2021 Disability Awareness Symposium: Using Mindfulness to Manage the Frustrations of Academic Life with Tomie Gowdy-Burke

About the event

After a brief explanation of the effects of mindfulness on the body, we will engage in several short mindfulness exercises believed to assist in overcoming distractions and procrastination, as well as handling the stress and anxiety students face in their daily lives.

Tomie (Pronouns: she/her/hers) came to WSU in 2010 to teach composition, rhetoric, and professional writing for the English Department, but her background in mental health led her to work with the Access Center to develop the Access Writing program that offers students one-on-one faculty mentoring throughout their time at WSU.

Tomie began practicing mindfulness more than five years ago; since that time, she has found the exercises can assist with focusing her attention, calming her stress, managing her anxiety, and perhaps most surprising, helping her overcome the demands of battling breast cancer. If you are interested in learning more about the benefits mindfulness, feel free to contact Tomie by email at tomie@wsu.edu or leave a message on her office phone at 509-335-2609.