Hi everyone! This week, I decided to try something new by meditating every day for a week to see how it would affect me and my mood. I used the Headspace app and listened to their “Basics” course, where each session is between 3 and 10 minutes. I’ll admit, I was so busy that I forgot I was supposed to be doing this until a couple days into the week, which just goes to show how much I really needed to relax and slow down.
On the first day, I was very stressed out. I had a busy weekend ahead of me and I had tons of homework. At 10 pm I decided to do my meditation for the day in my room. I sat on my bed and pressed play on the app, but I couldn’t focus and I just kept thinking about everything else I needed to do. I sat through it, but didn’t really feel like I gained anything out of it. The next day, I still hadn’t done any homework and I wasn’t feeling much better. Again, around 10 pm, I sat on my bed and tried to focus on meditation. Surprisingly, I found myself more invested in what the narrator was saying and I felt more present. I still felt overwhelmed, but I came out of the session feeling more relaxed and motivated. Each day I liked using the app more and more. I found that I was more motivated and productive and I was sleeping a lot better. I organized my whole room and my bathroom on Saturday--just because I felt like it. Meditating didn’t magically cure all of my stress or anxiety, but it was a good way for me to refocus and put everything into perspective. In the long run, taking a little time out of my day helped me gain a lot of time I would have spent worrying or being unproductive. This was definitely a success and I would absolutely recommend that anyone tries a five minute meditation whenever they get the chance.
As a Holton community and as Americans, we have definitely had to deal with a lot of stress this year. Even though COVID-19 technically gave us more time, it also took away so many sources of fun and relaxation for us. We all have had to be constantly aware of who we’ve been in contact with or where we’ve been, making something as simple as going to the grocery store a huge inconvenience. A lot of people, myself included, have found themselves unmotivated and unproductive. This small act of meditation helped me to acknowledge that I can’t have control over everything that happens in my life, but I can do my best to make the most out of what I’m given and not worry about things I can’t change. Meditating for one week didn’t change my entire life outlook, but I’m hoping if I continue I’ll keep growing and learning more.
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