Hustle and bustle are two words often associated with the holiday season. Before the turkey is even consumed, often the Christmas lights are up, and then, before you know it, there are only X shopping days left. This poem invites us to slow down.
mindfulness
Being Present
This season of being thankful, some of us are thinking about being thankful for each moment and our ability to enjoy that moment, to savor it. Texas Standard listener Lynzy requested this poem about ridding herself of the products and systems that get in the way of her ability to be present.
Reconnecting
The pandemic has impacted our lives on every level. Most of the impacts have been devastating — even deadly. But for those with the privilege to embrace a forced slowing down, there are also silver linings. That was the inspiration for this Typewriter Rodeo poem.
Healing
It’s collectively been a tough week, months, nearly a year. This Typewriter Rodeo poem is a reminder to focus for a moment on your own humanity.
What Hasn’t Changed
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed how many work, go to school, socialize, shop, and so much more. But other things aren’t that different. That was the inspiration for this Typewriter Rodeo poem.
Higher Ed: “We’re Not Machines” – Engaging Your Heart And Your Head In Learning
When strong feelings bubble up, your heart might win out over your head in deciding what happens next. But at times, a more thoughtful approach might prove ultimately more effective. In this episode of KUT’s podcast “Higher Ed,” Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger and KUT’s Jennifer Stayton discuss the tug-of-war between feeling and thinking.
Ed says he thinks higher education can play a role in teaching people how to navigate and process strong feelings so that those feelings can inform – but not derail – learning and major decision making.
“I think that especially on a college campus…it’s really important to allow people space for both that emotional reaction or that emotional response,” says Ed. “And then to encourage them to process and have something else come out of it.”
Ed is quick to clarify that feelings should not be shortchanged or discounted in learning and decision making. He says they actually play a vital role. But he emphasizes the importance of balancing those feelings with mindfulness and awareness.
“Our feelings and our emotions will generate all sorts of intuition; all sorts of creativity; all sorts of new insights; all sorts of new ideas. And then we can play off of them,” says Ed. “But the playing off them, and then what comes next, is all about when we start to think through them.”
What happens if that emotional response is not followed by thoughtful reflection?
“It’s like a car being stuck in the mud,” says Ed. “The wheels are just spinning and spinning and spinning, spewing up mud, but it’s not moving anywhere.”
Listen to the full episode to hear more about how to keep those wheels from just spinning in the mud without making progress, and to get the solution to last episode’s football puzzler (muddy field not required!).
This episode was recorded on Aug. 7, 2019.
After this episode was recorded, Dr. Ed Burger announced that he is leaving Southwestern University in January 2020 to become president and chief executive officer of St. David’s Foundation.
Mindfulness and Memory
When it comes to mindfulness there is clear evidence that practicing it can be beneficial, but perhaps not for everyone all the time. It might even have some adverse effects on memory.
In our final piece in our series on mindfulness, Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman, and Dr. Bob Duke talk about mindfulness and memory.
The Darker Side of Mindfulness
There are many benefits to mindfulness, but it might not be for everyone.
On this week’s edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about the more negative elements of being present.
Mindfulness
When was the last time someone said to you, “just take a breath?” It’s a way to slow down, be in the moment, create space. It’s also a big part of a mindfulness trend.
As Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about in this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, there are a lot of psychological reasons for why and how mindfulness works, and you don’t have to buy a yoga mat and incense to reap the benefits.
Higher Ed: Teaching Intangibles
Persistence. Mindfulness. Caring. Passion. Should these be taught in school? Can they even be taught? In this episode of KUT’s podcast Higher Ed, KUT’s Jennifer Stayton and Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger talk about teaching intangibles. A listener’s email prompted this discussion about the value of teaching these topics in school. And listen on for the crazy solution to last episode’s puzzler that was all about eights.
This episode was recorded on January 22, 2016.
Higher Ed: Deep Rest = Better Learning
Caffeine-fueled all-nighters to finish up that paper or cram for a final exam. For some students, that’s a regular part of their studying routine in higher education. They come to equate intense periods of hard work with more successful achievement and learning. But some research indicates slowing down that work flow might actually be the best recipe for deeper learning. In this episode of KUT’s podcast Higher Ed, Jennifer Stayton and Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger have a lively discussion about the benefits of a slower pace. Notice something a little difference about this episode? Ed and Jennifer switch roles, as Ed interviews Jennifer about her insights following a lengthy break from the usually hectic pace of work. Did that break help Jennifer think up the solution to the most recent math puzzler? Listen on to find out.