Students Can Use Mindfulness Techniques during Finals for Focus and Stress Reduction

Finals week is coming and for students that means studying, writing papers, and feeling stressed. In fact, Mental Health America calls it “the most stressful time of the year for college students.” To combat this, students can do the obvious things like exercise to clear their head, eat a well-balanced diet for energy and brain power, and establish a to-do list with priorities.

Students can also use mindfulness to help them get through the stress of finals week. A mindful pause is a powerful tool. By taking a brief meditation before writing a paper or taking a test, students can increase focus, creativity, and energy. Those few seconds of breathing, noticing and scanning the body, and calming the mind can help reduce anxiety and stress.

Both the 8-4-8 breath or the square 4-4-4-4 breath are helpful options to help students take a mindful pause. The 8-4-8 breath is taking an inhale to the silent count of 8, holding it to the silent count of 4, and then exhaling to the silent count of 8. The square 4-4-4-4 breath is inhaling, holding, exhaling, and hold the breath each to a silent count of 4.

It is also important for students to recognize and accept their limits and to remember to feel proud at the end of their hard work!

Categories: Mindfulness