Health & Wellness

College Student's Guide to Meditation

College Student's Guide to Meditation
Being a student is hard. We’re busy, broke and more anxious than ever before.

But, suffering from stress is no joke. Stress can cause serious mental and physical health problems. If left untreated, students can experience panic attacks, depression, anxiety, headaches, upset stomachs and more, which affect our ability to study better and generally be our best selves.

Help combat the problem with meditation. Meditation works by training the mind to be more present, relaxed, and positive.

And, of course, since we want you to get better grades, we want you to be as relaxed and healthy as possible too!

Here are our top five recommendations for getting set up for meditation and healthy habits in general:
1. Get Comfy
The best part about meditation is that you can do it anywhere! Literally, anywhere. A quiet area of the library, your bedroom, the outdoors – wherever you feel relaxed. Once you find a place that works with you, sit in a comfortable position. This can be cross-legged, on a pillow or mat, or even in a chair.
The goal is to be comfy so feel free to add more pillows under your legs or in areas you feel the tension. If sitting upright isn’t easy, try lying down with your legs elevated. And yes, lying down can be done from bed!
2. Set a Timer
You should start small when it comes to meditating. This is to prevent yourself from over-doing it. Start by setting a timer to five minutes. You can slowly increase this over time. Remember to be patient with yourself when your mind starts to wander. Most people take months before increasing their practice!
3. Be Natural
No one tense can relax. That’s why you’ll have to be as natural as possible. Avoid tensing any muscles in your body by paying attention to how they feel. Don’t let your back become ridged against a chair or wall.

You should also focus on your breath. Breath normally by keeping your mouth closed and inhaling/exhaling through your nostrils. (We love this one-nostril breathing technique to relax.) There is no ‘acceptable’ pace to keep for this! Whatever works for you – do it.
4. Use Music
Most people think that meditation requires complete silence. But, this is not true! If you are a first-timer you might want to consider adding music to your practice. A calming playlist can help to relax you before and during it. Over time, slowly cut the playlist. With persistence, you’ll be able to practice in silence, but if music helps you relax, go with what works!
5. Focus on Your Breath
It’s really hard to focus while meditating. But, when you start to feel your mind wander, focus on your breath. Do this by focusing on your nostrils and the movement of air in and out of them. Then, move to the feeling of your stomach. Focus on how it rises and falls and what that sensation feels like. If anything pops into your mind, immediately bring it back to your breath.

Every student needs to practice meditation. The tactic offers physical and mental health benefits that can help long after graduation. Best of all, it only takes 10 minutes and a little practice.

We have other tips like this on our TikTok, like this video here...so enjoy all our helpful content that aims to help you study better, get better grades, and also be as healthy as possible.