Meditation is said to be one of the best ways to reduce anxiety and relieve physical tension. As well as relieving the body it relaxes the mind and can pause racing thoughts. This simple practice is beneficial for mental health and helps one maintain a calm and stress-free mindset.
Meditation or a meditative strategy involves taking a break during the day to reflect and focus on the current moment. This can be in the form of yoga or simply taking deep breaths. Juggling the various activities in our lives is challenging and many people often forget that mental health is very important. If you add meditation into your daily routine, you can feel more refreshed.
Moving your body outdoors is very beneficial. The brain formulates a billion thoughts throughout the day that we can manage by moving our bodies. There are easy positions in yoga called the ‘downward dog’ or just standing straight with your feet flat on the ground and your arms by your side, as well as more intense ones such as the ‘scorpion’ and ‘bridge pose.’
As well as yoga, breathing calms nerves in even a simple few deep breaths. Jennifer Curtis, an English teacher at Scituate High School reports how she practices deep breathing with her students before class to give them a minute to relax and destress from their last block. She says, “I don’t see how it could hurt. It’s not ten minutes, it’s one, and kids seem to want to do it.” Curtis points out how meditation doesn’t have to be a long and complicated process but a minute to take for yourself and to clear your mind.
“I think it really makes a difference when we do it … I can tell when we don’t do it because of the energy in the class,” says Curtis.
Nicolette Ross, a sophomore at Scituate High School states that she takes deep breaths when she is stressed about school and it makes her feel “more calm and less overwhelmed.” Ross also states how she would be willing to practice yoga and fit it into her daily routine because she thinks it is “very beneficial and can help me focus on the present time and not stress about the future.”
As a busy teenager, it is easy to get caught up in schoolwork and extracurricular activities. It is also easy to feel the need to rest and take a break. Engaging in any sort of mindfulness practice is far more beneficial than scrolling on social media or spending many hours binge-watching shows on Netflix.
Try taking deep breaths when situations are stressful or practice stretching or yoga to move your body in the morning or after school. Moving your body, even in these simple ways, increases mindfulness and relaxes your mind from the clutter. Mental health is very important to check upon every single day and these acts of taking care of yourself and meditating for a few minutes lower stress levels and increase peace and happiness in your life.