Mental Health Awareness Week has gotten us girls at Her Campus thinking about ways we can combat stress and anxiety…
‘Mindfulness’ has become a buzzword in the media in the last few years as a new way for relieving stress, and even for helping to treat mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. Research has suggested that people who practise mindfulness meditation are more focused, more creative, calmer and enjoy better relationships. There have also been numerous studies on the positive effect of mindfulness on people with mental health issues. Neuroscientists claim that the regular practice of meditation actually changes the physical structure of the brain, so that the amygdala (the part of the brain responsible for us freaking out) has less activity, and the parts of the brain responsible for emotional regulation, self-control and focus, have increased activity (check out headspace.com for more about all the science!).
Due to its increasing popularity, when we think of meditation now, we don’t just think of sitting in caves and chanting Sanskrit mantras all day, trying to open your root chakra and abstaining from sex (not many of us at Her Campus fancy that!). Mindfulness meditation is simply training your mind to have greater awareness and focus, and it’s perfectly compatible with any religion, or a secular lifestyle. All you have to do to get started is sit comfortably and focus on your breath for ten minutes. To keep your focus, you can count your breaths up until ten, and then start again. If you find your attention wavering, just gently bring it back again and start from one.
Having said that, even though meditation is really simple, guided meditations do really help at first to keep your focus. There are lots of free ones you can get online and on YouTube, and the Headspace Take Ten programme is a great place to start. It’s free, and just ten minutes a day, for ten days. There are lots of resources around to teach you the basics, with really helpful and friendly no-nonsense animations. Exeter University also has a Meditation Society who meet on a Monday and Thursday – well worth checking out!
I’m on my twentieth day of meditating so far and I’m finding myself remarkably less stressed, despite the pressure of third year! My focus has improved, I procrastinate less and I feel generally less grumpy. I’ve also noticed other benefits, such as not getting caught up in negative or critical thoughts about myself and others. I can make the choice not to listen to them and just get on with my day! It’s very freeing not to be obsessing over what your dad said in passing on the phone yesterday, or thinking about the significance of a dirty look someone might have accidentally given you on campus!
We all want to be more efficient, less stressed and happier, and uni can be a stressful time with changes constantly going on around you. These changes aren’t going to slow down any time soon, so you might as well adapt your brain so you can deal with them like a boss!
N.B. Please bear in mind that, whilst meditation appears to have a really positive effect on mental health, it takes a while to work, and it’s definitely not a quick fix. Meditation is often prescribed or suggested alongside other treatments, and then used afterwards as well for its preventative effects. If you think you might be facing a mental health issue it’s really important that you contact the Student Health Centre or the Wellbeing Centre as soon as you can. Most doctors and wellbeing practitioners are aware of the recent research about mindfulness meditation, so you can talk to them about your interest in it and they can give you advice about incorporating it into your treatment.
Student Health Centre: http://www.exeterstudenthealthcentre.co.uk/
Exeter Wellbeing Centre: http://www.exeter.ac.uk/wellbeing/
Exeter Voice (available 8pm to 8am): https://www.exeterguild.org/voice/
Mind Your Head Society Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Mindyourheadsociety?fref=ts
Exeter University Meditation Society Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/exeter0uni0meditation/?fref=ts