As a young adult who is attending college, life can be rather hectic as you move from day to day with no breaks. School work can pile up and before you know it, you’re swamped with assignments and exam pressure with no time to yourself. I know this from past experiences and having the same issues many other college students face, the question of what truly is important in this time, and if you don’t give yourself a chance each day to answer that question then you could find yourself slipping into an unhealthy place.
There are days where I am so busy I don’t even allow one thought into my brain that isn’t focused on the task at hand or jumping to the task ahead thinking about what I need to do. This is a very stressful way to live from day to day and can eventually lead to a negative outcome for many college students. They seek a way to escape the present moment that they are in instead of truly cherishing it for what it is and connecting their senses with the world around them. This can lead to different types of substance abuse, ranging from alcoholism to the use of hard drugs and many more. This is definitely not the right answer to dealing with college stress and there are many other positive ways to cope wit these pressures.
To help cope with anxiety there are some techniques you can practice to become more mindful in your day to day life.
One relaxation technique to handle stress is awareness meditation. This means you sit or stand still in a place that is comfortable and safe for you, and allow your most and mind to relax and almost go numb. This is a way to get in touch with the senses of your body and tap into having present moment awareness, it is almost like you are hitting the reset button during the day and giving yourself a chance to relax and ease the anxiety. Having time like this is a necessity through college life, personally I used to become way too caught up in exam pressures and never gave myself a chance to zone out and feel each emotion strongly, if you are stressed let it pass through your body and be ok with it, when this sensation passes during the meditation process you come out of it in a much more relaxed state. This is a way to detox the body of negative emotions instead of masking them with the mind-numbing use of substances. It is good for your overall physical, emotional and spiritual health.
Another method I use personally to cope with some of the college pressures is exercise. If your stressed go to the gym and get a good workout in and sweat. Working out releases endorphins which can release tension and overall anxiety. Not only this, it also improves your confidence and gives you belief in yourself that you can handle whatever is on your plate. Many times I have done this before studying for a large exam and my mental state has good clarity and I feel confident in my ability. Therefore I seek the present moment and the challenges it brings, instead of trying to shy away from them and finding a coping method to hide them.
Being mindful in our day to day lives is key to our overall happiness. Don’t let any sort of stresses push you to the point where your anxiety is almost unbearable. Take time out of your day to reflect and reset and focus on what truly matters in the present moment.