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You will build a personalized toolkit for well-being, enabling you to excel not only as a PhD student but also in every aspect of life. The course is structured around the following weekly topics:

• Week 1: Introduction to mindfulness and meditation
  Explore brain anatomy, the concept of multidimensionality (body, mind, emotional being, and the ego/self-identity), the power of observation, and set your personal goals for the course.
• Week 2: Stress management and relaxation
  Learn about the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems, the stress response at all levels, how stress impacts productivity and well-being, identifying personal stress triggers, and relaxation techniques.
• Week 3: The breath as a tool
  Discover the relationship between breath, thoughts, and relaxation; practice three-stage breathing; build breath awareness; and enhance your vitality through breathing exercises.
• Week 4: The power of focus and silence
  Develop mental clarity and focus, learn how to calm the mind, explore silence, identify personal distractors, and practice focused attention using affirmations or mantra repetition.
• Week 5: Emotional intelligence
  Gain tools for managing difficult emotions (e.g., frustration, anger, sadness); generate emotions such as love, kindness, and self-compassion at will; understand the role of neurotransmitters; and explore the science of HRV (Heart Rate Variability).
• Week 6: Influence of brain anatomy
  Learn about the roles of different parts of the brain, how to access alpha, theta, and gamma states; the concept of neuroplasticity; and strategies for working with neurodivergent brains.
• Week 7: Integrating meditation in daily life
  Explore techniques for effective time management, the benefits of mini breaks, the influence of food on well-being, managing social challenges, seeing life as a play, and achieving the "flow state."
• Week 8: Happiness from within
  Reflect on detachment and attachment, access the transcendental space, practice gratitude techniques, review your experiences from the course, and create a sustainable daily well-being routine.

Each session offers a mix of theory, reflective discussions, and guided meditation exercises, with occasional simple yoga practices. You can participate while seated in a chair or bring a cushion if you prefer sitting on the floor. Wear anything comfortable – no special attire is required.

Study load

In addition to the scheduled sessions, please allow for an additional study load of approximately 15 minutes per day (a total of 14 hours). This daily practice typically involves continuing the practical exercises introduced in each session. This study load generally consists of homework assignments in preparation for the next session.

Max. number of participants

15

Number of credits

1.0 EC

Trainer

Your instructor for this course is Kim van Ommering. With a PhD in Applied Physics, she works as a course developer and academic writing teacher at the Communication Skills Academy at Utrecht ľ¹Ï¸£ÀûÓ°ÊÓ. Kim is also a certified yoga and meditation instructor, who has taught these practices for over 16 years, since she was a PhD student herself. Before joining Utrecht ľ¹Ï¸£ÀûÓ°ÊÓ in 2020, she spent several years living and working at a meditation center in the Caribbean. Drawing on her expertise in science, meditation, and personal growth, Kim offers a unique perspective that combines academic insight with practical techniques to promote overall well-being.

This course is free for GSLS PhD candidates. However: free of charge does not mean free of responsibility. Once you have signed up for a course, we expect you to attend. For every late cancellation or no-show we have had to disappoint others who would have liked to attend. This is our policy:

• You may cancel free of charge up to 4 weeks before the start of the course. After this date you can only cancel if you have a GSLS PhD candidate to replace you in the course. Send the name and contact information of your replacement to pcc@uu.nl, at least 2 working days before the start of the course;
• We expect that you actively attend the full course, but at least 80%. It is mandatory to attend the first session. If you are absent the first session you cannot follow the remaining of the course;
• Not meeting the above requirements means you will be charged a no-show fee (€ 125). We will send the invoice after the course has ended. We are unable to make any exceptions, unless you have a valid reason (i.e., illness or death in the family 1^st/2^nd degree or partner). Your supervisor has to send an e-mail to pcc@uu.nl indicating the reason.