Body. Mind. Spirit.
We’ve all heard these three words together before, but what do they really mean in terms of spiritual wellness? Typically, they’re used to define a holistic approach to wellness. Spiritual wellness is an approach to life. Rather than focusing on just the physical, traditional approaches to health suggest we look at the physical, mental, and spiritual. The goal here is to achieve a level of well-rounded health, with everything working in harmony.
As a college student, it can be so easy to get caught up in school and fail to pay attention to our health. If we want to feel truly whole and healthy, this means you need a multi-dimensional approach to wellness. Especially in the midst of COVID-19, it is more important than ever to prioritize taking care of yourself. Here are a few ways how:
Meditation
Meditation is one of the oldest methods of relaxation and grounding.It reduces breath rate, pulse, and blood pressure. Meditation can help us focus on the present, and have time that is unobstructed by daily life stresses. By teaching ourselves to stay in the present moment, we begin to notice that many of our stresses lie in the past or what is yet to happen in the future. This newfound mindfulness allows us to remember that we can only ACT in the here and now, and gives us the opportunity to let go of that which we cannot control. Meditation teaches us to pause, breathe, and choose our response rather than react out of habit.
Positive Affirmations
Simply put, affirmations are positive self-talk. They are statements about ourselves or our situation. Affirmations can help us start to change and begin a more positive outlook. You should generally start by saying something that is positive about yourself or a situation. For example, you could say, “I am strong”, “I am healthy”, “I am loved”, etc. When you first start stating affirmations, it may seem a little silly. But through practice and repetition, it can become natural and replace negative self-talk throughout the day. Positive affirmations are a great way to increase your self-esteem and reprogram your subconscious mind.
Yoga/Stretching
Yoga is often thought of as just a physical exercise. Although there are many physical benefits to practicing yoga, the benefits reach far beyond your physical body. Yoga can help you work through psychological changes, emotional stress, and connect with a higher power as well. In addition to the asanas (body poses), meditation and pranayama (breathing exercises) are particularly helpful in improving wellness in the mind and body and achieving a deeper connection to your authentic self. Yoga can also act as a form of meditation, a time to just reflect on the present moment, maybe even say some positive affirmations!!!
Mindfulness
Practicing mindfulness is beyond important. Mindfulness is a natural quality that we all have. It’s available to us at every moment if we take the time to appreciate it. When we practice mindfulness, we’re practicing the art of creating space for ourselves. To put it plainly, mindfulness is just awareness. Awareness of the space you’re in, how you’re breathing, your clothes against your skin, or the ground beneath your feet. Focusing on things you can sense in the present moment.
Here are some tips for practicing mindfulness in daily life:
Take a seat or lay somewhere comfortable
Notice your breathing and how your body feels
Notice when your mind has wandered and then gently bring it back
Be kind to yourself and your thoughts
Follow a guided video on Youtube or other apps
Practice mindfulness eating by focusing on the meal and putting away phones or TVs
Slow Down - in anything you do, try to go at a slower pace if you can and breathe so you can fully feel the experience. What needs to get done will.
Taking care of your spiritual wellness is crucial. It entails proper attention and awareness for a more balanced harmony. Taking 5-10 minutes out of your day to stretch, meditate, be mindful, or even perform some acts of kindness or self-care can dramatically improve your spiritual wellness. This, in turn, can improve other areas of your health, such as physical health, or mental health. For example, active meditation and mindfulness has been shown to improve mental health, and has been shown to reduce anxiety and depression. Being a college student in the age of COVID-19 and Zoom University has placed additional stress on our plates to adapt quickly, and keep up. Practicing good spiritual wellness can alleviate some of that pressure, and leave you with techniques to help stay stress-free.
Resources
UCC (University Counseling Center)
Phone: (607) 777-2772
Open: 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday through Friday
They offer a wide range of telemental health services including:
Individual counseling
Group counseling
Workshops
Consultation for concerned parents, guardians, friends and family
A secure room if needed for urgent telemental health appointments
Referrals to providers and treatment coordination
Mindfulness practices for stress management
Same-day urgent counseling
SEEK
A student-run resource that acts as a hotline to talk you through anything you may be experiencing
Phone: (607) 777-4357
MHOPE
A group of student ambassadors who strive to engage and educate the campus community in topics of mental health and wellness.
Email: outreach@binghamton.edu
Spiritual Wellness Resources
Visit mindful.org for tips on how to meditate, journaling prompts, how to be mindful, and how to de-stress using a variety of techniques and resources
Guided meditations
Journaling prompts
Mindfulness activities
References
About the Author: Abigail Duvall
I am a senior integrative neuroscience major pursuing a Masters in Global Public Health after graduation. I joined REACH because I wanted to play an active role in destigmatizing student health issues and educating the campus community. Spiritual wellness is something I practice daily, whether it is taking the time to meditate in the morning, or taking a few minutes a day to practice being mindful! I find it very effective and grounding, and has provided me with stress relieving techniques to help me navigate the semester.
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