Creative Calm

With increasing stress, burnout, and mental health issues amongst students in higher education institutions, there is a pressing need for pedagogical advancements that simultaneously foster emotional and academic growth. This chapter discusses the impact of incorporating arts-based mindfulness practices, such as reflective journaling, contemplative drawing, guided art-making, and storytelling through the senses, in university-level courses on students' emotional self-regulation, concentration, and psychological resilience. Grounded in positive psychology, contemplative education, and art therapy, this chapter offers a blended pedagogical framework of mindfulness and creative expression. It provides practical approaches for educators from diverse fields to integrate “Mindflourish” (mindfulness + flourish) activities in tangible ways into teaching spaces, free from the obligations of teaching art.