Hi, my name is September.
Some students call me The Struggle Month. More affectionately I’m known as ‘Your Worst Nightmare’.
This is about how I imagine the month of September would introduce itself. Every year around this time I prepare to say goodbye to sleep and any semblance of a social life that I had in the summer.
The arrival of the fall semester is a rush of cold air (and I’m not talking about the weather). As soon as you’ve gotten familiar with where your classes are, midterm season is already upon you and you’re behind in your weekly readings.
Five years into my degree, I’m well acquainted with ‘time management’ but no still no expert at it. That’s because from work to classes to volunteering to papers and midterms, it’s really hard to harmonize the moving parts of student life.
But if there’s one lesson I’ve learned the hard way, it’s not to neglect my mental health during a busy fall season.
And the way that I stay on top of my wellbeing now is through mindfulness meditation.
It probably isn’t new to you – the term was trending for a while when it comes to mental health tips on social media. That said, it’s a lot more to it than the majority of TikTokers can teach you.
On that note, what actually is mindfulness meditation?
Dr. Suzanne Westbrook of Harvard’s Centre for Mindfulness and Compassion has a word to say about that:
“Our mind wanders all the time, either reviewing the past or planning for the future…mindfulness teaches you the skill of paying attention to the present by noticing when your mind wanders off. Come back to your breath. It’s a place where we can rest and settle our minds.”
Sage words, for sure. But what can mindfulness do for you?
According to peer reviewed research, the practice can help alleviate anxiety, stress, depression, insomnia, and even physical pain to some extent. Beyond that, there’s also evidence that it improves our sleep and attention – two things a lot of students deem necessary for academic success.
All this to say, if I’ve piqued your curiosity when it comes to mindfulness meditation, then look no further than our very own school to get started!
SFU Health & Counselling Services offers free, weekly mindfulness meditation classes. The sessions are virtual, held three times a week, and guided by a group of registered counsellors who know their stuff when it comes to mental health.
If you’re struggling under the weight of the world this fall and looking for some relief, I can relate. And I encourage you to give mindfulness meditation a shot – after all, sometimes the simplest fixes are the ones that do the most for you.
In the words of the famed psychologist William James (1842-1910):
“The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.”
Well said, James. Well said.