goal in a non-judgmental way” who had the added practice of mindfulness were themselves the tradition. Thus, it needs to be cultivated alongside with wing an ethical lifestyle, in order for one to move toward found to heal four times faster than the standard early EEG studies in Western medicine found those who meditated had “persistant alpha Some of the most impactful studies I read related 1960s: activity with restful reductions in metabolic rate” as well as an increase in theta waves, which fically, how one reacts to and perceives external senses control group. reflect lower rates of sleep arousal to the physical changes in the brain that occur fulness, on the other hand, is generally independent of

medicine found those who meditated had “persistant alpha abolic rate” as well as an increase in theta waves, which

ey notes on rait

- mindfulness shows difference in brain activity - ndividuals who are mindful may be better at re ulatin emotional respo - mindfulness is ne atively correlated with restin activity a a helps you - resting and its activity is positively correlated with depressive symptoms

increased thic ness in brain re ions implicated in attention, interoception, processin , includin the prefrontal cortex and ri ht anterior insula Lazar increased activation in brain areas involved in processing of distracting ev which include the rostral anterior cin ulate cortex and dorsomedial prefron respectively (Hölzel et al., 2007); and greater gray matter concentration in been found to be active durin meditation, includin the ri ht anterior insu temporal yrus, and ri ht hippocampus Hölzel et al., 2008 . hese ﬁndin the premise that systematic trainin in mindfulness meditation induces cha awareness, and emotion, which can be assessed and identiﬁed at sub ect neurobiolo ical levels cf. Treadway & Lazar, 2009).

sensations, emotions from moment to moment

1970s: mindfulness studied as an intervention for psychological health. Jon Kabat-Zinn explored mindfulness mediation in treating patents with chronic pain (Mindfullness Based Stress Reduction- MBSR)

activity in the amygdala and in medial prefrontal and parietal brain areas with self-referential processing, whereas levels of depressive symptoms w correlated with resting activity in these areas (Way, Creswell, Eisenberger, hese ﬁndin s are consistent with the association of mindfulness with gre ability to let go of negative thoughts about the self (e.g., Frewen et al.

I also researched topics that focused specifically on college students, mental health, here is also relationship to technology and social media. Many articles reported a correlation between theemer in evidence from studies comparin meditators and n variety of performance-based measures that su est that re ular meditati associated on with enhanced two. Our generation becomes addicted to the virtual reality of social media and dependent the co nitive ﬂexibility and attentional functionin hese studies found that extensive mindfulness meditation experience is a constant stimulation of our phones.

- adoption of particular orientation to one’s experiences: one’s attitude towards experiences,

y, ethical code, or system of practices. xternal experiences, focus on the external senses

RELATED STUDIES

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- emotion focused method of copin with stress- puttin thin s in perspec - compassion practice - http www.naturallivin ideas.com -seriously-dama in -side-effects-o -

Mindfulness: “paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally” - kabat zinn “the nonjudgmental observation of the ongoing stream of internal and external stimuli as they arise” https://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/mindfulness “state of active, open attention on the present” “ careful observation of ones thoughts, and feelings- non judgmental” - way to live in the present rather than dwelling on past or worrying about future Slowing down https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/metacognition-and-the-mind/201706/why-should-weslow-down-the-lost-art-patience

addiction eople turn to cell phone to deal with unwanted feelin s of anxiety and - loss of sense of time - eye strain, nec problem - sleep disturbance, depression, ocd, - esearch shows that colle e a ed students usin cell phones are mo anxious durin downtime - emale colle e students spend avera e of hours a day on cellpho

Initial Concepts/Designs Visual Exploration/Experimentation Design Methodology Results/Feedback Section 3.1:

Critique Implementation

LOGO 36

Design

Logo

I wanted something that reflected the concept of the product. To me, milk has always been poetically associated with comfort, nourishment, and nostalgia.

INITIAL CONCEPTS/ DESIGNS

he first step I took when designing this mindfulness planner that I had decided on was giving it a name and a face. After much brainstorming, I finally settled on the name Mind Milk. I wanted something that reflected the concept of the product. To me, milk has always been poetically associated with comfort, nourishment, and nostalgia. For many generations (until recently) our culture has seen milk as a staple in our diet, something that was set in front of you in the morning before you started your day at school. I decided that this title was calming without being obvious, and reflective of the “better health” theme: Milk Milk, your daily mindful nourishment. After deciding on the name of the planner, the logo part actually came fairly quickly to me. I envisioned two lowercase cursive Ms that would be connected to appear like a type of wave – a brainwave that is – a mindful brainwave... you get the gist.

