This article certainly isn’t an answer or a theory. It’s a weighted question. And in a world that is so consumed with hatred and negativity and destruction, it is a journey. How does one practice mindfulness? Recently, in lieu of finals week, the volunteers at my campus’s wellness center hosted a party in which they gave away tea and pamphlets on being calm. One of the pamphlets had instructions on how to be mindful when eating and showering. When showering, pay attention to how your skin feels in the air before the shower and then how each warm drop feels on your skin. Hear the water hit the floor, and listen for each individual drop. Close your eyes and breathe deeply. Though helpful in some of these small aspects of life, bringing peace to my mind before class each morning, I now seek a pamphlet that teaches me how to lead a more mindful lifestyle. Constantly I find myself getting angry at the smallest things and my anger sends me spiraling towards anxiety and depression. I get tenser as time passes and I struggle to make my body function as it would if it were healthy and happy. My heart tightens and my breathing feels weighted and I hate the world and the people in it. If I catch a happy moment, or even a series of happy moments that stretch into a week or a month, my body never fails to repeat the cycle of hatred. I want to know how to me more mindful. I want to not only feel mindful and appreciative when I am happy, but all of the time. When my vision blurs and I gasp for air, I want to know how to resurface. Meditation only works for so long and comfort fails to present itself in times of need. Netflix recently released a documentary called Minimalism. It was really good and provided a different perspective on happiness and what lengths people go to in this capitalist world to achieve it. The philosophy of the featured men was to only own products that added meaning or purpose to your life. Now, picture your own happy future through rose colored sunglasses. Lots of money? A cute house and a nice car? Love? Now picture a sad future. It probably looks desolate and lacks material goods. This is because the American Dream has been modeled around money and STUFF. Working hard and finding happiness at the end of the road. You either have it or you don’t, apparently. But if this goal is so unachievable for so many people, why is it still practiced? Happiness isn’t supposed to come from goods, it’s supposed to come from within. Mindfulness helps you find happiness from within and helps you appreciate what you already have, and shows you what gives you real happiness in your life and separates it from what brings you negativity. So now the revised American Dream is mindfulness. Is it just as unachievable as the first or is it something that can be taught? I’d like to find out.
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1. Drink lots of tea with honey.
Photo by Jessica Mangano on UnsplashDrinking tea always soothes my throat whenever I'm sick and adding honey will only help! Every kind of tea has its own personal benefits for you, so you can never go wrong with a cup of tea while sick. Different teas provide you with different nutrients, and the more nutrients your body has, the better it will feel. My personal favorite flavor of tea is vanilla honey tea.
2. Get a good amount of rest.
Photo by Isabella Fischer on UnsplashSomething my dad always tells me when I am sick is that "sleep is the best healer." I have to say, in my experience of getting sick, making sure that I am getting enough sleep has always helped in my process of feeling better. One thing to be careful of is to be sure that you aren't getting too much sleep because that could opposite effects.
3. Make an appointment with the health center or at a doctor's office.
Photo by Alexandr Podvalny on UnsplashIf you don't feel better in a couple of days, it is best to either make an appointment with the student health center or your doctor's office, or go to a local Urgent Care to see if you can be prescribed any antibiotics to help you get better. The important thing to remember about antibiotics is to also take probiotics to balance it out and to help you boost your immune system in the future.
4. Stock up on soup and crackers.
A lot of times, being sick also means having a weak stomach, so eating light foods like soup is always the best route to take until your stomach is strong enough for more solid foods. Also, try to eat toast or crackers with your soup to help settle your stomach.
5. If you are able to, go home.
Finally, staying in the dorms may be one of the factors in your lack of healing. If a parent can come and get you, or if there is any way for you to go home, you should take advantage of this. Don't worry about missing class, if you email your professors and/or have a doctor's note, they will most likely be understanding.
1.Shower
There is nothing more refreshing than a hot shower. Some would argue that morning showers help you have a happier day. Also, you look better and smell better. There is nothing grosser than greasy hair. And it keeps you healthier.
2. Sleep
After one all nighter during Freshman year, I realized that sacrificing my Zzzz’s was not worth it. In fact, I ended up forgetting what I had studied the night before, and it threw my whole sleep schedule off. That caused all of my classes to suffer.
3. Schedule
Showering and Sleeping are impossible when you don’t schedule. Your day probably has an element of spontaneity to it, however, it is still so helpful to have a basic timeline for your day. Some nights I’ll write each task I need to accomplish on a different sticky note. The joy at the end of the next day of crumpling each accomplished task is something you have to experience!
4. Eat Well
Nixing Ramen and nightly Domino's pizza orders will cause your personal health to skyrocket. Cutting down on caffeine will also help you sleep better. Water is also so important. With all the coffee that makes up a college student’s beverage diet, water gets overlooked. You’ll take one gulp of pure, ice cold drinking water and wonder where the heck this miracle liquid has been.
5. Exercise
Last semester, I was exercising sporadically or “when I had time.” Here’s the thing though, an episode of The Office is 20 minutes. I was watching plenty of that. At one point, I felt so freaking stir crazy and threw on my tennis shoes and walked through the freezing Ohio weather to the gym and exercised for like 40 minutes. I’m not trying to be a body builder or anything, but you just feel so much better after a few minutes on the stationary bike or eliptical.
6. Socialize
You need people. Friends are important. My friend and I both had crazy schedules last year, but we’d go to the grocery store together or to Wal Mart and catch up that way. It’s just good to sit and vent with someone every once in awhile. Midnight doughnut runs are also fun, or Mean Girlsmovie nights.
7. Be on Time
This one helps everyone’s productivity. Also, when you strive to be there on the dot, even if you’re a minute or two late, it helps you keep the rest of your life scheduled. Also, if you try to be on time, and plan accordingly, chances are you won’t be super stressed out trying to get somewhere 10 minutes away in 3 minutes.
8. Chillax
There is nothing wrong with kicking back and watching a few hours of a TV show. You need it. It’s important to take your mind off the real world for a little bit.
9. Journal/Pray/Reflect
It is vital to look inwardly and see how you’re doing, not just materially, but emotionally and spiritually. If you’re not emotionally doing well, something needs to change. It can be really hard to do well in other aspects of your life if you aren’t feeling well mentally. Journaling is the best free therapist out there, so is talking to a good friend.
10. Gain Perspective
Chances are, you know someone whose schedule is way more intense than yours. Or maybe you know someone who is going through a lot, but still manages to get a lot done. When I start to complain about my course load, I remember that my dad had four kids in medical school and residency. I also tr to remember that there are a lot of people out there who would love to "struggle" with too many classes. Doing something for other people can also really help make life more meaningful.
11. Do what works for you
By the time you’re 18, you know which study methods work for you, and how much sleep you really need every night. There’s going to be people all around you telling you how to live your life. And while there might be some really helpful pointers, only you can know what really works for you!You probably have some other ideas, but these seem to work pretty dang well!
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