The Education Commission organised a Seminar on Mindfulness and Resilience on 13th September, coordinated by Sr. Malar Joseph, Educational Coordinator, and Sr. Clara D’Souza, Counsellor-in-Charge. The programme was facilitated by Mrs. Shobha and Mrs. Meera from Slokha Devya Trust, who led the Sisters through an engaging and enriching session.
The resource persons highlighted the importance of mindfulness and resilience in daily life, explaining how mindfulness helps the Sisters remain present, become more aware of their thoughts and emotions, manage stress and respond to challenging situations with greater calm and clarity. The session also emphasised self-awareness, emotional balance, positive thinking and healthy coping strategies as essential elements of personal well-being and harmonious relationships.
Through a series of interactive activities, the Sisters explored how the way we interpret situations can influence our thoughts, emotions and responses. The concept of cognitive flexibility encouraged them to pause before reacting, look at situations from different perspectives and choose more constructive responses.
The Range of Influence activity helped the Sisters distinguish between what they can directly influence, where they can contribute to change, and what is beyond their control. This encouraged adaptability and acceptance, while highlighting that stress increases when we spend energy trying to control the uncontrollable.
The session also introduced practical coping strategies such as feeling and naming emotions, sharing concerns, solving problems, stepping away, reframing situations and asking for help. The Sisters engaged in mindfulness practices such as mindful eating, mindful drinking and grounding, followed by personal reflection and the preparation of a 30-day resilience plan.
Another important component was the understanding of healthy boundaries—recognising how much time and energy we can give, what emotions we are carrying, what is our responsibility, and how to maintain healthy and respectful relationships.
The programme concluded with the message that resilience is not about never feeling overwhelmed; rather, it is about recognising when we are struggling, knowing what helps us, being flexible enough to try another way, and having the wisdom to seek support. The seminar provided the Sisters with a meaningful opportunity to strengthen their mindfulness, emotional awareness, resilience and capacity to respond to life’s challenges with greater wisdom, balance and compassion.