How movement, mindfulness, and time outside help me manage my mental health

Ginger shares how she combines mindfulness, movement, and time outdoors to manage her mental health and wellbeing.

- Ginger Abbot

Just like my journey to health and wellness is unique to me, everyone has their own journey that they can follow towards leading a more mindful, healthy, and fulfilling life.

For me, mindfulness, movement, and time outdoors have been critical pieces of my wellness practice. Not only that — they’re habits that have improved my life for the better, which I plan to keep pursuing for years to come. While everyone is different and the mindfulness practices that work for me might not always work for others, I’m grateful for my ability to share my journey.

When I began my wellness journey, there was so much I didn’t know. And while I still have a lot to learn, picking up my three key habits has been a transformative experience. Whether I’m on the ball with my wellness game or I have a lazy day, the positive impact of my commitment to wellness is able to carry me through. Here are some of the ways that I implement healthy habits for mental health, and how mindfulness helps manage mental health in my world.

1. Mindfulness, little by little

Mindfulness is defined as the practice of remaining grounded in the present moment by using the sensations, sounds, and visual elements around you. 

When I first started out with mindfulness, this was a sort of daunting idea, so instead of trying to engage in mindfulness constantly, I found little moments that could serve as venues for my mindfulness. Over time, it grew bigger and bigger, as habits often do.

2. Finding activities I love

Everybody pretty much knows about the benefits of exercise for mental health — releasing endorphins, improving your mood, and fostering the connection between the mind and body.

However, sometimes exercise can feel like a drag. It’s okay to admit that working out takes effort. If it didn’t, I’d probably be doing it wrong. The key for me that actually helps me stick to it is finding activities that I truly enjoy doing. I don’t love hitting the gym, but I do love taking walks outside, doing yoga, and riding my bike. These are activities that I find easy to return to again and again.

3. Getting outside once a day

This one will likely come as no surprise, as I’ve been vocal about how time outside improves mental health. I can’t always explain it logically, but going outside often makes me feel better, even when I’m having a particularly bad day.

Research shows that spending as little as 10 minutes a day in green spaces can improve mood and reduce stress. While I enjoy getting outside for longer than that, sometimes a little bit is all I need.

4. Fostering the mind-body connection

One of the biggest parts of improving my mental health with wellness practices has been fostering and recognising the connection between my mind and my body.

Before I had a strong handle on the direct impact of wellness practices on my health, it was sometimes hard to stick to them. But when I make a point to notice the way mindfulness meditation makes me feel in my body or the mental payoff of a great workout, it’s much more motivating to stick to my practices.

5. Combining my practices

My biggest and most helpful tip for using mindfulness, movement, and outdoor time to manage my mental health is combining my practices. Often, I get into a wellness headspace when I want to accomplish some of these tasks for the day, and doing them at once can often give me all the benefits I need without the possibility of stopping and not returning to my wellness.

I love to practice yoga, which combines mindfulness and movement into one. I love to work out in nature or practice mindfulness walking meditations when I want to have a more active mindfulness practice. Often, this can be the push I need to get on a bit of a roll.

6. Movement, mindfulness, and nature

While my mental health won’t be the same as anybody else’s, I still believe that these habits can enact some positive change in anyone who is open to it. What are some of your favourite wellness practices?

Find out more about what you can do to improve your wellbeing on Student Space.

Ginger Abbot is a student life and education writer who is currently enrolled in graduate school part-time. She also serves as Editor-in-Chief for the online learning magazine Classrooms.

Adjusting expectations: How I have learned to manage work, mental health, and remote learning during COVID-19

Ginger shares her experience about managing work, mental health and her studies. 

- Ginger Abbot

Attending university always requires an openness to change. During my undergraduate years, it took some time to get used to living in a dorm room and making new friends. When the COVID-19 pandemic began, I was well into graduate classes and had a familiar routine. I did not know how to adjust to changes that left my life turned upside down and isolated at home.

While I navigated the new world of virtual courses, I was also working full-time and stressing about potentially losing my job or getting sick. Many others continue to feel the same way. Here are some tips I learned while managing work, mental health, and online classes.

1. Prioritise your free time

Prioritising your free time is crucial if you are studying while working full-time. You may become tempted to push through virtual assignments when you are not working. I fell into this habit because there were no social activities to break up my time.

However, by not taking a break, you are likely to experience symptoms of burnout. Experiment with self-care hobbies like reading or journaling to figure out how to take care of your mental health while learning online and working during the pandemic.

2. Schedule more virtual chats

Virtual classes left me feeling more isolated and overwhelmed than ever before. There was no shoulder to cry on or date nights with friends to vent about the stresses of grad school. At first, I retreated into my isolation, but it only made things harder. I quickly learned that managing online learning and work is easier with more virtual chats.

Ask your family and friends to schedule weekly calls. When I knew I would see my parents or my best friend every Tuesday and Thursday night, it gave my mental health a crucial anchor during turbulent times.

3. Give yourself grace

Taking a step back and readjusting expectations is a great way to learn how to adjust to change. Whether it was my grades or how long I could keep up perfect performance at work, I held myself to pre-pandemic standards. It turns out that it is much easier to excel when you don’t fear for your health and your job security.

