Month: November 2020

Feeling Overwhelmed? Try This!

Gabriella Neurock

I don’t know about all of you, but as a college student, once the holiday’s start rolling around I feel like I can’t enjoy them. For me it just feels like schoolwork is piled on, and final projects and exams come out of nowhere. On top of that I’m trying to find a way to afford Christmas presents, working, enjoying what I can of the holiday season. Let’s face it…it gets SO OVERWHELMING.

GIF from giphy.com

Something that I have talked about before that really helps me is meditation. Now, personally, I find meditating works best for me when I am laying on my back in a dark room, and can really just focus on where my head is at, and get it to a place where I am restful. Once the mind is relaxed, your body will follow.

It honestly all starts with your breathing. I find it best to slowly breathe in through your nose and out of your mouth (simple but impactful). This is the first step to quieting any chatter that is still going on in your mind and brings you to a more logical state, simply because you are only focused on your breath.

When first starting, your mind still tend to wander, but do not worry because it’s normal! If this does happen, just try and focus your mind back and begin again.

GIF from giphy.com

Honestly, you don’t even need to worry about meditating for too long either. Something I have learned within my past year of practicing is that most times, only 10-15 minutes is needed! You will still be able to ease your mind and set good habits for yourself.

I have talked about the app Headspace before in previous blogs, and seriously cannot recommend this app enough. It really helps guide you on the right path, and it has become an honest everyday necessity for me. Below I’ve linked a quick video that features Headspace’s founder, Andy Puddicombe, who discusses the benefits of 10 minute mediations. Invest that time in self care and be sure to check it out. Happy meditating!

Visualization: It Actually Works!

Gabriella Neurock

Hello again everyone! This week I want to talk to you a little bit about visualization. I want to break down what it is, why I do it, and why you should too!

I have always been open about my struggle with anxiety because I feel like it is something someone should not feel embarrassed or ashamed to talk about. Personally, being open about it makes me feel a little better because you never know who it may help. A friend of mine a long time ago realized my struggle, and actually had reached out to me with this technique, that I have applied in both my meditation practices, or whenever I feel overwhelmed with stress and anxiety.

GIF from GIPHY.com

While visualization is not an anxiety cure, it is a very healthy and simple relaxation strategy that does help with periods you experience high stress and any anxiety symptoms you may have. The way visualization works is by imagining you are in a different scenery or place of mind, in order to calm your negative feelings.

Some tips for this are:

  • Find a quiet and relaxing place where you feel comfortable.
  • Close your eyes.
  • Relax your body.
  • Begin to imagine your place.
  • Practice-it does take some getting used to!

I hope that this helps you to find some peace within your busy schedules or any anxiety you may be suffering from! Click here for some super helpful beginner visualization scripts! Have a great rest of your week and happy meditating!

Guiding Your Own Meditation

Gabriella Neurock

Hello everyone! This week I am going to talk to you a little bit about how to lead your own guided meditation! It can take as long as needed, but I know with being college students, our time for relaxation and self care can be extremely limited. Therefore, I am going to break down what helps me meditate and relax, and will drop a quick little 10 minute meditation video below to help you get started! This is super easy and can really help with overthinking and releasing everyday stress.

First, what I do is take a moment to get comfortable and lie flat on my back. Even if you don’t usually sleep on your back, this makes it a lot easier to relax your body and muscles. Let go of any conversations or tensions you may have had throughout the day and take big, deep breaths, in through the nose and out through your mouth. Sometimes it can be comforting to place your hand on your stomach as well to feel your breath moving in and out.

Another very important part of meditating is really observing how your body feels. Does it feel heavy or light? Restless or still? Ready for sleep? This is important before moving the body towards sleep. It also helps to run through each part of your day from beginning to end. I typically pick out 25-30 moments of the day before moving onto a wind down.

A wind down helps relieve that tension that is in the body after a full day. This is where little by little, you relax each part of your body, beginning with the feet and ending with your face.

This is just a small start to many different ways you can meditate. I highly recommend the app called HeadSpace, which has a large variety of sleep casts, guided meditations, and morning meditations as well. It really helped get me started and I now am able to do it without using the app! I also have linked below a guided meditation that is sitting and is a great way to begin the day. Happy meditating everyone and have a great weekend!