Car troubles, health problems, tests, anxiety, money issues. Do any of these issues cause you worry, discomfort or grief? 

“These are circumstances we all experience and we all have the opportunity to change how these affect us,” according to Madison College’s newest mindfulness instructor, Jodi Goldbeck.

At the Truax Campus on Feb. 26, Goldbeck offered a Mastering Your Mindset presentation. She discussed how some personal misfortunes allowed her to gain knowledge and challenged her viewpoints as she studied mindfulness and became certified in numerous mood improving trainings.

One of the trainings she instructs is the 21-day challenge, which stretches the ability to embrace happiness on a new level.

Goldbeck shared her experience with the 21-day challenge. She highlighted that by uninstalling various apps on her cell phone and journaling, she was able to redirect her mind and savor the moment she was in.

Understanding the importance of savoring anything like a precious moment with loved ones, or a moment to yourself, is a useful tool in coming out of an emotional low point. Gaining this awareness provides you with new self-help skills.

Academic institutions are increasingly offering courses on mindfulness. This is not something new, but it is starting to grow. Top tier schools such as Stanford, Yale and Harvard have offered mindfulness courses for over a decade.

One resource that may aid struggling students is Harvard professor Shawn Achor’s New York Times Best Seller “The Happiness Advantage: How a Positive Brain Fuels Success in Work and Life.” His book also became inducted into Oprah’s book club.

Goldbeck will lead the Fall 2019 course Studies in Gratitude, Optimism & Well-Being. This will be an eight-week course, and you can earn up to three-credits for the semester in the class.

So far Goldbeck knows the class will be on Tuesday mornings, but more details will come out as the semester approaches.

For more information on mindfulness, Truax campus will be offering a workshop entitled “Introduction to the Mindset Makeover,” on Wednesday, March 27, at 5:30 p.m.