Getting more sleep was a big part of resting and restoring my spirit. I set a 20-minute alarm every day to master the power nap and get the rest my body needs to handle intense stress. It is a simple practice anyone can use, but you should also give yourself the grace to explore other self-care avenues and ease your anxiety.

4. Find new motivations

Getting to hang with friends or go on a holiday were my biggest motivators. Without them, I felt lost. I did not feel that crucial sense of purpose until I decided to find new motivations while managing online learning and work.

My new motivations became resting during power naps and finishing each day with the pride that comes from taking care of myself. Even little steps like eating a healthy meal became something that I celebrated. It renewed my self-confidence and strengthened the new motivations that have carried me through this last year.

5. Check-in with yourself

My final piece of advice for students who work full-time is to check in with yourself every day. If your routines add stress or make life more complicated, make the adjustments you need to find a balance.

Change is the only expected part of life now. Anyone who wants to learn how to care for your mental health while learning online should expect care routines to change too. When I ask myself if something is still working, I am open to changing even the most minor details if they do not support my well-being.

6. Learn to manage work, school, and life during covid-19

Adjusting your expectations while managing work, mental health challenges, and remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic has been a hard battle. Even on my best days, I do not expect anything to remain permanent.

I began to feel more confident and comfortable with my new routines after giving myself more grace and tried new things to find balance in an ever-changing world. After returning to face-to-face learning, I will continue to benefit from these adjustments that helped me through the difficult time. I hope you can find some of these helpful too!

Visit Student Space for further support with your mental health or emotional wellbeing. 

Ginger Abbot is a student life and education writer who is currently enrolled in graduate school part-time. She also serves as Editor-in-Chief for the online learning magazine Classrooms.

New year, same me?

Jessica shares her experience of the pressures of New Year's resolutions but also how to realistically maintain them.

- Jessica Flora

New Year's resolutions are often highly talked about during this time of year. Although they can be great in helping people re-focus their life and build towards a goal, a downfall is that individuals often feel immense pressure to maintain goals and compare themselves with others. By all means, it's a good thing for someone to reach for a goal - but if that goal seems unattainable or unrealistic to an individual, it's easy to become disheartened and fall vulnerable to feelings of stress. Here are some tips for setting realistic and flexible New Year's resolutions that have helped me focus throughout the year:

1. Don't feel that you have to wait for next year to reset your goals

 

A few months into the year you may feel that the January goals you set are not going quite how you wanted them to, and that you may need to re-adjust your goals (due to something like a pandemic!). Don't give up and wait until next year - just re-adjust them! Each day gives you the chance to do something new, so why not change your goal in the here and now? Fine-tuning your goals and goal plans according to your situation makes you more likely to achieve them. So, by next year you can happily tick it off your list, or even keep it going if it's a long-term goal. Remember: some progress is better than none!

2. Setting monetary goals

You may want to set a high target when it comes to money, but try setting smaller targets throughout the year. For example, you could aim to save £30 by the end of January, then £60 overall by the end of February, and so on. Try not to spend money on things you can easily save on; for example, limit the number of takeaways you eat every week, and set the money you would have spent aside, in your savings account. Over time these things will mount up, and can be used for future purposes like putting a deposit down on a house, buying a car, etc. Just remember, don't become disheartened if you cannot afford to put extra money aside for that month - always do what you feel is best.

3. Setting health goals

Exercising is a common goal for most people; however, it can be a challenging thing to maintain and if individuals don't see improvements, they may lose interest. An important tip for keeping an exercise goal is tracking your progress and researching the "Do's and Do not's" of fitness. Remember that some things may not work for you, and that's okay! Keep researching new forms of exercise to try until you find something that works for you. It is important to remember that things take time, so don't expect to see results immediately, and always work out safely.

4. Grades

Wanting to better your grades is not a bad thing at all. However, you may endlessly tire yourself out with overworking and overstressing, losing yourself in the process. Instead of trying to deal with this on your own, email the teachers/lecturers that mark your work and ask them specifically how you can improve. Look into intervention classes for your specific subject/area, as they may be able to provide you with help and guidance. Remember: it may take time for your grades to improve, but don't stop trying!

5. New skills/hobbies

Wanting to learn a new skill or take up a new hobby can be intimidating and challenging, especially during the current pandemic. My advice is to try as many different skills and hobbies before committing to anything, to see what you do and don't like. You may surprise yourself with what you find. If you find yourself feeling disheartened at something difficult, remember that practice makes perfect, so keep on trying no matter what. 

 

My overall message is this: anything is possible if you have the motivation to work for it, and baby steps are key when trying to reach a big goal.

If you're feeling overwhelmed, check out our previous blog, "Taking things one day at a time" by Adam. You can also learn more about improving your mental wellbeing on Student Space.

Hi, I'm Jessica and I study an undergraduate Psychology degree. I feel there is an immense societal pressure and expectation on students to be high achievers. Mental health should not be stigmatised, but should be seen as an important and serious issue that needs addressing.