In “Academic Writing: An Introduction”, Giltrow et al. examines varying “levels of generality” employed in different genres, particularly in reference to the genre of summary. These levels may be demonstrated on a “scale of abstraction” upon which broad, comprehensive information labelled “high-level” is located on the “abstract” end of the spectrum, with “low-level” information, in reference to detail, on the “concrete” end. Various genres require corresponding applications of this spectrum; summary in scholarly writing, for example, often entails a more comprehensive look at a piece of writing with a selection of details, an approach that “helps a summary reader to grasp what the abstractions mean” (Giltrow et al., pp. 40).
I think the idea of an appropriate relationship between abstraction and detail is applicable to mental health as a student and the concept of mindfulness. If we consider the term “high-level” in regard to a broad perspective and “low-level” to a narrow focus, we can apply this scale to a balance of mindset.
Psychology Today defines mindfulness as “a state of active, open attention to the present.” Common practices of mindfulness meditation often entail focusing one’s attention to immediate senses and emotions and “noticing them without judgment”. The benefits of this detail-oriented awareness are widely promoted in mental health communities – the American Psychology Association (APA) investigated and confirmed “the idea that mindfulness reduces emotional exhaustion and improves job satisfaction.”
As a first year student, the big picture of four years at university can be daunting, even paralyzing, at times. Merely looking at the month of November on my calendar is intimidating as I consider the assignments, midterms, and papers demanding skills I have not acquired yet. In avoiding an overwhelming, negative attitude, it is essential for me to employ a level of mindfulness, to ground myself in a detail-oriented perspective that pulls me to the present. “I may not have the ability to write a multi-page research paper at this point, but that is not what is being asked of me right now; today, I need to focus this reading.”
Despite the benefits of being mindful of the present, it is, of course, unrealistic to practice in all circumstances – especially as a university student. If I am unaware of the future demands of all my classes combined, I will lack the time and resources to complete my work. Similarly, I cannot select and pursue a specific degree if I refrain from considering my future beyond the current moment.
It is this interplay of abstract versus detail, big picture versus immediate present, that can play a large role in our mental health. As a first-time university student, it is a skill I must obtain as I face the steep learning curve before me and a balance that will take time and experience to master.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/mindfulness
https://www.helpguide.org/harvard/benefits-of-mindfulness.htm
https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/features/pst-48-2-198.pdf
https://www.amazon.ca/Academic-Writing-Introduction-Janet-Giltrow/dp/1554811872