Tutor Manual 6:Focus, Think, Finish
1 hour workshop

Topic Overview:

The Focus, Think, Finish module is designed to teach students about the importance of mindfulness. It includes resources to learn about mindfulness, and how to practice this skill. Activities are focused on practical situations where mindfulness can improve behaviour and outcomes in relation to study. There is also discussion of the problems that come with automatic negative thoughts, and an activity to help learn to overcome these thoughts.

Workshop Length

This workshop has been designed to be delivered in one hour (60 minutes). There is a two hour workshop for this topic available (1 hour, 50 minutes) if required.

Resources Required

Workshop Slides: The Workshop Slides for Focus, Think, Finishare used on a screen or projector so that the instructions for each activity are outlined clearly for the students. The slides correspond with the activities in the Workbook.

Student Workbook: supply each student with a printed and digital copy of the student workbook Focus, Think, Finish. Both formats are required so that they can follow along with the activities which are web based using a desktop or laptop computer (such as online self-assessment), or they can write notes and answer questions by hand (such as for readings and class discussions).

Lecture Recording: This workshop includes the lecture recording Focus, Think, Finish. You will need to have this recording ready to go, either downloaded or streamed from the website.

Instructions: Workshop Slides

The following information provides instructions and suggested time spent for each slide in the workshop slide deck.

Slide 2:Do you ever find yourself:

1 minute

Set the scene for this workshop by focusing the students’ attention on how they might be feeling if they’re not already practicing mindfulness:

  • Feeling confused?
  • Feeling disconnected from yourself and the world around you?
  • Finding it hard to concentrate?

Slide 3: We will focus on…

1 minute

Outline the way in which this topic leads to practical outcomes for the students:

  • Understanding how mindfulness may be of use in everyday student life.
  • Developing an awareness of how to overcome study problems by applying mindfulness.
  • Overcoming negative thoughts for more positive mindfulness.

Slide 4: Our Plan: Prepare, Listen, Write

1 minute

Summarise the four activities in the following categories to give the students an idea of the day’s plan:

  1. The Big Picture: Focus, Think, Finish
  2. Be Inspired: An introduction to mindfulness
  3. Focus on you: how mindful are you?
  4. Practicing what we’ve learned: Mindfulness activities to overcome common study problems

Slide 5: 1) The Big Picture: Focus, Think, Finish

10 minutes

  • Play for the class the Introductory Lecture on the topic Focus, Think, Finish.
  • Remind the students that the lecture slide content is included in their workbooks and there is space to take notes to help them to retain key information.
  • To listen to the narrated lecture in the PowerPoint slides, launch the PowerPoint presentation by clicking the ‘Slide Show’ tab, and then clicking ‘From Beginning’. The slides and narration will play automatically.

Slide 6: 2) Be Inspired: An introduction to mindfulness

5 minutes

This videoby ‘Mind the Bump’ gives students an introduction to the benefits of mindfulness and how it is different from mindlessness.

Let the students know that for this video, there is no need to take notes or answer any questions while watching.

They should instead take in the information and focus their mind on the concept of mindfulness, which they are going to practice and explore today.

Video URL:

Slide 7: 3) Focus on you: how mindful are you?

15 minutes

  • Students should complete the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale activity in their workbooks, which gives them an idea of how mindful they are in everyday life.

Instructions for completing this self-assessment:

  • Using the 1-6 scale, indicate how frequently or infrequently you currently have each experience.
  • Answer according to what reflects your experience rather than what you think your experience should be.
  • Treat each item separately from every other item.

Instructions for scoring this self-assessment:

  • To score the scale, students need to calculate their average score for all of their 15 responses (add up the total score and divide by 15).
  • Higher scores reflect higher levels of mindfulness.

Remind students that the point of today’s workshop is to improve their mindfulness, so if they are currently not very mindful, this is not a problem, it just means they have a chance to grow and learn. Link this back to the growth mindset.

Slide 8:4) Practicing what we’ve learned: Mindfulness activities to overcome common study problems
20 minutes

Break the class into three groups. Each group should focus on one of the following study problems:

  1. ‘I can’t seem to focus’
  2. ‘I feel overwhelmed’
  3. ‘I procrastinate’

Ask each group to discuss a recent situation they have been in where they have experienced this problem.

Encourage the students to make the problem as vivid as possible for their group members. Describe the task they were trying to do, and what emotions they were feeling while they were having the problem.

Once each member of the group can picture themselves experiencing the study problem, one person from the group should read the mindfulness activity instructions (in the workbook) to the rest of the group.

The rest of the group should follow the instructions carefully, to practice overcoming this study problem.

If there is time, the groups can try a different study problem, with a different person instructing the mindfulness activity.

Slide 9: Bringing it all together

2 minutes

As a summary, explain that mindfulness can help your study in the following ways:

  • In preparation for study
  • To get more out of study time through reduced distractions
  • To allow you to transition from study – sleep
  • Focussing on the present improves concentration and retention
  • Reduce anxiety around test/exam situations
  • Boost confidence through visualisations/mental holidays
  • Make being mindful a regular habit in your everyday life.
  • Like any muscle you need to train your brain to be mindful, so start with 2-3 minute mindfulness practice at the same time every day (e.g.) when brushing your teeth to strengthen your ability.

If students need help…

Students have been provided with the following information at the back of their workbooks. If a student comes to you seeking help, you should put them in contact with your university’s relevant support services.

In you need help…

If this workshop has brought up any difficult emotions or feeling of distress which you feel you would like to speak to someone about, please talk to your tutor and access your university’s support services, which are there to help.

Other useful contacts:

Lifeline
For distress or other mental health issues.
Telephone: 13 11 14 24 hours, 7 days

Kids Helpline
Telephone, web and email counselling for students up to 25 years old.
Telephone: 1800 551 800 24 hours, 7 days

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