In the month of November, we are exploring one of the Five Ways to Wellbeing: Take Notice.
As a busy student, it can be easy to live life on “auto-pilot” and to be caught up in your thoughts or constantly trying to multi-task. Taking notice, also known as mindfulness, is about being present in the moment – being aware of your thoughts, feelings, body, and environment, instead of focusing on the past or worrying about the future.
By taking notice of your thoughts, or feelings of tension in the body, you may be able to identify signs of stress or anxiety earlier than usual, and then you can use techniques to deal with these feelings. Mindfulness is not about making these thoughts go away, or clearing our mind, but is instead about acknowledging thoughts without judgement. You might find it useful to name the thought in your head, such as “I am worrying about my upcoming assignment”. You may also find that by practicing mindfulness, you have increased awareness of positive emotions, such as gratitude or happiness.
There are lots of ways we can introduce mindfulness into our lives:
- Download an app such as Calm or Headspace for guided meditations. Headspace is free for students with Spotify Premium.
- Try to single-task – for example, try to focus solely on eating your meal and tasting all the flavours and textures rather than watching a TV show at the same time.
- Try breathing exercises and focus on your breath.
- Make an effort to notice shapes, textures, and sounds, even in everyday environments.
- Do yoga or stretches and focus on the sensations in your muscles.
- Take an online course such as Be Mindful.
It can help to pick a certain time each day to practice mindfulness, and to find a quiet place where you will not be interrupted.
For more information, visit Mind’s webpages on mindfulness and watch Enabling Services’ Linkedin Learning collection on mindfulness.
