How Can Meditation and Mindfulness Help Students?

Being a college student is hard—meditating doesn't have to be.

WORDS: REIGN MOSBY

PHOTO: KATRIN BOLOVTSOVA

It can be extremely difficult to be a college student. Organizing class schedules, attempting to complete homework, participating in campus life, and maintaining a social life outside of school are all challenges that students face. The most significant thing to remember is that college students frequently have the greatest mental health difficulties. Therefore, figuring out how to fit self-care practices like mindfulness and meditation in can aid the college student body in maintaining their peace of mind and overall well-being while managing all that comes with attending college.  

Finding what self-care practice works best for you  

Often times students struggle with trying to find a self-care practice to the point where they give up. But it’s so important for students to know their interests to find a self-care practice that works best for them. Learning more about meditation and mindfulness is what will help students get an introduction into self-care practices. 

What is mindfulness and why it’s important?

The definition of mindfulness is “the quality or state of being conscious or aware of something”—in simpler words living in the present moment. Mindfulness helps you bring your attention back to the present. Since the average person thinks 60,000 thoughts a day, mindfulness can help students in reduce the way they think. Although it requires time and work, the results are always worth it.

What is meditation and how does it work?

A particular type of mind-body medicine is meditation. A calm mind and an overwhelming feeling of relaxation can be achieved through meditation. The feeling of quiet, peace, and balance that meditation can bring you can help your physical and emotional health. It can also help you de-stress and manage stress by drawing your attention back to something soothing. You can develop inner tranquility and self-centeredness through meditation.

The power of mindfulness

Research indicates that concentrating on the present moment can benefit one's health and happiness. Anxiety and depression have been shown to decrease with mindfulness-based techniques. Additionally, studies have shown that mindfulness can enhance sleep and lower blood pressure. It could potentially help in pain management.

The positive effects  of meditation 

The feeling of quiet, peace, and balance that meditation can bring you can help your physical and emotional health. It can also help you de-stress and manage stress by drawing your attention back to something soothing. You can develop inner tranquility and self-centeredness through meditation. Meditation can benefit both your physical and mental health. It helps lower blood pressure and heart rate, enhance sleep, promote patience, and reduce negative emotions. 

The difference between mindfulness and meditation 

The words  "mindfulness" and "meditation" have different meanings. But they have an immediate connection. While meditation promotes and extends mindfulness, mindfulness boosts and improves meditation.  Whilst mindfulness can be used in any circumstance at any time, meditation is often done for a set length of time. Furthermore, meditation involves stopping whatever someone is doing and committing time to try and be aware of nothing, whereas mindfulness refers to being tuned in and aware of what is happening both inside and outside of yourself.

Adopting positive thinking 

As stated previously the average person has 60,000 thoughts per day and more than half of them are negative. We can become more aware of the positive  thoughts rather than the negative ones when we train our brains to concentrate on the positive thoughts we think. Since we college students are frequently hard on ourselves, it's critical to think positively and take in positivity into your life. Though it's easier said than done, you'll discover that your mental attention shifts to those good thoughts as you begin to concentrate more on them. 

Academic performance affecting your mental well-being 

Effective learning, focus, and concentration are improved by a healthy mind. College students may enhance their potential and improve their academic success by giving a major emphasis to their mental health. Considering grades have an important effect on one's ability to continue their education after graduation, academic performance is crucial for college students. Therefore, making time for mental health care will improve your academic performance. 

Stress management without mindfulness and yoga 

The stressful school lifestyle can cause anxiety, exhaustion, and burnout. By prioritizing mental health, students can learn how to effectively manage stress, which will enhance their ability to overcome obstacles and preserve a positive work-life balance. When you don’t learn how to manage stress it does nothing but increase. 

All that matters is determining what is optimal for your mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Maintaining a positive outlook is crucial for college students, as the demands of academic life can be taxing in and of themselves. Obtaining skills in mindfulness and meditation can help.

Reign Mosby is a sophomore, Mass Media Arts major. She writes at the health and wellness project "It's Giving Heal-thy and Well-thy"