I have dealt with anxiety for most of my life. Although, it wasn’t until this past month that I decided I needed to physically and mentally take my life back. I had finally realized that my anxiety wasn’t only affecting my everyday life and long-term goals, but also the people around me I care about most. College is no joke, and what I’m learning through my first year is that during this uphill battle we call the “best years of our life,” there will be the best of times and the worst of times. This cycle of unstable relationships (both platonic and romantic), tests upon tests followed up with paper after paper, and poor financial status takes a toll on anyone, let alone someone already dealing with such a high level of stress.
I began to feel helpless, as if I may just have to go on forever feeling afraid of anything and everything that crosses my path. As students, we’re sort of thrown into the fast lane, consumed with success and the fear of failing, expected to know everything about who we are and what great things we want to do in the future. The fact of the matter is, we’re so exhausted. Every one of us. There’s not much time to sit and try to understand why we are feeling the way we are. When exhaustion hits it’s hard not to fumble into despair. I started to get frustrated with this feeling of helplessness. I mean, for goodness sake, it’s my life – I should have the power and strength to overcome whatever is thrown at me. Through self-exploration and a lot of advice from those close to me, I found that the only thing that truly helps me is taking time out of my day and devoting it to myself.
Mental Health America states, “It is important that you check in with yourself periodically. If you do not then you may not realize that things are changing or getting out of control.” Roughly a month ago, I started taking 10 minutes out of my day to be alone. This became my way of checking in with myself. And when I say “alone,” I mean truly alone. No Netflix shows, no Instagram scrolling and certainly no friends allowed! Sometimes I just sit and stare out my dorm room window, sometimes I sit outside. I read (usually my go-to self-help book, The Anxiety Journal by Corinne Sweet), I write, I do a 10-minute yoga flow, SOMETHING that lets my mind travel to new places and escape the stress. These 10 minutes aid my brain in finding a place of peace and creates an atmosphere that allows me to decompress while simultaneously decoding why it is I feel the way I do throughout the day.
After making these 10 minutes to myself a routine, I found that there is power in being by yourself. You do not need to have anxiety, or anything else, for these quiet moments to inspire you. When the only one in your head is yourself, things become a lot clearer. The best time to take out of your day, is in the middle of your day, in between what has already made you stressed, and what comes next. There are so many things you can do with these 10 minutes that can bring you to a more mindful place, and ultimately make you the best student, employee, or even friend, that you can be.
8 Easy Mindful Activities:
-
Yoga: Head to Pinterest, where the beginner yoga flows are a-flowin’!
-
Journaling: write down what’s making you feel something, whether it be anger, sadness or happiness.
-
Eating: Grabbing a snack or making your favorite healthy treat, can be a great way to maximize your time. You get your 10 minutes and some energy to push you through the day.
-
Reading: Grab a book that makes you feel peaceful and most importantly, makes you smile.
-
Get Crafty: Draw, paint, build, do what fills you creatively. Sometimes working with your hands while focusing on your thoughts can not only be enlightening but produce great work.
-
Showering: A moment to yourself, washing away the pains of the day can be the most rejuvenating 10 minutes of your life.
-
Sit: Sometimes just sitting and allowing yourself to soak in the sun and your emotions can do the trick.
-
Breathe: Look up breathing exercises that help you relieve stress, stimulate the brain or clear your head completely.
I challenge you, whether you struggle with anxiety or not, to give yourself 10 minutes throughout the day to do what you need to do to get through. There is power in knowledge, there is power in self-love. Remember that the only person who knows you fully, is you. Get to know yourself in these spare minutes and learn to accept your thoughts and emotions that make you the beautiful person you are.