Stress and Wellbeing for the Senior Batches

The Department of Computer Science and the Department of Statistics & Data Science, School of Sciences, CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Pune Lavasa Campus, organized a session on “Stress and Wellbeing” for senior undergraduate students on 9 September 2026 at Room No. 1127, Central Block. The session was conducted by Dr. Padmakumari P, Professor, Department of Psychology, CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Bangalore Central Campus.

As students progress through university, they encounter increasing academic, personal, and career-related responsibilities. Senior students often manage coursework, examinations, projects, internships, placements, career decisions, and preparations for higher studies. These responsibilities can influence their stress levels and overall wellbeing. Keeping these concerns in view, the session focused on helping students understand stress from a psychological perspective and explore approaches that can promote positive psychological wellbeing.

Dr. Padmakumari introduced students to the application of Positive Psychology in promoting wellbeing. The discussion moved beyond simply managing stress and emphasized the importance of developing positive psychological resources that can support individuals in leading fulfilling and balanced lives. Students were encouraged to reflect on how positive emotions, personal strengths, healthy relationships, resilience, and constructive ways of thinking can contribute to wellbeing.

A key concept discussed during the session was Seligman’s Explanatory Style Theory. The resource person explained how individuals develop characteristic ways of interpreting events and how these interpretations can influence their emotional responses and subsequent behaviour. Students were introduced to the dimensions of permanence, pervasiveness, and personalization as ways of understanding explanatory styles.

The discussion encouraged students to reflect on how they interpret successes, failures, setbacks, and challenging situations in their own lives. For senior students, this was particularly relevant as they face important academic and professional transitions. Academic performance, project responsibilities, internships, placements, career choices, and future plans can sometimes create uncertainty and pressure. Understanding one’s explanatory style can help students become more aware of the way they interpret such experiences.

The session also emphasized that wellbeing is not merely the absence of stress. It involves developing awareness of one’s thoughts and emotions, maintaining meaningful relationships, building resilience, and adopting healthy approaches to everyday challenges. Students were encouraged to consider how principles of Positive Psychology could be incorporated into their academic, personal, and future professional lives.

The session provided an opportunity for students to connect psychological concepts with their everyday experiences. The discussion on explanatory styles encouraged self-reflection, while the focus on Positive Psychology provided a broader perspective on maintaining wellbeing during demanding phases of university life.

Overall, the session served as a meaningful platform for senior students to explore the relationship between stress, thought patterns, and wellbeing. It equipped students with greater awareness of Positive Psychology and Seligman’s Explanatory Style Theory, while encouraging them to develop self-awareness, resilience, and balanced perspectives towards challenges. The programme reinforced the importance of wellbeing as an integral part of academic growth, personal development, and preparation for future professional life. The session encouraged students to approach challenges with greater awareness and optimism.