This fall has proven to be a challenge for many people on and off of Boston College’s campus. The rampant midterm season was compounded by the highly anticipated election, which dangled anxiously over the heads of young BC voters and staff alike. Whether you’re overjoyed, agitated, or just ambivalent, taking time to practice gratitude and mindfulness can be a great tool amid uncertainty. These five quick tips will help ease the mind and can fit into even the busiest Eagle’s schedule.
’Tis the Season to be Grateful
Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on what you love the most. Connect with your inner cornucopia by simply jotting down three people in your life for whom you are grateful. If no friends or family spring to mind, try writing down a couple of moments of your day that put a smile on your face. Acknowledging small acts of kindness—like a door held by a stranger or a spot in line kept by a friend, can help even the most downtrodden find the silver lining in a bad day.
Stroll and See
Next time you leave class, take the long way back home. Meander through campus without headphones or a chit-chat companion and take in all that you see. Placing yourself in the moment purposefully is another way that you can take your mind off of those long-term issues that will not be solved during your walk from Upper to Lower Campus. Just make sure to layer up as BC heads into the colder months!
Tune It Up to Calm It Down
It’s time to take those headphones back out and try another mindfulness method. Next time you’re feeling tense, put on one of your favorite songs and really pay attention to the prose. Observe how the music makes you feel, find the nuances in its production, and note what memories it stirs. Utilize your Spotify subscription and give yourself a much-needed distraction while you work through some of the mid-semester woes.
Game of Fours
Just like the annually pardoned turkey, this four-pronged mediation strategy is a lucky one. Take an inventory of four things in your day-to-day life that you may not pay attention to normally. Identify the color of the fallen leaf ahead of you, the smell of your shampoo, the taste of your Chocolate Bar coffee, or the feeling of your coat against your skin. Whatever it is, paying attention to minutiae is just another way to take your thoughts from your never-ending list of assignments into the present moment.
The Brain-to-Body Switch
Lastly, if all else fails, you can always rely on the age-old advice of “sweat it out.” Whether you find a Turkey Trot, take yourself to a workout class, or just stretch in between courses, moving your body and raising your heart rate is a simple and accessible way to get rid of jitters.
Unfortunately, many issues in life are not solvable in five minutes or less, but that doesn’t mean that coping with such strife has to be as equally as arduous. As the days get darker and the holidays creep up, attempt to attack your worries with these physical and mental tools that show there’s always something to be grateful for, even if it feels quite the opposite.
