5 Products in My College Apartment That Help Me Practice Mindfulness
We’ve all had those overwhelming days in college. You woke up late for class, you fought with your roommate, you submitted your assignment late — the list goes on! But as a fifth-year senior, I’ve had plenty of time to learn that, while I know I can’t avoid mishaps and stressful situations (that’s life!), I can find ways to handle them.
For me, this includes practicing self-care, with a focus on mindfulness and meditation. I know, I know: A 10-minute meditation session isn’t going to magically turn your C- midterm grade into an A+. But it can help you cope with your situation — and put you in a headspace to do better next time.
Mindfulness practices have been shown to help reduce anxiety and depression, and even help with sleep. Personally, I’ve experienced a noticeable, positive shift in my mood and mindset since beginning my mindfulness and meditation journey when I was a freshman in 2019.
There are plenty of ways for individuals to practice mindfulness; for me, I like to dabble in various activities that promote mindfulness, whether it’s taking five minutes to write in my journal, meditating for 15 minutes, or doing yoga for an hour. I try to do one thing for my mindfulness practice every day, and I’m pretty sure I will be a mindfulness stan for life.
Of course, it might sound daunting to a busy, exhausted college student to even consider adding yet another thing to your to-do list — but it’s actually a lot easier than you may think to start a mindfulness practice of your own. Below, I’ve created a list of the items I keep in my college apartment that help me practice mindfulness every day.