There’s been a lot of major changes lately with little time for us to adjust. Just a couple weeks ago, we were enjoying spring break. Now, we are finishing the rest of the semester online and uncertain of what is to come. Wherever you end up, whether it be your family home, your apartment, dorm room or another living circumstance, the transition from normal college life to virtual classes is rough.
With fully stacked online course loads and encouragement to fully isolate ourselves, it can be easy to fall into what I like to call the “24/7” mindset. The “24/7” mindset describes the phenomenon of the intermixing between your work and personal space. Without a set schedule, you can find yourself either working the days away or not doing a single task on your to-do list.
It is very important for your mental health to maintain a proper work-life balance; however, this can be hard when there are no longer any formally scheduled times for either of those things. I’ve struggled with cutting off my studying and making time for my brain to relax. Others view their home space as an escape from responsibility and, in turn, not work as much as they should.
Either way, it is super important to physically create a space where you can separate from your “work mindset,” signalling to your brain that it’s time to relax. Creating this space also has the added benefit of designating another area of your living space to a “workspace.” By marking these locations off in your mind, it may make the transition to a full online course load more seamless.
In fact, it is very beneficial to unplug from your responsibilities. By practicing mindfulness or meditation, your sleep quality, focus, motivation, blood pressure, immunity and self-awareness can improve.
I’m not saying you have to have a totally separated room, but even mentally designating a corner as your “relaxation corner” can help train your mind to relax when it enters that space. Actually, this corner doesn’t even have to be a physical place. This therapeutic exercise of creating a safe space can even help with anxiety and or those who have experienced trauma.
This activity involves some internal digging or meditation to explore what thoughts make you feel safe and at peace. Some use the beach, or some prefer spaces that serve as protection. Either way, the safe space serves as an escape from a stressful situation.
There can also be physical manifestations of your safe space through art or photos. You can choose to paint a relaxing scene and hang it in a place where you want your mind to relax. Getting into the routine of practicing mindfulness in the same spot every day makes the practice easier to stick to.
If you need something more formal than just a mental practice, people create a “meditation corner” when family or roommates can easily interrupt. When choosing a space to create a meditation corner, you want to choose somewhere away from noise and clutter. Also, it may be beneficial to choose a place that gets natural sunlight and technology-free.
Your meditation space should only have items that calm you down. Here are some suggestions of things to have in your corner when you are trying to practice mindfulness:
- Fluffy pillows (My Achilles heel at Marshall’s)
- Speakers, if you need guided meditation
- Incense or a candle
- String lights or a salt lamp
- Plants
- Wall art, ideally calming colors
- Tea or another warm drink
- Books or journals to write your thoughts
- Quotes that empower or inspire self-love
Feel free to add whatever items you want in your meditation corner as long as it promotes your own wellbeing and mental health. It’s important now more than ever to take care of yourself and not let the stress of the situation run rampant. My boss described her meditation corner to me the other day as a “temple to herself.”
“Whenever I’ve had a really bad day or I feel too much pressure from external events, I retreat to my little corner in my house, and it reenergizes me,” she said. This emphasizes how often we forget to take care of ourselves throughout the day and the need for our own space. There’s no shame in building your temple or using a mental safe space. If it helps take care of you, then that is all that matters. As Donna from “Parks and Recreation” says, “Treat yo’self.”