Design

Logo

VISUAL EXPLORATION/ EXPERIMENTATION

hen it came to the experimentation and visual exploration of the logo, I did not limit myself to pen and paper. After exhausting the different ways I could draw out this illustrative mark, I began to move on to different mediums. The bottom left photo is a screenshot of a short gif I made experimenting with a possible wave movement of the logo. The scanned image on the bottom right of the photo composition demonstrates a brief moment where I explored the idea of basing the logo off of mathematical sine and cosine curves.

Design

Color

DESIGN METHODOLOGY

his image of the logo variations displays my first concrete direction with the Mind Milk logo. Once I decided to pursue this mark, I retraced it several times by hand before scanning it into the computer. Once in AdobeIllustrator, I redrew the logo and vectorized it. From there, I created several different renditions with slightly different tweaks on each one. I explored different weights, subtle changes in curves, and began to play with which typefaces would pair well with illustration. My strategy at this point was to create the most uniform wave stroke possible. This approach stemmed from the concept of perfecting oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s brain and thought process.

M I N D M I N D

M I L K

Design

Logo

FEEDBACK/ RESULTS

fter delivering my logo variations during the first critique, I received a helpful amount of constructive feedback that really helped me hone in on my aesthetic. My main critique regarding the logo suggested I play around with uneven levels in the curve. Before, I had been following the concept of a perfect brain.It was pointed out to me, however, that all brain waves are organic, and that exploring this idea would help to translate the connection more. It was also suggested that I experiment with the idea of including graph lines in the logo. As for the typefaces I had paired with the stroke, I received feedback that encouraged me to experiment more with humanist san serifs.

Design

Logo

CRITIQUE IMPLEMENTATION

fter I received my first round of feedback, I went back to the drawing board and experimented with more of an organic wave mark. I first made several different marks on tracing paper before moving them into the computer and vectorizing them. I explored quite a few subtle variations of this before eventually resting on my favorite version. I also tested out different stroke weights and ended up leaning more towards a single weight stroke. I also began to test out the combination with more humanist sans serifs, as suggested in critique. Additionally, I briefly entertained the idea of combining the logo in a type of box, to also give the impression of milk in a cup. However, I decided to abandon that idea because it was not as successful as the first, and I felt as though it was trying to be too many things at once.

Initial Concepts/Designs Visual Exploration/Experimentation Cover/Texture Exploration Color Exploration Section 3.2:

Feedback/Results

AGENDA 48

Design

Agenda

INITIAL CONCEPTS/ DESIGNS

or my initial concept and design for the actual journal, I began back on paper. I sketched out several layout ideas and content possibilities before moving onto the computer. Much of my time here was also spent back on the research table, gathering daily mindfulness activities that I could use for each day of the agenda. In terms of concept, I knew that I wanted the journal to be both calming and engaging. Additionally, I wanted to include calendars at the beginning of each month that would correlate with UGA calendars. At the back of the planner, I dedicated areas for mental health resources on campus. One of my other early concepts was an idea that consisted of the planner syncing with

an app on your phone. This app would have more in-depth mindfulness activities, schedules, personal records, etc. I eventually decided that I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want the bulk of the content to be on a phone since one of my sub-goals had been to encourage college students to get off of their phone. However, I did come up with a way to include this idea without abandoning my mission. One of the mindfulness activities I researched involved staring at moving shapes or listening to ambiguous noises. I had the idea to make one of these animations myself and render a QR code from this that I could insert in the planner. This way, students can simply scan the QR code and watch the animation to fulfill that dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s activity.

