Academic Life: Stress and Self-Care

  This week I'm reminded of the importance of mindfulness.  Being mindful means being in the present moment.  Being mindful means that we place our full attention into what is going on in the moment.  This isn't as easy to do as we think.  And, we often think that it's easier to be mindful during happy, pleasant moments than it is to be mindful during sad, uncomfortable moments.  But, that's not necessarily true.  Think about something that made you happy. Can you remember the details, or just an overall feeling and fleeting thoughts?  What about an unpleasant moment?  Is that one clearer, or are those details fuzzy?   Learning to be mindful allows us the opportunity to fully embrace a moment and an opportunity to remember it more in detail. This is awesome when it's a happy moment.  Mindfulness lets us slow down to really appreciate this experience fully.  It reminds us that time is fleeting; this moment is fleeting  - gone with the next breath. So, by focusing on

  In the last few weeks, I've been trying to get my meditation practice going on a consistent daily schedule.  I was doing great for a couple of weeks, and then I got side-tracked with the holidays and the start of the semester.  So, I'm trying yet again to start it - again.  As I do so, there are a couple of things that I find it important to remember: It's a "practice", not a "perfect".   There's no such thing as a perfect meditation.  Some days will be easier and feel more calming than others, and some days it will be a Herculean effort to even sit still for a few minutes and feel the rambling monkey-mind. Every day, every moment is a chance to start over. It's better to make progress than to do nothing at all. Perfection is overrated.  If you can't sit in silent meditation, spend a few minutes completely absorbed in listening to your favorite song.  If you can't sleep, try falling asleep to a guided mediation.  Yeah, meditation isn

  Welcome back!   For many of us, it's the first week of classes.  Another semester begins.  And, while this may bring a bit of excitement for new things to learn, new people to meet, and a chance to start anew, it can also mean a lot of changes to adjust to at once.  I generally find myself exhausted after the first week of classes.  There is just so much going on - questions, emails, classes, and adjusting my schedule.  It can be very overwhelming.  So, if you find yourself also feeling overwhelmed and exhausted, here are some things that can help: 1) Breathe! - Not everything has to be done at once.  And, it's ok if things aren't perfect.  Despite my best efforts, after 17 years of teaching there's still always at least one typo in my syllabus.  And, you know what?  It's never ended up being that big of a deal.  Perfection is overrated.  So, take a deep breath and know that the only thing you have to do at this moment is that - breathe. 2) Schedule Downtime - Tak