The Shrink Space provider, Erica Schommer, is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Registered Yoga Teacher. She shares several easy mindfulness exercises that students can use to help adjust back to campus.

Scroll for several simple mindfulness practice that take just a few minutes of your time.

Regularly practicing these exercises in your daily life offer many benefits:

1. Build mind-body awareness
2. Reduce stress and anxiety
3. Improve attention and focus
4. Quiet intrusive thoughts
5. Reduce perfectionist inclinations
6. Improve emotional and social intelligence

Our mindfulness exercises are easy to practice. Integrate these skills during your yoga or fitness routine, during a break between classes, or even in your dorm room when your roommate is up at 2am typing up a paper and you’re trying to fall asleep.

Mindfulness Practices

Focus on slowing your body 

Despite commonly believed, complete stillness is not mandatory to be mindful. 

• Practicing mindful awareness while your body is still moving is great preparation for when you are going about your day, in class, or adulting.

Observe your breath

When you find yourself fixated on a thought, redirect your attention to your breath.

• Count your breath in and out, and lengthen your exhale. 

• Try to expand your ribcage and abdomen on your inhale, and allow it to rest on your exhale.  

• As you inhale, repeat “I let in…” and as you exhale, repeat “I let out…”

Forward Fold (aka spinal flexion)

Forward folding is a calming mechanism for our nervous systems  

• This can be done:
  • seated
  • standing
  • sitting in a chair
  • laying down with your knees towards your chest. 

• Pick one above position and fold for 1-5 minutes.
• Repeat as needed!

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To read more, check out Erica Schommer’s posts on the challenges of letting go of negative thoughts, and thought exercises on how to help. To schedule an appointment with Erica visit her profile on The Shrink Space.

We know it’s a different start to the school year. It at any time you’re looking for an off-campus therapist that specializes in working with students like you – check out The Shrink Space. We have over 7,000 mental health therapists and psychiatrists across the US, UK, Canada who specialize in working with young adults.