UFS E-Engaged Scholarship Podcasts

In this podcast, we introduce the power of loving-kindness meditation and gratitude reflections, aiming to foster positive emotional states and compassion towards oneself and others. Through simple yet impactful word repetition techniques, educators are encouraged to cultivate mindfulness, empathy, and self-care in their daily routines. Engaged Scholarship Website

This episode guides listeners through a body scan meditation, emphasizing the importance of mindfulness and grounding through breath awareness. Designed to reduce stress and promote relaxation, these exercises are ideal for educators seeking to enhance their emotional well-being and focus during challenging times. Engaged Scholarship Website

This podcast highlights the significance of self-compassion and acts of kindness, particularly for educators working in stressful environments. It draws on Dr. Kristen Neff’s concepts of self-compassion and common humanity, encouraging listeners to treat themselves with the same kindness they offer others. By fostering empathy and mutual support, the episode encourages listeners to prioritize thei...

This podcast emphasises the importance of recognizing and utilising personal strengths to navigate challenges, especially in educational settings. The hosts explore how shifting focus from deficiencies to inherent strengths can enhance motivation, productivity, and overall job satisfaction. This episode aims to empower educators to overcome stress and maintain a positive work environment. Engaged...

If you can just think about it for a second, learning how to support each other through hard times is one of the most important things we can do as human beings. The role of university partnerships have been extremely crucial in South Africa for addressing issues such as social inequality, overcoming the past injustices, and promoting health & well-being for students, and communities at large. And...

In the final episode, we wrap up the conversation by unpacking the journey to finding meaning in a career. We discuss our own journeys in pursuit of purpose and the importance of meaning in motivation and legacy creation. Engaged Scholarship Website · Episode 3 full transcript.pdf — PDF (104.2 KB)

So are you on the verge of completing your degree, leaving university, or starting your career? If that is you, then here are some important things that you need to think about. Firstly, do you have a resume and why is it important to have a good resume? Firstly, it's your private it's your primary market tool, it speaks volumes about you and it will be the very first thing your future employer se...

Do you ever wonder who you are? What makes you and the person that you are? What moves? Excites? And inspires you. These questions are important when you have to choose a career choice. A career choice that fills your interests and ignites your imagination. While these answers, we could find them today or not. Please stay tuned. In today's episode we are going to talk about everything career choic...

Working at a school is a stressful occupation, therefore it is important that the staff at schools practice self-care. How do you personally think you can practice caring for yourself? Being kind to oneself could allow you to manage your stress as well as maintain a more relaxed state of mind. Engaged Scholarship Website · PSHC PODCAST TRANSCRIPT- Group 2.pdf — PDF (1.0 MB)

This podcast focuses on two strategies. The first one involves how to have effective communication skills for better communication between you and your colleagues and the second one focuses on how you can be mindful during conflict as well as how to show self-regulate skills during conflict. We hope this information will be useful and effective to you. Please lend your ears to us as we unpack thes...

We all have dreams, career goals and life goals, but sometimes it can be difficult to devise a plan to reach these goals and dreams. Academic advising helps students to clarify their goals and helps them to develop a clear educational plan to achieve these goals. But that is not all that there is to the service at the UFS. Academic advising also helps with learning strategies, time management, rev...

A recent survey that was conducted stated that most students worry about money. The majority of students are struggling to make ends meet or live on a tight month-to-month budget. It is even more unsettling to realise how financial stress impacts their day-to-day lives. As a direct consequence of this, some students have reported having mental health problems. AND In today’s episode I am going to...

Everyone invests in some way, shape or form. From the savvy stockbroker to the person who is forced to skip a meal here and there because they run out of money before their next paycheck, everyone invests their time, effort and attention into the things they find important. The individuals who spend hours upon hours training for their next marathon are investing in their health. You attending clas...

Smoking is one of the risk factors for the development of cardiovascular disease. Over 8 million deaths result from tobacco use every year, and it is one of the leading causes of preventable deaths worldwide. In 2020, a South African study found that the highest onset of smoking was between the ages of 15 and 22, however, there were some who began as early as 9 years old. Since their introduction...

October is breast cancer awareness month, and this podcast episode will help raise awareness and break the stigma around breast cancer by educating the general public on the signs and symptoms, risk factors, and treatment of this disease. This episode will shed some light on important information regarding the most commonly diagnosed cancer amongst South-African women, and ways in which we can com...

High alcohol consumption is a problem in South Africa, as recently highlighted by the pandemic and related violence. Over the past 18 months of the nationwide lockdown, the sale and distribution of alcohol were prohibited in levels 4 and 5. As a result, many South Africans responded erratically, as looting of alcohol outlets took place, and others even resorted to brewing home-made beer and other...

Izelle van Tonder, a Masters' student at the University of the Free State Department of Psychology talks about procrastination and explains how you can combat it. Engaged Scholarship Website

In this podcast, three Masters' students from the University of the Free State Department of Psychology talks about strategies students can use to cope with the new normal. Engaged Scholarship Website

We live in a fast-paced, performance-driven society that is characterized by working long hours and enduring constant stress. Do you feel like you are constantly on the go? Without time to just stop, take a breath and rest? Like you’ve become too tired to properly enjoy the things that used to make you feel happy? It sounds like you’ve been running on an empty tank lately, and it might be time for...

Reinhardt Rall, a Psychology Honours student at the University of the Free State talks about mindfulness and burnout. The podcast will be focusing on how to prevent burnout. We believe that the most valuable gift you can give yourself is being present in the moment. This entails allowing yourself to take a breath and regain the positive energy needed to function on a healthy psychological- and phy...

In this podcast, Karabo Maina, talks about practicing self compassion as a teacher. Engaged Scholarship Website

Last year was a difficult year, especially for teachers such as yourselves. The pressure to continue to perform and to do your jobs to the best of your abilities was severely impacted by the corona virus. The effects can still be felt across South Africa to this day. Teachers are some of the most important people in South Africa. You are responsible for teaching our next generation and the neurolo...

Diego Rex, a psychology masters’ student at the UFS Department of Psychology talks about how students can cope academically during the COVID-19 pandemic. Engaged Scholarship Website

When life gives you lemons, make some lemonade! Shoki, together with her fellow colleagues Francois and Mpho, psychology masters’ students at the UFS Department of Psychology talks about how students can adjust during the COVID-19 pandemic. Engaged Scholarship Website

Lerato Kokome a fourth year nursing student of the University of Free State talks about post-partum bleeding. Engaged Scholarship Website