Design

Agenda

VISUAL EXPLORATION/ EXPERIMENTATION

hen it came to the experimentation and visual exploration of the agenda, I first mapped out several pages of thumbnails sketches. I tested out many different layout variations on paper before moving onto the computer. While exploring the layout, I stayed mainly in black, white, and neutral color palettes to avoid visual distractions. My goal was to develop a strong core foundation before moving on to additional design elements. Another feature I explored for the agenda was the idea to bring in hand-drawn illustrations. This idea would aim to soften the heaviness of the topic, and add a more personal and inviting touch to the overall aesthetic. I tried several different styles of illustrations, ranging in looseness of stroke, level of abstraction, and the amount of detail included in the depiction. For the calendar portion of the agenda, I knew I wanted something both simplified and also cohesive with the rest of the brand. I explored the idea of having the numbers set up on grids as plot points, to carry on the graphing idea with the logo.

Design

Cover

Mind Milk

COVER/ TEXTURE EXPLORATION

Mind Milk

D A I LY M I N D F U L P L A N N E R 2 0 1 8

or visual experimentation with texture, I played around with different mediums. Most of the patterns and washes of color I created were used with watercolor, ink, and marker.

D A I LY M I N D F U L P L A N N E R 2 0 1 8

This photo shows a couple examples of my texture exploration. From the beginning, I knew that I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want my design to be entirely flat and crisp, but that I was definitely wanting some additional element of texture or pattern. When thinking about the cover of the book, I explored several different variations with digitally developed images of the paintings I had made earlier. These sought to reflect both the fluidity of the name and the organic nature of the practice.

Mind Milk

D A I LY M I N D F U L P L A N N E R 2 0 1 8

These acted as rough mock-ups of what the agenda cover would look like with the current logo I was working on. While experimenting with the texture and image of the cover, I was simultaneously exploring different variations of the logo as well. At this point, I had settled on the wave stroke and was playing with the box idea in combination with different typography treatments.

Design

Color

COLOR EXPLORATION

s I was swatching different examples of potential color themes, I decided I was wanting more of an overall black and white palette, mixed in with neutral colors and elements of pattern or texture.

Design

Feedback

FEEDBACK/ RESULTS

hile going over my work at this point with my class and teacher, I received a helpful amount of feedback and advice. For the agenda layout, I was encouraged to play with the balance between the area I had sectioned off for work lists, and the area sectioned off for enjoyable tasks. While I had made this an equal divide, my teacher suggested I explore the idea of having different ratios. Did I want to emphasize work over play? Did I want to create more of an area of work tasks, since they were usually more inclusive? Did I want to include the symbol of an actual balance to emphasize the concept? These were all helpful thoughts that really got me excited to revisit this idea later. I also received positive feedback on my doodle concept and my incorporation of the dotted line as a divider between sections. My teacher and peers also encouraged me to explore a more diverse color palette. This feedback was also related to the monthly calendar that I had designed to insert before each month.

They suggested that I have each month be a different color, and then carry on that color throughout that monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s activities. In addition, I received a great deal of other helpful comments for the calendar design. My peers informed me that while the plot point idea for the numbers was great for the concept, it was difficult to identify which day of the week the dates landed on. Some felt that the design was too far removed from that of a calendar and therefore was less user-friendly. I was also given the suggestion to add some hierarchy to the days of the week, differentiating between weekdays and weekends. My teacher also felt that the line weight of the grid was a little too dominating, and needed to be tweaked. For the cover of my book, I received positive feedback on the aesthetic, but some felt that it hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been refined yet. My concept of an organic, chaotic brain being reflected in the scribbling paint was also not translated well to the class. I decided to revisit this idea altogether.

Design Revisions/Changes

Section 4:

Refine

Changes

The design was not only more closely reflective of the concept, but it also had a more personal touch of a custom signature.

DESIGN REVISIONS/ CHANGES

or most of my revision process, I adhered fairly closely to the feedback I received in class critiques. In addition to tweaking the design elements to my own taste, I also took care to incorporate my peers’ and teachers’ input. For my logo, I experimented with the unevenness of the waves and I ended up loving the result for a number of reasons. I decided that the concept to include a box was oversaturated with too many concepts, and the stroke stood stronger on its own. Upon receiving the feedback to pair the logo with a more humanist sans serif, I decided on the typeface P22 Underground. This also paired nicely with Baskerville, the typeface I had chosen for the majority of copy used throughout the agenda. This refined logo was not only more closely reflective of the concept, but it also had a more personal touch of a custom signature. I ended up making the logo a single weight stroke, to closer translate the idea of a brainwave graph, or electroencephalogram. Carrying forward with this same idea of graphing brain waves, I decided to

