Elon faculty and students recently publish findings showing that brief outdoor mindfulness practices can significantly improve college students’ well-being, mindfulness, and connection to nature.
A new publication in Innovative Higher Education examines the impact of a sit spot mindfulness practice studied through an interdisciplinary and cross-course collaboration at Elon between faculty and students. The project examined how brief, repeated outdoor mindfulness experiences influenced students’ mental well-being, mindfulness, and connectedness to nature.
Students across two courses (ENS 1100: Humans and Nature (Spring 2025) and WHE 2850: Perspectives in Personal and Global Health (Spring 2025)) completed eight outdoor sit spots over the course of a month as part of a course assignment. Students were asked to spend time in an outdoor space on campus, and quietly observe their surroundings, noting a range of sensory experiences, and reflect on the changes in that space over time. Using a pre- and post-test model, they found statistically significant improvements in mindfulness, positive affect, and nature connectedness in students across the two courses.
The newly published article, “Evaluating the Impact of a Sit Spot Mindfulness Practice on Students’ Connectedness to Nature, Mental Wellbeing, and Mindfulness,” is authored by Elon faculty, Kelsey Bitting and Jill McSweeney, Elon alum Elyssa Kaufman ’25 (Environmental Sciences), and graduating senior, Kira Campagna ’26, an elementary education major, with a minor in environmental education). The work builds on growing research connecting nature exposure and contemplative practices with improved student wellness and academic outcomes.
Student researchers, Kaufman and Campagna, played a central role throughout the project and have presented sub-findings at several undergraduate research and pedagogical conferences. Their project work specifically examined how outdoor mindfulness practices influenced mood, mindful awareness, and students’ relationship with nature. Their presentations highlighted significant increases in positive affect, nature connectedness and mindfulness among students who completed the sit spot assignment.
In collaboration with Evan Small, additional research this past academic year recruited over 80 students across four courses (i.e., ENS 1100: Humans and Nature (Fall 2025), WHE 1150: Stress and Wellness (Fall 2025), HEU 1719: Foraging and Wild Foods (Fall 2025), and COR 3555: Foraging Wild Food and Medicine (Spring ’26)). Using data from these four courses, graduating senior, Abigail Manning (Environmental Sciences) recently explored how sit spots affect students’ mindfulness and nature connectivity across different majors and disciplines. Her research found that students in nature-focused majors often experienced even stronger gains in mindfulness and nature connectedness through the sit spot practice.
The research team plans to continue building on these findings over the summer. Kiley Sherlock ’27, an environmental sciences major, will conduct qualitative analysis on student reflections for her Summer Undergraduate Research Experience, exploring how students define nature and further exploring how the sit spot practice impacts student stress across the semester. The team also plans on additional publications exploring the impact of student demographics, and focus on a practice-oriented piece on how to support colleagues to bring contemplative pedagogies which incorporate nature into their classrooms to support the wellbeing of students and themselves.
Together, the project reflects Elon’s commitment to engaged learning and undergraduate research, while also contributing meaningful scholarship to conversations around student wellness, mindfulness, and environmental connection.