During one of my busiest weeks, I decided to meditate every day for at least ten minutes. It was convenient that one of my hell weeks was the one leading up to spring break. It’s called break for a reason, and I wanted to enjoy my vacation with a clear mind.
Monday
The start of the week. I knew this week was going to be busy. Overall, I had about three papers, one lab report, one coding assignment and a presentation due. To start, I relaxed by sitting in a chair with a window open and put on a vegan bee venom face mask and teeth whitening strip. I thought through my week and looking back, this meditation helped the most.
Tuesday
Today I laid in bed for ten minutes between classes. Exhausted from a daily schedule of waking up at 4:30 a.m. to work out, I did not want to get up. Regardless, I accepted that I needed to get up and move on (*internal screaming*).
Wednesday
While riding the bike this morning, I started my book of the week: The Art of War by Sun Tzu. Some may consider this a deconstructed form of meditation, but it still helped me relax. I went to the Pete gym at night as well to release high amounts of pent-up cortisol.
Thursday
Today I had to set an alarm to remind myself to meditate. The daily meditation sessions were helping, but I felt suffocated and lost in the hustle of school and assignments. At night I decided to watch some Seinfeld to relax. It was very monastic.
Friday
The last day (*snaps snaps*). Today was different and better than the rest. I used my Christmas gift from my mother and went to an hour massage. One full hour of peace and quiet really helped me gain peace and mindfulness. All my pent-up cortisol and tension was released.
Some people may find it weird that I talk to myself or tell myself what I need to do when I meditate, but I find it helpful. Meditating is a great tool to practice mindfulness and grounding techniques. It helped me prioritize school assignments and remind myself that I am just one person. I can finish everything, but I need to put my mental health first. Now that my rough week is over: goodbye school, and hello break.