Physics can be hard: Mindfulness may help, research suggests
A University of Pittsburgh study suggests mindfulness training can help college students cope with the psychological stress of physics courses. After five days of mindfulness practice, students reported feeling less threatened and more engaged in their studies. The findings indicate mindfulness may support resilience and persistence in STEM education by changing how students respond to academic stress. The research was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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April 28, 2026 Physics can be hard: Mindfulness may help, research suggests by University of Pittsburgh edited by Sadie Harley, reviewed by Robert Egan Sadie Harley scientific editor Meet our editorial team Behind our editorial process Robert Egan associate editor Meet our editorial team Behind our editorial process Editors' notes This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: fact-checked peer-reviewed publication trusted source proofread The GIST Add as preferred source Students at a physics symposium. The stress of the discipline can feel psychologically threatening to some students.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Phys.org.