MINDFULNESS FOR HSC STUDY

Being Mindful about study: engaging your brain to reduce stress and study better with assignments and exams fast approaching, you might be feeling anxious, worried or stressed.
Mindfulness practice is the ability to put your mind where you want it and be fully involved in the moment. Have you ever had the experience of being “in the zone”? That’s mindfulness! Being aware of how you’re feeling; what’s going on around you; and still being able to be focused on what you want to accomplish. Not easy, but with practice, you can build the mental muscle necessary to be mindful.  Anything can be done mindfully. We often don’t do things mindfully because we get caught up in the daily craziness of work, school, relationships and life. How often do you do three things at once…watch TV, eat dinner and take notes on your class readings? How often do you talk on the phone while driving? In order to get things done, we feel pressured to do many things at the same time. Often we are rewarded for living this way. We get a lot done quickly; we feel productive; and others view us as intelligent and successful. Unfortunately, that lifestyle often leaves us feeling stressed, fatigued and irritable. Mindfulness is choosing to do one thing at a time with focus and intention.
 Research shows that practicing mindfulness improves your brain’s ability to pay attention, concentrate, plan and organize information. That means you can improve your brain’s ability to study more effectively and efficiently. Regular mindfulness practice also has a positive impact on health and wellness. Because mindfulness can have a relaxing effect on the body, it has been shown to boost immune functioning. That means feeling better with less illness. If you’re prone to getting sick during stressful times because you’ve worn yourself down studying; not eating well and not sleeping enough, then mindfulness can be one way to buffer yourself from the negative effects of stress.
 To practice putting your mind where you want it, count your breaths. Every breath has an inhale and an exhale. After each exhale, count. When you get to 10, start over at one. If your mind wanders and you lose track of the count, start over at one. Don’t change your breath as you breathe. Breathe normally and count. Notice if your mind wanders. If it does, gently bring it back to the counting without judgement - the purpose is merely to observe the mind doing what it does.
Taking a 2 minute break from studying or being overwhelmed can help you regroup and get back to work in a more organized way. Being mindful isn’t all about silence and stillness. You can move your body and be mindful too!

Aly Birmingham Geats is a coach, counsellor and therapist located on Sydneys Northern Beaches with a Post Graduate degree in Mindfulness and Buddhist Practice at Nan Tien Institute, Australia

www.rowan.edu/open/studentaffairs2/hci/healthymind/documents/mindful.pdf