Nelson Mandela once said, “Education is the most powerful
weapon you can use to change the world.” In the recent years, changing the
world has been a popular topic. Whether it is the #Metoo movement, climate
change, Black Lives Matter, or any other social or global movement. Our
generation’s goal has been to change the world and leave it a better place. Most
start this quest by continuing their education after high school. While gaining
knowledge is worthwhile, it can be difficult at times. Learning comes with stress,
frustration, and hard work. That is why you need to keep yourself a priority.
This is a list of things you can do while continuing your education to keep a
healthy mental status.
1.
Be mindful
Being mindful is probably the most
important thing on this list. Keep in tune with yourself. Know your body and
brain. Be able to know when you can push a little bit harder and when you need
to take a break. Being mindful is a fast and easy way to rid stress and continuing
moving forward.
Achieving this can be done in many
ways. Do a “brain dump” and write everything you’re thinking about on a piece
of paper. Mediate, practice deep breathing, write, draw, take five minutes to
think about the day and your life. Really being mindful is taking time to reflect
on you.
I often write quotes, lyrics, or
bible versus in a notebook and doodle around them. During this time, I am doing
something I enjoy and am thinking about how the words I am writing relate to my
life. I also practice “square breathing” daily. This is simply in haling
through the nose, holding it, exhaling through the mouth, and holding the
exhale. This can be repeated multiple times and helps slow your breathing, rids
anxiety, and slows your body down a little.
2.
Be grateful
Often times, it is easy to get
wrapped up in your own worries and forget how blessed you really are. List off
things you are grateful for every day. This can be during the time you are
being mindful, right before bed, or anytime you are feeling over-whelmed. Remembering
what you are grateful for keeps things in perspective for your brain. It allows
you to stay connected to the “real” world, while you are focusing on school.
3.
Do something you enjoy
School doesn’t have to be a 24/7
job. You need to take time for you and I mean more than the 5 minutes a day you
take to be mindful. Schedule a night off or a few hours of free time if that is
what it takes. Sit down and watch a movie, read a book, craft, go outside.
Literally just do something for you.
4.
Take Breaks
Along with doing something for
yourself, don’t forget to take breaks. These breaks are smaller and shorter. I
call them “brain breaks”. They can be anything you want them to be. Get up and
get water, go for a short walk around the building, stretch, ect. Just take a
break from looking at the information and being a statue while you are studying.
Getting your body moving and giving your brain a small break will allow you to
study for longer and retain more information! Just be sure that these breaks
are short and don’t become too long, so you are still utilizing your time
wisely.
5.
Stay in contact with people
It is easy to let your fast-paced life consume you and reduce your contact with friends and family. Friends and family are what will keep you grounded. They will be there to listen about your stresses, cheer for your success, and pick you up when you fall. These relationships will be key in making it through your education successfully.
6.
Stay organized
Organizing helps reduce mental “junk”. With organization you need to remember less, you stream line you activities, and for the most part you just live a simpler life. I have a previous post that goes into organizing in depth, so if you are interested in this topic go give it a read. The most important thing about organization in school is writing things down.
I used to have so much anxiety over
all the things I had to do, and a counselor suggested I just make a list. Ever
since, at the beginning of every week I make a “To Do” list. I also fill out my
calendar for any obligations that week. By getting these topics out of your
mental space you are essentially “taking out the trash” and freeing up space
for more important thoughts. It sounds simple, but honestly it has changed my
mental health drastically since I started practicing this.
7. Get outside
Finally, get outside. Fresh air is good for the soul. Vitamin D is great for your body and immune system. Really the benefits of getting outside, go on and on. Outside activities can include going for a walk, a run, or a bike ride. It could be sitting outside or hanging out with friends. Also, outside is a great place to study! If you need to do schoolwork but don’t want to miss a beautiful day, take the work outside with you. This could be sitting at an outdoor coffee shop, using patio furniture, finding a table at a park, or just simply sitting on the grass.
In college the science department had rigorous
work and we were in buildings often for long periods of time. But when a nice
day rolled around, we would take our study groups outside. Most campuses,
libraries, or stores have Wifi that reaches the outdoors. This is super useful
if the internet is needed for your education. Just pick up your things and make
a point of getting some fresh air.
This generation want to change the world and as Nelson
Mandela mentioned, education is the path to take. But if your mental health is
poor, you won’t be able to make change. Thus, you need to take steps now to
make sure you keep your mental health sound. Practicing mindfulness, being grateful,
doing things you enjoy, taking breaks, staying in touch with people, staying
organized, and getting outside are just the tip of the iceberg for things you
can do for your mental health. Mental health is crucial to success in
education, so do something for you. Focus on your health, so you can
change the world.
Kindly,
Kenzie
P.S If you need help investigate campus resources for counseling
or academic accommodations. If you are feeling like you need you need to talk
to someone the suicide hotline is 1-800-273-8255.
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