Tree and building with sun setting behind

Managing Thoughts and Behaviours: I Attended Workshops and They Were Helpful

I didn’t know there were Health and Wellness Workshops until a few weeks ago. Or maybe I did, and the concept passed through my head, probably with the thoughts of “I’m too busy for that.” It wasn’t until my counsellor…
A picture of 4 stacked textbooks next to a miniature Eiffel Tower model

Persevering In The Face Of Academic Setbacks

  Sometimes, things just don’t work out the way you planned.   For example, at the beginning of this school year, I promised myself that I would actively keep up with all the readings in all my courses. With midterm season come and gone, I realized that I fell behind in 3 of my courses while studying for midterms. I’m currently trying my best to mitigate the setback by doing my readings for at least 3 hours a day until I’m caught up with all my courses. Nevertheless, this setback was not planned!  
A picture of 4 stacked textbooks next to a miniature Eiffel Tower model
It feels like I have a tower of readings to complete before I catch up!
 

Meaningful Mindfulness

Hi there! Last week I wrote about being ill, and I speculated that (in addition to cold weather and a nasty cough virus circulating in the air) my sickness was due to being out of touch with my body. It happens every once in a while when we get so busy that it can be a challenge to keep tabs on how we are (really) feeling and what our body (really) needs. I mentioned to a friend in passing this week that I sometimes attend Mindful Moments sessions on campus to get better connected with my body. He giggled, and said that he imagines me sitting cross-legged with my eyes closed, deeply concentrating on foretelling the future. I think at some point my friend was misinformed—mindfulness, meditation, tai chi, or yoga are not activities done to prophesize about the future. Quite oppositely, the goal is to bring more awareness to the present moment, to the body, and the breath.