Relationships Between Levels of Mindfulness and Subjective Well-Being in Undergraduate Students

College is often a period of unique demands and increased autonomy. The heightened stress associated with this period can contribute to mental health difficulties and maladaptive behaviors in a subset of students. The goal of the current study was to examine the role of mindfulness (i.e., awareness of, and appreciation for, the present moment and experiences) in experiencing negative emotions and lifestyle behaviors in 23 male and 19 female undergraduate students. Participants were randomly assigned to a mindfulness meditation condition or a cognitive activity control condition. Results suggest that higher levels of mindfulness are associated with better lifestyle habits, lower levels of stress, and reduced negative affect. Results also suggest mindfulness meditation is effective for individuals reporting lower initial levels of mindfulness. The Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire-Short Form (FFMQ-SF; Baer et al., 2006) was used to examine specific facets of mindfulness. Notably, scores from the facet of Observing were predictive of environmental concern, social concern, and safety concern while scores from the Describing facet were predictive of a greater sense of purpose. The results of this study provide preliminary evidence of the effectiveness of mindfulness practices on students’ subjective well-being