Mindfulness determines a lot of what makes your educational journey easier or harder. It’s the ability to be fully present, aware of our actions and where we are, and not be quick to react rashly or feel overwhelmed by what’s going on around us.
For me, I’ve noticed that when I do get overwhelmed, it’s usually because I’m constantly thinking about other things, noticing loads of different disjointed things about the environment around me, or am constantly multi-tasking. There’s usually a ‘tell’ which can prompt the feeling. It could be a specific area of your body being tense. What do you notice about yourself when you’re stressed?
With mindfulness you can reduce anxiety, enhance creativity, be more consistent in your goals and lifestyle, and develop consistent healthy habits to improve your productivity.
So those are the benefits, but how do we get to that point?
Mindfulness is innate, however living in our modern, high-tech, and constantly interconnected world means it can be difficult to get to that point of effectively managing your own way of thinking and how you respond to the world around you. For example, you can:
- Take some time to notice different details in the world around you. Consider the texture, colour and shape of objects.
- Focus on the outside world entirely and notice what your body is experiencing through your senses alone – what you can touch, smell, hear, touch, and taste.
- Notice your thoughts, take a step back as if you’re watching them come and go and acknowledge their flow. That doesn’t mean you have to attach yourself to your thoughts; it’s all about being a passive observer.
- Be aware of your body. Notice the sensations in your body when you perform certain actions. If there are any aches and pains, or smells and sounds. Focus on noticing them, not thinking about them.
There are 3 C’s which are Curiosity, Compassion, and Calm Centre.
With these 3 C’s, c (ha) what you can do and notice how you feel in specific situations. Notice the anxiety and the thoughts surrounding it. After that, you can take action to work on those factors to make them less oppressive.
A common one is anxiety surrounding exams and during them too. If you notice that you’re unable to work well in exams, working on these factors will make it easier to handle these high-pressure situations without losing your composure. Of course, this is not a substitute for treating medical conditions and if feelings of intense anxiety to persist, you should always seek medical help.
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