Jessica Spoto

Feeling overwhelmed, anxious and stressed? When it comes time to relax are you too anxious to do so? Many people feel this way in college especially within the first couple weeks of class. You are adjusting to everything new, new classes, new teachers, new friends, all of which can be stress provoking. Can you do anything to reduce your stress? The answer is yes.

A proven way to handle stress is to simply be mindful. Being mindful means being aware of your surroundings and focusing on being in the present moment. Meditation is one great way to be mindful. Here are five different forms of meditation that can reduce anxiety and stress:

1. Turn on your favorite song and tune into the sound. In doing so you are really focusing in on the present moment.
2. Pick up an object that you usually carry with you. Hold this object and analyze it for five minutes. You will notice things that you have never noticed before about the object. Since you carry this object on you, you can always take it out in stressful anxious situations, meditate, and calm down without it being very noticeable.
3. If you are getting flustered and filled with anxiety you can “ground”. Grounding is when you focus where your body is in the moment. For example; you can say in your head, “I feel my feet touching the ground, my body is in the chair and my arms are crossed.” Even just simply stating what you are doing helps distract you from your racing thoughts and puts you in the present moment.
4. Concentrate on your breath. One type of mindful breathing is called triangle breathing: breath in, hold the breath, and breathe out. In doing so you create an imaginary triangle with your breaths.
5. Enhance and focus on your five senses, what are you hearing, seeing, smelling, feeling and tasting at the present moment. Just noticing your senses can place you back into the moment.

Hopefully next time when you are feeling that rush of anxiety and stress you can use at least one of these forms of mediations and start becoming mindful. Keep calm and college on.