incorporate dotted lines. While it was suggested that I incorporate this plotting lines in the logo, I decided to make it a design element all in itself that would be able to stand alone and be used throughout the agenda. As a bonus, this dotted line additionally was able to add one of the extra flavors of texture that I was seeking. For another textural element, I decided to add a halftone pattern to the section devoted to social life schedules. This decision resulted from the suggestion I received in critique to explore different hierarchy between “work” and “play.” As a compromise, I allowed more space for work life, but I emphasized “play” with this fun pattern. I felt this not only gave more attention to an area that was now smaller but also emphasized the theme of playfulness. As for the agenda revisions, I was able to narrow down from several variations to one design. In addition to playing with the ratio between work schedules and social life schedules, I adjusted the weight of the stroke lines. I decided that the weight of the stroke was working, but there needed to be less space between the dash.

Refine

Changes

THURS 02

Play

an interesting texture and feelsuch as a raisin. g close attention to the way it looks, feels, smells,

Morning Mindfulness

Look out the nearest window. Observe everything there is to be seen. Rather than merely labeling objects, such as “car, road, house,” take notice of the textures, colors, and patterns you see. Are any of these moving? Is there a breeze blowing the leaves or grass? Is the light casting interesting shadows?

On the Go

Choose a touch point that resonates with you today and, instead of going through your daily motions on autopilot, take occasional moments to stop and cultivate purposeful awareness of what you are doing and the blessings these actions brings to your life..

WED 01

AUG 2018

Work

THURS 02

WORK

PLAY

MORN I NG M I N DFU LN ESS

Find a small food item in your pantry, preferably one with an interesting texture and feelsuch as a raisin. Look at this item as if you have never seen it before, paying close attention to the way it looks, feels, smells, taste, and how your skin responds to all of these.

ON TH E GO

Spend one minute asking yourself how you are doing. Spend the second minute focusing only on your breath. Take these two minutes whenever you need them throughout your day.

Choose a touch point that resonates with you today and instead of going through your daily motions on autopilot, take occasional moments to stop and cultivate purposeful awareness of what you are doing and the blessings these actions brings to your life..

This cleaned up the overall look of the layout nicely. I also found a finalized way to incorporate the hand-drawn doodles that I had been hoping to add since I first proposed this topic. I decided to execute simple, black and white, contour drawings for the style, so as not to carry too much of the focus. For the cover of the book, I decided to abandon the organic paintings I had previously tried to incorporate. I felt that this was too far removed from the rest of my aesthetic, as even my textural elements were now organized patterns of halftone dots. I decided to design the cover by carrying on the theme of the plotting points. While I didn’t include the lines in the logo itself, I felt they were nice additions to the cover, and still reflective of the brain graph. I also made the decision to print the cover on metallic paper, a successful solution I implemented to add some zest and avoid a cover that was too flat.

For the calendar, I had a great deal of feedback from both my teacher and classmates. I played with the gradient to distinguish between the weekdays and weekends, and also adjusted the line weight of the grid. I incorporated the same solution of decreasing the dash space that I had previously done for the agenda. Additionally, I messed with the number placement to avoid confusion between the days and corresponding dates. While I was mostly opposed to alternating colors for each month, as suggested in critique, I did find a nice compromise for this feedback. My main hesitation with adding too many colors was that I would overcomplicate what I was intending to be simple and minimal. However, I did agree that this calendar needed some additional design element. I decided to add the same halftone pattern that I used throughout the journal. This added some texture to the design, and also created cohesion between the entire agenda.

Branding/Logo Preface Agenda Design Agenda Design Illustrations Section 5:

Animation

Final

Deliverables

BRANDING/ LOGO White stroke on black sticker

P22 Underground Baskerville

Mind Milk Full logo

Full logo reduced

Typefaces Daily Mindful Agenda 2018

Illustrative logo mark

Primary color scheme

Accent color, used subtly

Dashed line, used as design element

Front cover

Duotone end pattern, also used throughout the agenda

Final

Deliverables

PREFACE AGENDA DESIGN WORK

THE PROBLEM

THE SOLUTION

Anxiety. Depression. Stress. An endless list of accompanying symptoms...

More specifically, there is a lack of attention and resources paid to mindfulness- a heavily researched and highly beneficial means of intervention for mental health problems. Despite the success rate for mindfulness, it remains a stigmatized and overlooked method of coping, often disregarded as trivial.

