Some weeks my schedule is so busy I forget that I need to take care of myself. I find myself running on empty from trying to prioritize everything from schoolwork to a social life. My life revolves around commitments, and leaves little time for reflecting. I become a hollow version of myself, rather than being present in my own life.
One way to help cut back on the chaos is mindfulness, or the practice of focusing on one’s feelings, thoughts and bodily sensations at the present moment.
Mindfulness simply means checking in with yourself every once and a while and being present. Our needs may not seem like a priority, but they should be. By consciously prioritizing our needs for once, we actually begin to rewire our brains to do this automatically. If you don’t start by keeping track of your thoughts then the other tasks that you start to layer on will not end up getting done. Mindfulness means laying down a healthy foundation for your life so that you can be as productive as you want.
It’s putting your phone away when you walk to class so that you can enjoy being outside on the first warm day in a month. It’s taking a moment to drink water instead of continuing to study with a major head ache. It’s grabbing a granola bar on the way to your lab. It’s acknowledging that your first math test next Tuesday should not be something that consumes your thoughts. It’s getting to bed a little earlier because you could not wake up for your morning class.
Mindfulness is listening to your body’s needs, rather than ignoring them. As someone who struggles to stay present, I’ve found mindfulness is the perfect way to start. You’re simply respecting your body and taking care of problems before they turn into something more significant. So, next time you have a day where you can’t escape from stress, try taking a few moments to reflect on what your body is telling you. Adding just a few minutes of mindfulness into your routine is an easy way to start putting yourself first.