The start of a new semester can be stressful. Enrolling to new courses and making sure they fit your schedule, getting the right textbooks, setting up appoinments with your advisor.
It's A LOT! And it can lead to feeling overwhelmed and stressed. But luckily, there are healthy ways to overcome the craziness of a new semester and find time to relax and shift our thoughts towards positive ones by practicing mindfulness.
Efficient steps towards a clearer mind include:
- Taking deep breaths. Inhale for 4 seconds, hold in for 4 seconds, exhale for 4 seconds, and hold again before starting to breathe again.
- Step away from loud places if it's your current situation. As well as turn off all devices near you.
- Sit or lay down if possible or stand still to help calm down the running thoguhts.
- Affirm to yourself that you are okay and in a safe place. Repeating positive words of affirmation tops the negative thoughts.
- If in a work or school setting, take some time to go to the bathroom and splash your face or hands with cold water.
- Talk to someone. You can tell them how you feel or simply start a random topic to allow your brain to rest from the overwhelming thoguhts.
- Keep calm. It will be okay.
These steps can be applied together or according to your current situtaion. Personally, the most important would be the first one. Breathing is something you can do anywhere and quitely and no one will notice you are overwhelmed in the moment.
For a deeper, more mindful experince, check out the following article that talks about Mindful Meditation and goes more in depth on specific steps to practice minfulness in the comfort of your home!
For any questions about how to practice minfulness during the school semester, feel free to email me with any questions!