Mindfulness Series Part 1: In Our Own Words
Mindfulness and mindfulness practices have become more and more popular in recent years, especially to address daily negative mental health factors like stress, burnout, busyness, and overthinking. As Michigan students and WSN members who aim to destigmatize mental health, we like to think we understand the basics of mindfulness: it means to be fully present at a moment in time, and in tune with yourself (whether it’s your physical or mental health or your thoughts and feelings) and your surroundings. But as the Voices Committee, we want to know more, especially about what mindfulness means to others in our community.
To start on our journey to understand mindfulness, we asked students in and out of the WSN community to anonymously discuss mindfulness: what it means (or doesn’t mean) to them, how they practice it, why it’s important in college, and more. Here’s some of what they said:
What is mindfulness to you?
“To me mindfulness is being aware of what you are doing while you are doing it. I think that being mindful allows you to fully process stuff and not be as overwhelmed compared to when doing something aimlessly or without really paying attention to what you are doing.”
“Being aware that everyone has unique backgrounds that we don’t know about and respecting people’s boundaries while also getting to know who they are and what they value.”
“Taking time to ground yourself and be present to understand what has been going on and how you are feeling about it all.”
“Mindfulness is a state of mind that allows us to be in the present moment, acknowledging any feelings and thoughts.”
“Taking time out of my day to be in that specific moment in time, not thinking about the past or future but only the present.”
“I don’t know much about it, but mindfulness to me is being aware of your surroundings and your current physical, mental, and emotional state.”
“Mindfulness is a state of mind where you can be in touch with your own feelings and emotions without outside interference or distractions.”
Do you practice mindfulness? If so, how?
“I don’t think I practice mindfulness enough. I feel like especially in my first year at college I often feel very busy and like I need to rush through things like assignments, and I don’t really take a second to think about what I’m doing and why I’m doing it.”
“I try to when I can which is mainly done through journaling or a short five minute meditation before I go to sleep.”
“I used to, and I wish I could practice more.”
“I try to do meditations before I fall to bed that include body scans so I can step out of my thoughts and focus on the current moment.”
“Yes. Meditation, deep breathing, journaling, cooking, focusing on one task at a time.”
“I do, but not often, it is usually when I lay in bed and listen to soft music and just think about life. It is a state where I am most relaxed and have no distractions.”
“I try to respect and empathize with every person I meet and if I don’t necessarily understand their actions I still understand that I don’t need to.”
A majority of college students don’t consistently practice mindfulness, and many don’t know how. Why do you think that is/ do you wish it was different?
“I think that most college students don’t really know what mindfulness is. I hadn’t really thought about it until doing this survey. I think this is because students are often overwhelmed with work or other commitments and feel they don’t have time to practice being mindful, especially when it’s just this broad concept that they don’t really understand.”
“I think it’s hard to fit in as a consistent part of a routine especially because it can stress relaxation which is the opposite of productivity to many students.”
“I think that mindfulness is not a priority for college students, and things like academics and seeing friends can get in the way. I wish mindfulness was made more of a priority, but often it just doesn’t seem like there are enough hours in the day.”
“I think the whole environment of college makes it hard for people to focus on themselves. With the constant state of having to do everything in the world with so little time, people can’t find time to take time for themselves. I wish people knew that not taking time for yourself hurts more in the long run, where sometimes you need to take care of yourself before other things.”
“I think it’s kind of a more recently publicized thing, and people don’t know its full meaning or what it can entail.”
“Students are busy and think they can’t afford to waste time not being productive. “Grind” culture values productivity over everything.”
“I think it is because students are so busy and occupied with their lives, along with school and work. Our minds are constantly running and it’s hard to slow down.”
Why is mindfulness important as a student?
“I think as a student being mindful is important because it allows you to take a step back from the overwhelming aspects of college and to focus on yourself and how you are feeling, and what you can do for yourself to feel better.”
“Mindfulness is important as a student because it is a way of allowing students to make time for themselves and prioritize their wellbeing.”
“It is a genuine way to make connections and connect on a deeper level to yourself and others.”
“I believe mindfulness is important as a student because it allows us to slow down in life. We are constantly busy and time passes by quickly when that happens. Being mindful allows us to be in the present moment and be grateful for what we have.”
“It keeps stress levels down, prevents future tripping, prioritizes what is in our control and what is not.”
“It’s important to self-reflect, know where you can improve not only as a student but as a person. We can’t live a constant life of “go go go” and we need to know when we need to take a break and rest/refuel.”
“Any kind of awareness of your state and your surroundings is so important in a time when external factors like classes/clubs/social life are so chaotic and seem non-stop. It’s always good to stay in tune with yourself.”
