Relax by Victoria

Relax by Victoria - January 2016 Scholarship Essay

Deep breath in. Hold. Now slowly exhale. Yoga and mindful meditation are two practices that work to hone one’s mind and create a deeper sense of self-awareness. My New Year’s resolution is integrate these activities into my daily life in order to avoid some of the stress that comes with being a college student. From giving up on everything completely to becoming physically sick and sleep deprived, college students are often overcome by stress that they do not know how to manage.

Almost every college student understands the pressures associated with needing to have their entire life planned out before they begin college, working one or more jobs to pay for the classes, and needing to preform well in said classes. Too much stress can hinder the performance aspect of learning. When a student is overcome by stress they can mitigate it by any number of methods, but many do not practice constructive means. By taking up meditation or yoga I would have an outlet for pent up anxieties. If I were to combine the two it would be exponentially beneficial to my studies.

When stress becomes too great in my life I used to shut down. With these practice I would be able to take a little time to become self aware and then with newfound freshness of mind I would be able to go back to my studies. With a clear head I would be able to not only retain more information, but to also be able to dedicate more hours to study or homework. With so many positives to having a level head it seems like the perfect resolution to help bolster my study habits.