When Jena student Eileen Kuhne gets up in the morning, her path leads straight to the yoga mat. She arches her back, circles her hips, stretches into downward-facing dog. Then breathe in and out consciously for a few minutes. The morning routine is an important part of her mindfulness practice, says the 24-year-old. “It has made me much more relaxed and I can deal with stress better.” Kuhne is studying for a master’s degree in “Democratic Work in a Digitalized Society” and feels a lot of pressure, especially during exams.
She is not alone in this. According to a study by Techniker Krankenkasse, around a quarter of students feel stressed and exhausted. The study also shows that students are more likely to suffer from depression or anxiety disorders than those who do not study. The psychological online counseling platform Instahelp even says that after the Corona crisis, every second student describes their mental health as less good to bad. No wonder more and more universities are taking on the topic of stress prevention and offering courses in meditation, yoga and mindful use of digital media.