Today I presented on bringing mindfulness into the world of college counseling. A world that can be…well…full of fear. Fear of not getting in. Fear of failing yourself and those around you. Fear of not being enough. I truly believe that the college admission process does not have to be rooted in fear. How? Keep it simple. Be true to yourself. Believe in your work ethic. And incorporate mindfulness wherever you can. Here are some tips:
Keep it simple
You’re panicked because your friend said (insert unsolicited possibly wrong advice here)
- Go to the source (your counselor or the college office itself) nothing wrong with a phone call. Also, it doesn’t hurt to remind yourself of the work you have put in. Be confident in your decision making.
You’re worried about deadline and “missing” something
- Get out a calendar (or your ICal) and write every deadline down, plus reminders along the way. Visualize your to-do list in one space, set alarms for your reminders and to-do tasks when important deadlines pop up
- Know your go-to sources (the college’s website, your college counselor’s or school’s daily bulletin) Ignore unnecessary third party spam, less is more
Be mindful
Self-Care
- Yoga, dancing, the gym, running, a walk, writing, reading, meditating, etc. Find the activities that help you be present, be good to your soul and take a breather
- Schedule your self-care into your routine like anything else
Unplug
- Give social media boundaries. Example; I will not scroll through Instagram and Snapchat right before I go to sleep OR I will turn off my phone when doing my self-care activity
- Social media can often leave us feeling like we’re missing out on something, or our lives are not as amazing as those around us. Remember, most of the time everyone will post the best version of themselves, which can often lead us to feel incapable. Not true! I mean, we are all human!
Set goals
- Write down short term and long term goals (actually write them down, when you write them down it solidifies the goal and makes it real)
Incorporate mindfulness practices (being present)
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