Mindfulness for Students in a Stress-Filled World

Mindful daily routine for students

What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is the practice of “paying attention to your thoughts, emotions, and other experiences on a moment-to-moment basis, without judgment” (Siegel, 2016).

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Stress has taken a toll on our lives and has also affected the lives of students. When students are under stress, they feel overwhelmed and worried. Stress in college students is prevalent and often leads to negative health and academic outcomes. The Higher Education Research Institute (2015) discovered an alarming downward trend in students’ perceptions of their own mental and emotional health, and significantly greater use of mental health services.

Reducing stress is important to improve the overall well-being of students and increase their learning potential. This will help them to be more present in the moment.

Here are 7 mindful daily routine tips for students:-

Wake Up Without the Phone – checking messages or social media early in the morning can be distracting. The first 10 minutes should be spent sitting calmly and focusing on breathing. When we wake up in the morning, our dopamine stores are full. So, we have a limited amount of dopamine every single day. Our dopamine regeneration rate is low during the day. Dopamine provides behavioral reinforcement for the tasks students perform. They should drink water and do some stretching.
One Intention for the Day – they should decide to stay focused, patient, and consistent. They can take notes or write in their diary and mentions to do list. They can take a notebook or take a moment to reflect. Think of three things before they study. A) Name three things you are grateful for. B) Give yourself two compliments. C) They can choose a word or a theme for the day (love, abundance, hard work, focus).
Mindful Study Blocks – refers to intentional periods of learning that are more focused. It helps students to get engaged in their study material with utmost concentration. Students can start their class with a small ritual like stretching or recalling of concepts taught in the previous class. Taking breaks to drink water and keeping a track on thoughts so that they don’t get distracted.
Conscious Breaks Between Studies – Our brain gets tired the longer we use it. The most logical thing is to take a break. They can make their study breaks productive by meditating, taking a power nap, taking a walk or exercise, catching up with a friend, or cleaning up their space. Looking outside at the greenery is also rejuvenating.
Gratitude Moment During the Day – Practising gratitude can change everything about how a student studies. They can journal things. Studying for long hours can be overwhelming, but students can take 2 minutes to acknowledge things in their lives and be grateful for them. Gratitude is a center point of all virtues. Patience, contentment, and peace can be developed by writing about one life lesson learned, one person who helped them, etc.
Evening Digital Slow-Down – Before they sleep, they should turn off the noise, no screens, no scrolling, just a quiet moment for themselves. They can light a candle or draw in their drawing book, or listen to instrumental music. Their minds need rest after a long day. Students must limit screen usage during the evening as it will help them to sleep better. They can use that time for reading, journaling, or quiet reflection.
Reflect Before Sleep – The last few minutes before sleep can be used to program their subconscious mind. They can ask themselves, what went well today? How can I improve tomorrow? What I could have done differently? They can recall all the things that didn’t work out. They need to balance the books of life each day.

To sum up, by staying focused, taking mindful breaks, reflecting before sleep, practicing gratitude, and setting up an intention for the day, one can maintain a mindful daily routine.

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Sukhjit Kaur

Written by Sukhjit Kaur, educator with 17+ years of experience.