The New York Times covered an article this past January highlighting the most popular course ever added at Yale University: a class focusing entirely on how to be happier. After only a week of being open for registration, nearly one-fourth of Yale undergraduates had signed up for this course. Universities across the country report the past several years have seen a skyrocketing trend of college students seeking help for mental health struggles. A mental health crisis is raging across college campuses, and UGA is not excluded from this. Our school’s Counseling and Psychiatric Services (CAPS), has recently seen a growing wait list of students needing to be seen. This backup of patients comes even after several new counselors were recently added to the team. The cause of this epidemic of anxiety and depression in college students has been widely talked about and theorized. Some say it may be related to the drastic increase in social media use, others argue the stressors haven’t increased, but our ability to cope has decreased. Whatever the reason, there is an obvious and clear need for a focus on mental health in our college community.

OV E RV I E W / H O W -TO

WHY MINDFULNESS?

Use this area to write down your work and school related tasks each day.

Because mindfulness has become an increasingly buzzing topic, recent years have seen an influx of research and data on the effects mindfulness has on one’s mental health. These studies have shown a regular practice of mindfulness can decrease anxiety, depression, panic attacks, and negative thoughts while enhancing one’s performance, attention ability, sleep patterns, compassion, and overall well-being. Despite the success rates of mindfulness practices, our campus culture places little emphasis on meditation and slowing down. Mindfulness is the natural human ability to pay attention in the present moment. By doing this in a non-judgmental way, we are able to free ourselves from the emotional auto-pilot that consists of dwelling on the past and worrying about the future. Mind Milk is designed specifically for UGA undergraduate students a daily agenda encouraging a balance between work and fun, while simultaneously integrating an achievable routine practice of mindfulness.

Be sure to schedule time for enjoyable activities! PLAY

MORN I NG M I N DFU LN ESS

This area will give you an activity each day designed to evoke mindfulness. Feel free to use this space for journaling, doodling, and more. 2018/19 AU G

SEPT

OCT

N OV

D EC

JA N

FEB

MAR

APR

M AY

JUNE

J U LY

ON TH E GO

Each day you will also receive a mindfulness activity you can do on the go, no matter how busy you may be.

Final

Deliverables

AGENDA DESIGN AUG 2018 Sun

Mon

Tu e s

Wed

Thurs

Fri

Sat

Orientation/ Advisement

AUG 2018

Notes:

WED 01

Registration

THURS 02

WORK

PLAY

MORN I NG M I N DFU LN ESS

Write down one thing you are looking forward to and one thing you are stressed about. Say these things out loud. Focus on the feeling of writing these things down and then do the same for when you say them out loud.

Look out the closest window. Rather than labeling items such as “house, car, road,” just observe everything there is to be seen. Notice how things move, how these shapes interact with each other, how the light changes surfaces... Is something still? Is the wind moving the trees? Try to observe these surroundings as if you’ve never seen them before.

Classes begin Drop/Add

End of Drop/Add

ON TH E GO

Spend one minute asking yourself how you are doing. Spend the second minute focusing only on your breath. Take these two minutes whenever you need them throughout your day.

Final

Deliverables

ILLUSTRATIONS

Final

Deliverables

ANIMATION

his image is a screenshot of the shape animation I created for one of the daily mindfulness activities. I adhered to the same color palette and incorporated the half-tone texture. The end result was a relaxing series of movement that coincided with royalty-free mediation music. I uploaded this video and generated a QR code that would allow students to easily access the link.

Final

Deliverables

Final

Deliverables

Final

Deliverables

Poster Design Section 6:

Exhibition Design

Exhibit

Posters

Morning Mindfulness:

LOOK

POSTER DESIGN

OUT THE Drink a glass of water.

NEAREST

Drinking a large glass of water after waking up increases mental and physical performance throughout the day.

WINDOW

MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS

Rather than labeling items such as “house, car, road,” just observe everything there is to be seen. Notice how things move, how these shapes interact with each other, how the light changes surfaces...

A Mental Health Crisis is raging across college campuses, including UGA

Is something still? Is the wind moving the trees? Try to observe these surroundings as if you’ve never seen them before.

