by Last Updated on April 1, 2024 by Avia
Students have it tough these days. Tight deadlines, pressure from peers, friends, or family, the drive to excel in studies, and financial concerns – the academic scene can be brutal on students. We’ve talked about the benefits of students using focused meditation for success, but we wanted to dive more deeply into how meditation can improve academic performance.
Table of Contents
Impacts of Stress on Academic Performance
Every college student is quite familiar with the concept of stress and the drastic effects it could have on someone’s well-being. Struggling throughout college can impact your mental, physical, and emotional health. Hence, finding an escape or a healthy coping mechanism is a vitality.
Stress can often surface in the most unexpected situations. You might worry about completing your assignment, not achieving grades, or even stressing about proving yourself better than your colleagues.
Thankfully, you can find many free essay examples for college to prevent fretting over your writing skills or the tension of time constraints. These examples of essays can inspire you when your course load becomes hectic. A sample essay also allows you to alleviate the regret of not performing as well as you expected yourself to. That constant need to prove yourself is an unhealthy illustration of negative self-talk.
Most students also experience anxiety due to the way they live their everyday college life. Some examples include waking up late, missing classes, and not having a proper schedule. Instead of lamenting your behavior, which negatively impacts your performance, prioritize yourself. Attempting to wake up early, head off to classes, and treating it like a full-time job.
Many students don’t even return to their apartment or dorm room to rest until a have the full workload is completed – this makes for a long day (and often night). What’s ironic here is that while students are scrambling to perform better – very often all this hustle has an opposite effect. In truth, more relaxation and meditation can improve academic performance better than working harder.
The Benefits of Meditation for Students
Meditation is effective because it facilitates a deep connection with the inner self and encourages mindfulness. While it might sound redundant, meditation is a regulatory practice. It lets you calm your nerves, regulates your breath, and think more clearly.
While many swear by meditation, others seem reluctant to try it. That might be due to incorrect associations or not learning how to practice it properly. However, every student must give it a fair chance. Hence, this article depicts tips and ways meditation can improve academic performance.
To wield a balanced lifestyle in college, you must realize that your goals are attainable. However, the means to doing so aren’t simple. Endlessly stretching classes, sleepless nights, raves, late-night parties, and experiences are not the sole purpose of college.
Instead, finding the balance between the academic and social aspects is vital. However, embracing this change can be difficult. Many tend to feel isolated once they focus on themselves, which might lead to further mental issues. A way to truly connect with yourself in school is meditation. Below are the numerous benefits of the practice.
1. Improved Concentration
In a study published in the Scientific American journal, MRI scans of the brain illustrated the impact of meditation on people. Firstly, after a mere 8-week daily meditation, the “fight or flight” center of the brain shrank. Secondly, the pre-frontal cortex, the part that aids concentration, thickens. This presents a direct correlation between practicing meditation and increased attention to education. Getting into a consistent pattern allows you to escape the daily harmful effects of using the phone. Assume it’s “me time,” a means of taking a step back from the overwhelming.
2. Lowering Stress Levels
Since spiritual practices are means to an escape, it slowly works on decreasing your stress levels. Assume it’s time to recharge your battery. Meditation is the ultimate resort, as you cannot always go to sleep or take a nap. It is a beautiful way to get centered and attain a level of mindfulness that reduces stress, which can help you perform significantly better in school.
3. Being at Peace with Your Surroundings
Have you felt overwhelming anxiety in class or when speaking to a teacher? Meditation allows you to regulate your breathing and handle situations better. It is similar to Feng Shui, the ancient Chinese art of arranging elements around you to achieve harmony. This practice teaches you how to place items around you to match nature, which provides serenity. Meditation is similar as it lets you quiet your mind, freeing space from the clutter you dwell on.
How to Start a Meditation Practice for Improved Academic Performance
To achieve a clutter-free mind, do not expect to do it overnight. Instead, slowly start building up to your ideal routine. Treat it as a novel you’re writing; you won’t have the perfect draft on the first try.
To begin your journey, find a quiet space. It could be a meditation room designed by your campus or in your room. Sit comfortably on a mat or your bed, then cross your legs. Make sure your back is straight but not strained. Start with 5 minutes a day until it feels like the time passes by with ease.
Breathing Awareness
Do not put too much strain on the way you’re breathing. However, follow the flow of air as you inhale and exhale. Attempt to take the breath in through the nose, and release it through your mouth. Your breath is what connects you to the consciousness within.
Guided Meditation
Most students struggle to focus. Hence, do not hesitate to find some guided meditation sessions. Numerous applications, YouTube videos, and even podcasts are dedicated to it.
Body Scan
Focusing on individual body parts is essential when you get into the groove. Focus your senses to the very top of your head. Then slowly follow the sensations down your body. Do you feel tension somewhere? Are all your areas relaxed?
Conclusion: Meditation Benefits for Improved Academic Performance
Regardless of whether you’re a meditation expert, it’s clear it has numerous benefits. It simply allows students to take a step back and evaluate their mental well-being. Moreover, body scans during meditation sessions will enable you to find tensed parts of your body. This permits you to relax them and pinpoint stressed spots.
However, as students generally have packed schedules, many use the excuse of not having enough time. Five to fifteen minutes daily can be enough if you fully commit to the process. Hence, ensure you have consistent, daily sessions in which you detach from your surroundings. Over time, this practice becomes an essential part of your academic routine. Remember, the biggest key to academic success is working smarter, not harder. Therefore, taking the time to get mindful will prove how meditation can improve academic performance.
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