Humans living in the 21st century, especially in the United States, lead very busy lives. We feel constant pressure to work, or else risk falling behind our peers. I am not an exception to this. I wake up, instantly check my phone for notifications, and then get my day started. I go to class for about three to four hours daily, followed by an equal amount of time on schoolwork, an hour or two of exercise, and constant movement in between each activity. When I have a spare moment, I spend my time on YouTube or Skillshare, researching Ted Talks or other videos on topics where I want to learn or expand my skills. I do not get the recommended eight hours of sleep a night. If I'm lucky, I might get a short nap in the middle of the day, but when I am not constantly busy I habitually pick up my phone to mindlessly scroll through social media. Many days, I wake up at 5am and my brain doesn’t get a true break until I fall asleep, around 11pm. This lifestyle is a recipe for unnecessary stress and I feel the impact on my mental health when I do not give myself breaks. The pressure I feel to constantly improve makes me feel sick about wasting time. I notice when I am at a level of heightened stress, my communication skills are the first to suffer. I become more agitated and communicate my thoughts poorly with friends and peers. This becomes a nasty cycle, as I am then stressed because of my inability to communicate, which then leads to worse communication. My schoolwork suffers as well because of my inability to elaborate on my thoughts.
It is only when we are able to identify there is a problem, that we can then clue in on a solution. For me, I felt myself spiraling early last semester. My brain was so clogged by stress that I did not have the headspace to even recognize there was a problem. I was spending too much time worrying about my friends when I was doing schoolwork and then found myself worrying about schoolwork when I was with my friends. It was difficult to be in the moment and enjoy an activity while I was doing it. That is when I was introduced to a video on mindfulness, from Vox's Netflix series: The Mind Explained. It talked about how a person can practice mindfulness by purposefully bringing their attention to the present moment. A monk in the Netflix video spells out the many benefits of mindfulness. He compares it to a workout for our brain. Just like going to the gym to strengthen our muscles, we can practice mindfulness to strengthen our minds. All of this information was backed by research, including one study that even shows that expert mindfulness practitioners had a higher tolerance for pain than others.
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| Thich Quang Duc, a Buddhist monk, protests his government by setting himself aflame. While he was burning he was so at peace that he did not move or make a sound during the incident. |
There are many ways people try to give their brain a dose of mindfulness. You can achieve it through yoga, listening to music, playing sports, or doing any activity that allows you to achieve a "flow" state, or being in the zone. The most common way to practice mindfulness is through the act of meditation. Taking five or ten minutes to sit still, and do nothing but focus on your breath, has drastic benefits to your health. I started to practice meditation after watching the video, and I have noticed fantastic results. I became particularly interested in this video because of the ability to calm your "monkey mind", as monks like to call it. The monkey mind is when our mind is chattering non-stop and we cannot control it. The monkey mind wants to pull our attention out of the present moment to focus on the stresses in our life. By practicing to tame the monkey inside us, we allow our brain to stop worrying about the past or the future, and to live free from worry in the present.
All of this got me interested in how I could become a better, happier version of myself. As I said, my biggest issue with stress is the handicap it puts on my ability to communicate with others. I now understand that the idea of mindfulness can be implemented in everything we do, including, in my case: becoming a mindful communicator. When I am speaking with friends or peers, I try to eliminate any distractions, such as being on my phone, to focus solely on what the person has to say. I have noticed that when I actively practice this, I have higher emotional intelligence, greater empathy, and an ability to pick up on more social cues than before. Science has proven that being mindful helps improve communication and even relationships. A study done by researchers at the University of North Carolina found that after couples went to an eight-week mindfulness training, they experienced higher satisfaction in their relationships.
I really would encourage everyone to try to practice mindfulness, especially through meditation. I ideally like to practice in the morning, about fifteen minutes after waking up, and fifteen to thirty minutes before going to sleep. Set a timer for three minutes when starting out, and only focus on breathing in and out. Allow the air to reach deep into your diaphragm, and then exhale slowly. Acknowledge any passing thoughts or distractions, and bring your attention back to your breath. Allow your brain to do absolutely nothing. Do not feel worried if you have a hard time focusing. It will be difficult, and you may even feel quite stupid at first. Afterward, take a moment to assess how you are feeling. Most likely you will at least feel a bit more relaxed. As you become better at the skill, expand the time to five, ten, and eventually twenty minutes. My life has been positively affected by this practice, and if you are struggling with stress or overwork, you may find this helpful. I truly believe if everyone would give themselves a few minutes of mindfulness each day, the world would be a much brighter and better place.
Here are some links that you may find helpful on your journey toward mindfulness!
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