Brain Gym: Stress Management & Mental Resilience in Academia 380-ERA-7JPB

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The course is intended for undergraduate and graduate students, especially international and Erasmus participants, who wish to improve their wellbeing and academic performance by learning practical tools for managing stress, enhancing creativity, and strengthening mental resilience. No prior psychological knowledge is required. The course assumes active participation and openness to experiential exercises, as many activities are practice-based and conducted in groups or pairs. Students are encouraged to explore how different techniques affect their own concentration, emotional regulation, and productivity, and to apply selected methods in their daily academic routines.

Learning outcomes:

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• describe key concepts related to stress, mental resilience, and cognitive functioning in academic contexts;
• identify personal stress triggers and apply appropriate stress-management strategies;
• practice and lead basic creativity-enhancing and cognitive-boosting exercises;
• demonstrate the ability to apply mindfulness-based and positive-psychology tools;
• facilitate short group activities aimed at improving stress management, creativity, or mental resilience;
• reflect on personal wellbeing habits and develop strategies for sustaining mental resilience.

Methods and criteria for assessment:

• active involvement in discussions, exercises, and group activities;
• demonstration of engagement with course materials and experiential practices;
• preparation and facilitation (in pairs) of a short group exercise related to creativity, cognitive enhancement, stress management, or resilience;
• brief written description of the planned exercise (purpose, steps, benefits);
• overall assessment of practical application, reflection, and understanding.

* Rules for the Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Systems in This Course *

In accordance with Order No. 31 of the Rector of the University of Białystok dated April 11, 2025, the following rules apply to the use of artificial intelligence (AI) systems within the framework of this course:

1. Permissibility and scope of AI use:
• The use of AI systems is permitted for purposes that support the educational process, including but not limited to: language and stylistic correction of texts, machine translation, searching for academic sources, generating keywords, data analysis, simulations and coding, as well as formulating research problems.
• The automatic completion of all or part of coursework or other assignments by AI systems without the instructor's permission is not allowed.

2. Rules for AI use in written work:
• Any use of AI systems in written assignments (essays, reports, projects, coursework, etc.) must be clearly indicated and properly documented.
• The scope of use (e.g., summarizing sources, stylistic editing, assistance with text structure) and the manner of application (e.g., specific prompts used, method of result verification) must be specified.

3. Tasks that must be completed without AI:
• All tasks requiring individual assessment of critical thinking, data interpretation, formulation of original conclusions, and reflection must be completed independently, without the use of AI systems.
• This applies in particular to parts of the work intended to demonstrate the student’s original contribution, such as personal analyses, interpretation of results, and theoretical reflections.

4. Responsibilities of Students:
• Students are required to independently verify the results generated by AI systems and bear full responsibility for their use.
• Upon request from the instructor, students must present documentation of AI use or provide an explanation.

5. Consequences of violations:
• In the case of unethical or non-compliant use of AI systems, the applicable regulations on disciplinary responsibility may be enforced.

Literature:

• Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2013). Creativity: The Psychology of Discovery and Invention. Harper Perennial.
• Kabat-Zinn, J. (2013). Full Catastrophe Living. Bantam.
• McGonigal, K. (2015). The Upside of Stress: Why Stress Is Good for You, and How to Get Good at It. Avery.
• Reivich, K., & Shatté, A. (2003). The Resilience Factor: 7 Keys to Finding Your Inner Strength. Broadway Books.
• Ratey, J. (2008). Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain. Little, Brown Spark.
• Selye, H. (1998). Stress Without Distress. New American Library.

Dodatkowe informacje (np. o kalendarzu rejestracji, prowadzących zajęcia, lokalizacji i terminach zajęć) mogą być dostępne w serwisie USOSweb:

• Strona przedmiotu 380-ERA-7JPB w USOSweb