BE PRESENT

Mindfulness: a heavily researched and highly beneficial means of intervention for mental health struggles

hile planning out the actual display and exhibition for my project, I knew that I was working with a large amount of wall space. I decided to design posters that would reflect the key parts of my project. While I wanted my posters to be somewhat informational of my project, I wanted them to be mainly visual. One poster displays a simplified process map leading from the mental health crisis to the solution of Mind Milk. For another poster, I displayed my final design for the book cover, which also allowed me to display a large scale visual of my logo. For the remaining two posters, I chose two of my favorite illustrations and paired them with their corresponding activities. These posters also remained within the branding elements.

MIND MILK Daily mindful nourishment for the busy college student

Exhibit

Design

EXHIBITION DESIGN

efore hanging any of my pieces in the gallery space, I first mapped out a detailed plan for how I would arrange my work. I made this document to scale, so I could accurately visualize the setup. I planned to arrange the four posters in the center, with matted pages of the agenda on either side. I decided to have two podiums, one for the copies of the planner, and one with a screen that would display the animation. I decided to arrange my work in a concise and organized grid to not only create a clean look but also establish a calm and relaxing space. Additionally, I also decided to include a short paragraph describing my project problem and solution. For the specifics of the display, I bought black foam board and mounted my work with T pins. While mounting the work I had the posters stand out from the wall, creating a nice amount of depth with the flat pieces. While I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t give away hundreds of copies of the planner, I did print out stickers with the Mind Milk logo for my audience to take home and always remember to be mindful.

Exhibit

Photographs

Exhibit

Photographs

Section 7:

Final Thoughts

Reflect

Reflection

FINAL THOUGHTS

his project was a huge learning experience for me. While I had taken on several solo projects throughout my years in the art school, I had never done one on such a large scale. This project required a much larger amount of research, planning, sketching, and revising than I had ever had to do in the past. Additionally, I felt that this semester forced us to work more independently than we had in the past. While we still had several critique sessions, they were less instructive than ones in the past and the end result ultimately came down to our decision.

In terms of the outcome of my project, I was very happy with the final result. I was confident in my concept, design, and execution. I feel that it was polished, aesthetically pleasing, and reflective of how I originally visualized the project. One component I would have definitely liked to improve on would be the idea of the agenda itself. Looking back, I wondered if there were some additional elements I could have added to separate it further from every other agenda out there. While I felt that my concept and designs were strong, I wondered if the physical solution was the best option.

At the end of this project, I had a newfound appreciation for time management. While I had always understood the workload of this project, it was not until the final stretch that I really understood how important time management was when working with a project of such large scale. I was very appreciative to have been given a timeline at the beginning of the semester because I’m not sure I would have been on schedule without it.

When it’s all said and done, I was proud of the work I accomplished this semester. I feel like this project allowed me to grow as a designer, and also gain confidence when working alone and making executive decisions. I’m happy to have experienced such an in-depth project, and I’m excited to use this experience when moving forward in my career after graduation.

RESEARCH htt ps://w w w.psycholog y today.com/basics/mindfulness htt ps://w w w.psycholog y today.com/blog/metacog nit ion-and-themind/20170 6/why-should-we-slow- dow n-t he-lost-ar t-pat ience htt ps://w w w.mindful.org/med itat ion/mindfulness-gett ing-star ted/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3679190/ http://www.naturallivingideas.com/16-seriously-damaging-sideeffects-of-your-smartphone-addiction/ http://www.bu.edu/today/2016/mental-health-college-students/

MINDFULNESS ACTIVITIES htt ps://posit ivepsycholog y prog ram.com/mindfulnessexercises-techniques-act iv it ies/ htt ps://w w w.developgoodhabits.com/mindfulness-exercises/ htt ps://w w w.spr ing.org.uk/2014/04/mindfulness-med itat ion8 - quick-exercises-t hat-easi ly-f it-into -your- day.php htt p://w w w.pract icing mindfulness.com/ 16 -simple-mindfulness-exercises/ htt p://leftbrainbuddha.com/4 0 -ways-br ing-mindfulness- days/ htt ps://w w w.fastcompany.com/3050243/5 - quick-and-easymindfulness-exercises-you- can- do -in-t he-of f ice

ELLIE VARICAK ARGD 4110 SPRING 2018 JULIE SPIVEY P22 UNDERGROUND BASKERVILLE