Zhaohua Chen ('27)
Meditation: very mindful, very demure.
A high school life—overdue homework, upcoming tests, sports, and club events—is quite stressful. When was the last time you took a breath from all the madness? Here is your reminder to take a moment, a pause, or a breath with some mindfulness techniques. According to the American Psychological Association, mindfulness is the “awareness of one’s internal states and surroundings.” Mindfulness practices not only can help with processing emotions, but can also be useful in assessing harmful behaviors.
So, here are four mindfulness practices that you can do today to help your mental health!
Tai chi: Exercise has many benefits for your mental and physical health. Tai chi, yoga, and even walking can help relieve stress and tension in your mind. Tai chi is a traditional Chinese exercise that utilizes slow movements and deep breathing to calm the mind. It is one of the most effective and healthy ways to release overwhelming feelings. According to health experts, tai chi’s gentle movements combined with breathing patterns reduce blood pressure, improve sleep quality, and protect memory.
Meditation: A common recommendation for people who are experiencing a lot of stress daily is meditation. For a few minutes, concentrate on breathing and the movements of your body. Slowly, you will feel less afflicted by persistent worries. Once you develop a breathing rhythm, begin to notice your thoughts coming in and out. You are not trying to suppress your thoughts, but instead trying to understand which ones, positive or negative, are constant in your mind. These actions are the start of meditation, but there is much more guidance online if you want to delve deeper. According to a study from the National Institute of Health, 89.4% of respondents reported feeling less stressed and more relaxed after meditation.
Journaling: If you have strong, undefined emotions, then journaling may be a way to work through them. Journaling provides more awareness and clarity on how your mind works by identifying emotional patterns, encouraging self-reflection, and organizing thought processes. In a 2006 study, 100 young adults journaled 15 minutes at least twice a week; as a result, they showed a significant reduction in anxiety, depression, and hostility. Research has also shown that journaling can enhance recall by 20-23%. However, journaling has to be a self-reflection, not a dump of self-loathing capable of reinforcing negative emotions and worsening mental health. Your journal should be like a conversation with yourself, one that honestly acknowledges your thoughts and emotions. If you need some guidance on what to write about, there are many resources that issue daily reflective prompts: Day One, Clearful, Ahead, and so forth.
Box breathing: Focused breathing is one of the most effective ways to calm yourself down. Box breathing is a specific technique that elongates one’s breaths. There are four steps to box breathing: breathe in, hold, breathe out, and hold. Each step must take four slow counts to complete. Similar to meditation and tai chi, box breathing lowers blood pressure, reduces stress, and provides a sense of calm. Studies have shown that box breathing reduces anxiety by up to 30% and lowers heart rate by up to 10-15%.
Any one of these practices can improve your daily life. If you need motivation to start, then it may be helpful to invite a friend or two to join you. Take a deep breath in and a deep breath out, Lancers—you got this!