By Claire Leibowitz (Co-EIC)
Most habits students have inhibit their chances of being mindful–waking up and immediately scrolling through social media, skipping breakfast and opting for coffee, running from class to class, rushing to finish assignments, finally eating a meal and using the time to scroll social media or watch TV, spending all day behind a screen, or sitting down at cramped desks all day long. Unless it is interrupted, the cycle just repeats itself.
With the stress of school, it’s hard to stay focused on self-care and follow routines that are helpful to the body. However, mindfulness is important. A Harvard study found that education on the subject can reduce stress, increase focus, and improve behavior. After two months, students who practiced mindfulness had less fearful reactions to stimuli, reporting that they “were less prone to get[ting] stressed out and los[ing] focus.” The students who did not practice mindfulness did not experience the same benefits.
According to News in Health, mindfulness helps people manage stress, reduce anxiety and depression, and have a greater enthusiasm for life and improved self-esteem. These effects are the result of many different factors.
Mindful states that people become more aware of their thoughts and are able to detach themselves in a healthy way when they’re more mindful. This increases reaction times in situations, allowing more time for processing to create solutions. While a stressed mind is in “doing” mode, mindfulness puts the body into a “being” mode, associated with relaxation. Mindfulness also increases awareness, compassion, and sensitivity to the needs of the body and those around us. In the brain, the amygdala turns on the stress response, but mindfulness reduces its activity, allowing the brain to better focus.
Stress has terrible effects on the body. It causes muscles to tense up, and when they’re taut for a long time, the body triggers other reactions that promote stress-related disorders like migraines and chronic back pain. Stress can also lead to shortness of breath and rapid breathing, effectively increasing one’s heart rate and blood pressure. This puts the body into fight or flight, and long-term stress does not let these symptoms decrease. Cortisol, the stress hormone, increases inflammation and weakens the immune system due to impaired communication between the brain and body. In the gastrointestinal system, stress greatly impacts the gut, causing pain and bloating. Gut health and mood are interrelated through the stomach’s bacteria that influences brain health, which overall negatively impacts one’s ability to think and process emotions. In short, every body system is negatively impacted by long term stress.
In busy times, like midterms, mindfulness is a way to escape the stress of work, but it can be hard to immediately practice. There’s easy ways to regulate stress and improve mindfulness. It can be as simple as taking a walk, eating lunch somewhere new, limiting screen time, and spending time outside. Start to learn your favorites, whether it’s exercising, spending less time on your phone, reading, or spending time with friends.
Actively listen when someone talks–use eye contact, give them full attention, observe the quality of their voice, and notice how the conversation flows.
Practice using body scans as a way to check in, whether it’s in the morning, sitting down midday, or before bed–lay down, think about your heartbeat, focus on your breath, and feel if there’s any body tension.
Use breathing techniques–the internet is a great resource to learn about different methods for mindful breathing. Some of my favorites are the 4-7-8, the 4-4-8-2, the box breath, alternated nostril breathing, or a dragon breath. .
Mindfulness can even be an easy daily practice. What does your alarm sound like in the morning? What color is your toothbrush? How full do you like your coffee mug? What does your clothing feel like? What does your walk to class sound like? How big are your classes and classrooms? How do you unwind after the day? What does your nighttime routine look like?
A daily stress-management routine helps people thrive in such a fast-paced, stressful world. Midterms season is one of the best times to take care of the body and take time to relax. Mindfulness is a tool that promotes mental well-being, emotional intelligence, and compassionate living, helping you build healthy habits for your day-to-day stressors.
