If the pandemic has taught our generation anything, it is to slow down for a moment.
During the times in isolation and lockdown, many of us turned to practicing mindfulness and took
up new ways to work out. Taking moments during the chaos of a busy life, especially nearing
finals, is so vital to our brain and nervous system. Rather than blocking out the lockdown, we should learn from our motivation to be better for ourselves. Whether it be a five-minute journal or an hour-long hot yoga class, it gives our minds the opportunity and space to let go of the day behind us.
3 Steps for Mental Clarity
1. Unstructured journaling has changed my perspective on the use of my journal. Typically I would use a guided journal with prewritten prompts or I would follow a prompt found online that I felt sparked something. This form of journaling is amazing don’t get me wrong! However, doing it every single day can cause creative burnout. As it wasn’t my own prompts I had the unconscious pressure to write as if it was for someone else’s journal. Once I set a 25-minute timer and began writing uninhibitedly in my journal, I would lose myself in the rage, sadness, happiness, hope, and all other feelings I would write about within the bounds of my journal. Giving yourself the space to dump out the craziness and business of life can allow you to reflect on the words you’ve written and how to approach them with positivity.
2. Meditation is a mindfulness technique that I am sure we’ve all been told to do to help ease anxiety, depression, intrusive thoughts, and stress. In previous years and in so much of the media, meditation is described as someone sitting cross-legged with their palms open on their knees, repeating the mantra “ohm”. This term and stereotype have crept into our mainstream media where it only demonstrates one of the many ways in which a person can meditate. Recently I was shown the many ways you can meditate and quiet your mind, which can appeal to you more than the traditional way of practice. Movement meditation can improve the relationship within your own body such as through yoga, dance, stretching, or walking. Gazing meditation using a candle, incense, or something found in nature, can make you concentrate enough to avoid all other thoughts. These different techniques provide different ways in which you can tap into your body and the stillness of your mind.
3. Yoga makes a great difference in the ways emotions and stress can build up in the body. Stress and negative emotions can be held within our bodies and muscles. When you are given the chance to move your body and listen to the areas you need to release, you can physically feel a weight being lifted off your shoulders. Yoga has allowed me and many others who practice, to focus on movements of the body that provides enough of a challenge to quiet the mind but is calming enough that I am not overwhelmed. Yoga provides a challenge to various ages to be present within their own body. By centring your attention on the motion of your body, the produced mental clarity is so beneficial to the ways in which your body can handle future stress.