Equanimity

Equanimity may well be the prototypic defining quality of a spiritual person. It measures the extent to which the student is able to find meaning in times of hardship, feels at peace or is centered, sees each day as a gift, and feels good about the direction of her life.

Equanimity plays an important role in the quality of undergraduate students’ lives because it helps to shape how they respond to their experiences, especially experiences that are potentially stressful.

Undergraduates show significant growth in their capacity for Equanimity during the college years, and practices such as meditation and self-reflection can contribute to that growth. Equanimity has positive effects on a wide range of other college student behaviors, abilities, and feelings: grade point average, leadership skills, sense of psychological well-being, ability to get along with other races and cultures, and satisfaction with college.