Be Mindful at MC

Do you know that, according to the National Alliance on Mental Health, 50% of college students report having anxiety and/or poor mental health? I’m not afraid to admit that I am part of that 50%. I have struggled with anxiety for years, and college definitely adds to it.

Luckily, MC offers quite a few ways to help combat poor mental health.

Every Monday, from 12 to 1, MC Rockville has “Mindful Mondays” in the science center building (room 361). According to the flyer, “practicing mindfulness can help reduce stress and improve memory.” Each session starts off with a guided mediation, followed by quiet time activities including “including coloring, Play-Doh, and puzzles.” Now who doesn’t like to color?

In this day-and-age it can be hard for us to stop and just breathe sometimes. Being mindful allows us to slow down, breathe and just be in the moment—all while reducing our stress levels.

MC also has quiet mediation areas in almost every building that I have seen.

School is no joke, and neither is your mental health. If you can’t make it to a “Mindful Monday” session, I recommend practicing mindfulness on your own. There are plenty of apps out there (I prefer Insight Timer) that can lead you through guided meditation from anywhere ranging from two minutes to hours depending on how much time you have.

Let’s make this semester the best yet as we keep our mental health in check so that we can all have greater success…with less stress!

How do you practice being mindful?