Samiha Rahman | Contributor
Featured image: It may be cliche, but giving yourself quality “me-time” can really make a difference in your university experience. | Photo courtesy of Simone Volpini (Flickr)
This is it. You’ve made it: you’re either starting your first year or another year at York. There are already deadlines to fill, papers to be printed out and names to be remembered. You’re overwhelmed and it’s only Wednesday. One thing can promise you assurance and calm: your own peace of mind. That little voice inside you can either make or break you, day in and day out. Here are seven tips and tricks for keeping your peace of mind I learned the hard way during my first year:
- Accept it. Give your stress the spotlight. Acknowledging what’s going on around you can help broaden your perspective and make you realize your situation is not terrible. Keeping a journal or taking five minutes a day to practice efficient mindfulness can give your optimism a chance to kick in and assure you can complete those countless readings and meetings in no time. Accept the chaos, then choose to rise above it.
- Have a “vent buddy” on-hand. We all need that one friend who will listen. Sometimes, all we need is to just let out all that built-up stress by talking about it. Effective communication can help reduce stress by increasing our understanding of the situation and our goals and expectations. By doing this we’re able to imagine “giving it away,” back to the world, or in this case your vent buddy.
- Make use of Personal Counselling Services. York has so many free drop-in sessions for various areas of mental health such as mindfulness, group yoga sessions and Personal Counselling Services located at the Bennett Centre for Student Services. I was surprised to see the variety and availability of events that take place every week, one of which is the Challenging Negative Thinking to Improve Mood Workshop. Sometimes it can be tough to commit to going, but try making it a group activity with friends or use up those spare hours in between classes. You have nothing to lose, just insight to gain!
- Make “me-time” the best time. Transitioning from high school where you see the same faces all week for months and months to walking around campus and attending your own schedule of classes can be quite difficult to adjust to. You find yourself spending more and more time alone. This is the perfect opportunity to rediscover yourself and become content with your own company. Be confident in the person you’ve become and engage in activities you enjoy around campus — even if that means doing it alone!
- Surround yourself with good people. When you are with others, don’t be afraid of being selective. Be mindful of how people make you feel and don’t stick around with ones who put you down. Create a strong support network, whether it is through family, friends or both. You can even seek out activities where you can meet new people, such as clubs, classes or study groups.
- Break the cycle. You wake up, grab the same coffee, same breakfast and then head in and out of class. Sound familiar? Our routines may make us more efficient and enhance our feelings of security and safety, but a little change of pace and adventure can perk up a tedious schedule so that 8:30 a.m. class isn’t something you’re dreading all week. Look for a new shortcut to class, plan a group study session or take a walk through a building on campus you’ve never been to before. Even changing up your daily coffee concoction can help give your mental health a kick-start in the right direction.
- Write it down. Yes, you’ve probably heard this before — keep a diary, make to-do lists — but how many times have you mindfully tried it? Recognizing your academic, professional and personal goals, then writing down the steps to achieve them can declutter your mind and help you realize your goals are more attainable than you thought. This includes long-term and short-term goals. Post it up on your wall by creating an inspiration board or download a to-do list app that’ll help you navigate through your daily errands.
