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Paws and Practice: Overcoming Barriers to Mindfulness

Authors

• Hazel Norris, Public Health: Community Health

Document Type

Class Research

Publication Date

Spring 2026

Abstract

With the rise in chronic illnesses, healthcare professionals have sought to improve habits and behaviors to extend longevity and quality of life. However, for many people, unhealthy habits, such as smoking or binge eating, may develop as a way of coping with life stressors, which can make behavior changes harder to implement. Recently, there has been an increase in new research on whether improving mindfulness could be used to combat this problem. If mindfulness does encourage more engagement in health-promoting behaviors while protecting against risky behaviors, mindfulness-based behavior interventions could be very valuable for improving the health of college students who are forming habits and coping skills that may follow them into adulthood.

Comments

This paper/multimedia project won 1st Place in the Undergraduate Division.

Recommended Citation

Norris, Hazel, "Paws and Practice: Overcoming Barriers to Mindfulness" (2026). 2026 Awards for Excellence in Student Research and Creative Activity - Documents & Media. 7.
https://thekeep.eiu.edu/lib_awards_2026_docs/7

Display as Peer Reviewed

Peer-Reviewed