College-aged students are embarking on a new chapter in their lives, which can be a daunting experience. Life starts moving at a rapid pace with a full agenda and seemingly endless tasks. For students away from home for most of the year, it can be especially challenging to find grounding. It is beneficial for students to integrate mindful practices into their daily routines for stress reduction and easier living.
Mindfulness is the act of paying attention to the present moment without judgment. This takes on many forms and can be practiced in many different ways.
With that being said, there is a vast maze of starting points. Figuring out where to start can be intimidating for beginners.
Integrating mindfulness practices at home is accessible, beginner-friendly and great for building habits.
Where to Start
The key to integrating mindfulness is to establish a consistent routine.
The concept of establishing a blissful morning or nighttime routine is littered across social media. It is challenging to remain consistent with these trends because they are not specifically tailored to the individual.
Having an individual aligned routine is essential to consistency. The right fit will require personal trial and error. For this reason, copying exact routines from social media trends will not prove to be fruitful.
The best place to start is by figuring out what makes you feel good and doing more of it. Although simple, this is a practical anchoring point for building your road map.
Journaling a freeform list of things that make you feel better tells you precisely what you can add to your routine. For example, following equational prompts that say ‘I feel better when…’ is a great starting point.
This reflects habits that are already within reach and can be integrated seamlessly into a habitual routine.
The Power of Intention Setting
Intention setting is the practice of purposely choosing a direction for one’s actions with the goal of cultivating a particular quality of mind.
This is a practice that can be integrated easily into one’s daily routine but has a large impact. Setting intentions every day increases self-confidence, focus and positivity.
It is an impactful way to break through preconceived limitations you may hold toward yourself and track your progress as you do so.
Intentions may look like ‘speak positively’ or ‘accomplish the hardest thing on my to-do list.’ Setting intentions in the morning takes only a small amount of time and can even replace the immediate desire to scroll through social media in the morning.
Meditation For Beginners
Meditation is a powerful tool for mindfulness, but can be an intimidating and vulnerable medium to use.
The practice offers numerous benefits, including reducing stress and anxiety, as well as enhancing mood and cognitive skills.
While entering the practice, many believe that they must sit in silence and try to still their bodies and minds. This misconception often deters people from meditation.
It is nearly impossible and frustrating to be completely still, but stillness is not the primary purpose of this practice.
Instead, build upon what you already know and do so at your own pace. Start small — five or 10 minutes — and experiment with what works or doesn’t work for you.
It may take a few tries to find a guided meditation that you like and the environment that suits you best. Sitting in meditation once a day can have a profoundly positive impact on your day. Meditating in the morning with the intentions you’ve just set can direct your day and ground you through whatever challenges arise.
Habit Stacking
Habit stacking is the integration of a new habit into a routine that is already practiced. This encourages integration of new habits and aids in consistency of new practices.
Starting with the addition of one new mindful practice at a time is beneficial for the longevity of the routine. For example, meditation pairs wonderfully with intention setting.
It is effective to find a guided meditation that aligns with your intended quality of mind. This is also easier than picking randomly from the sea of guided meditations for beginners on the internet.
These practices are foundational for receiving the most out of the day. These are ways to develop a routine that requires small commitments and can be built upon as you discover what works for you.
Habit stacking may also look like incorporating mindfulness into the mundane routines that already exist.
For example, perhaps the routine of drinking a morning coffee becomes a great time to meditate. Adding intentional routines that ground you throughout the day makes the more complicated things in life easier, and the easier things in life more appreciated.
Relieve the stress of your college years by giving back to yourself with your time and effort.
@shannonakinwrites.bsky.social
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