When I first heard of mindfulness, I had absolutely no idea what it was. Since then, it has been popping up more and more on my social media feed and even with events on my campus. I knew it had to do something with relaxation and meditation because I always saw it in conjunction with some type of yoga class. So like any curious girl, I took my fingers to my laptop keyboard and started looking up exactly what mindfulness is. Here is what I found!
What is it?
Mindfulness is defined as the psychological process of bringing one’s attention to experiences occurring in the present moment. So basically, mindfulness focuses on the practice of being in the present as my mom would say.
This Can’t Actually Be True
As I was researching, the first question that popped into my mind was, “Is this even possible for a college student???” No really … I feel like as a college student to be successful you always have to be thinking three weeks in advanced. But, when I actually gave it a try, I found that practicing mindfulness really helped me relieve stress, talk to God more, be more gentle with myself, and put all my energy into what is at hand at the very moment. It helped me me be more efficient and effective with my daily focuses!
Why is it important for us?
Because it is! (This is how every college professor answers questions lol.) Practicing mindfulness is truly a great way to take care of your mental health. I actually just took out twenty minutes of my busy Friday to dedicated doing some Youtube yoga with diffusing lavender and lemon essential oils in my little apartment. You know how we always exaggerate putting on SPF because we don’t want to get all wrinkly and have cancerous cells??? Well think of practicing mindfulness as a way of preserving your sanity (college drives me crazy) and practicing healthy habits for the future!
Convinced? Try these easy ways to practice mindfulness!
Okay, so I know college can be super busy and overwhelming 25/8, but try incorporating these things into your daily morning or nighttime routine to practice mindfulness in your life.
- Youtube Yoga in your Apartment
- Meditate when you wake up or right before bed
- Invest in a diffuser and essential oils
- Pray and journal in a quiet place
- Do nothing but listen to calming music
- Take two minutes to close your eyes and focus on your breathing
- Focus on the present when you are doing things throughout your day
- Pay attention to what you are seeing, smelling, and hearing throughout the day
Roman 12:2 says…
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
By practicing mindfulness, you get a better sense of yourself and it creates a lot of opportunities to have real conversations with God. Practicing mindfulness is dependent on focusing on one particular thing rather than becoming overwhelmed with your eight page to do list. Yup, that’s right! Blessed, brilliant, beautiful girls practice mindfulness to get closer to God!
Do you already do some of these things? GREAT! You’re already on the journey to having a healthier mind. Remember, your mental health matters too! Stay blessed, brilliant, and beautiful and have an amazing weekend!
Check out my current favorite CoffeeHouse Chill playlist on Apple Music for all those who love hearing God’s word by listening to acoustic christian music!
TD <3
