Final answer:
Mindfulness is a valid strategy for a doctoral student to control emotions and thoughts during a PhD program. It is bolstered by epistemic humility and metacognition, aiding in managing strong emotional responses and promoting critical reflection and rational thought.
Step-by-step explanation:
A doctoral student utilizing mindfulness to manage emotions and thoughts is an approach aligned with cognitive behavioral strategies that are frequently emphasized in psychological health and well-being. The practice of mindfulness can be effective in allowing an individual to attain a certain level of emotional regulation and metacognitive awareness which is beneficial, especially in high-pressure academic settings such as a PhD program. Adopting epistemic humility is also crucial, as it acknowledges the limitations of our knowledge and the susceptibility to biases in our thinking. Furthermore, the student should be advised to maintain skepticism of strong emotions to enable objective assessment and critical reflection. Metacognition, part of effective study habits, can aid in developing a thoughtful approach to tackling complex problems and engage in rational thought without the interference of stress and distractions.
Research has suggested that cognitive processes, such as learning, may be influenced by practices like mindfulness and meditation. Hence, the initial statement that a doctoral student is using mindfulness practices to help control emotions and thoughts while working on their PhD could be true, in general, although the veracity of the statement depends on the specific practices of the individual student in question.