I sincerely enjoyed last week’s Rose Cafe. Ms. Rubenstein-Gillis and Ms. Gerding, who both work at Gannett, came to talk to us about mindfulness, meditation, and stress. We began by discussing the physical and emotional effects of stress. It was really interesting to hear what other people experience under stress – for example, somebody said that he gets a locked jaw; somebody else said that her shoulders tense up.
Ms. Rubenstein-Gillis and Ms. Gerding also spoke about the importance of getting enough sleep (9ish hours?) and establishing a pre-study routine. The pre-study routine idea is a pretty good one. Ms. Gerding said that we should consider working in chunks as well (because it allows us to focus on one thing at a time).
At the very end, Ms. Gerding led us through a short, 5-minute meditation exercise. Surprisingly, I actually felt a lot less stressed afterwards, and I could tell that other people in the room enjoyed it as well. I definitely look forward to checking out some of Gannett’s mindfulness meditation events in the future.
As college students, we often forget to take some time for ourselves and just relax. Mental wellness is so important and I truly believe that meditation can have healing powers during times of hardship.
I actually took a walking & meditation class for one of my P.E. requirements last spring and we spent a lot of time learning about different meditation techniques and spent time meditating outside which was very relaxing. At first, I worried about wasting an hour of my time in the class and thought of all the the other things I could be doing instead, but taking an hour once a week to refocus and relax was very helpful especially as I got more restless towards the end of the semester. It’s so important to take care of yourself, especially in such a stressful academic environment and I would highly recommend the class if you still have a requirement to fill!
I was also surprised with how calm I felt after the meditation. Have you been meditating since the event? I have meditated a couple times the night before a big test to help me sleep better. Overall, I agree with you that their advice on combating stress was really great and I hope that everyone who went there was able to find a method that works for them.