Mind your mind

As students attending one of the top universities in the world, we often walk the line between being a committed student versus flirting with self-endangerment. We sacrifice our own well-being, fail to take a step back when we most need it.

I used to scoff at the idea of attending a peer support group, rarely giving the posters displayed all over campus a second glance. Nonetheless, attending Kaleidoscope on a weekly basis has become an important part of my self-care routine.

There’s a difference between knowing and feeling, so recognizing how fortunate you are is not the same as absorbing this information. Being grateful for a healthy mind and body is not the same as feeling relieved for not being terminally ill.

Although my English professor once explained that university is often a stressful, daunting and chaotic time, she also advised me to never lose sight of why I accepted my offer of admission to UBC and made the decision to pursue a degree.

Practicing gratitude is all about cultivating an attitude that both allows you to celebrate the good moments in life while at the same time helping you cope during the most difficult times. It has the power to heal.

Nearly every situation we face in our lives can become an opportunity to practice mindfulness. The challenge is that our automatic thoughts, ingrained beliefs and life-long habits usually militate against such practice.

The danger is that when we’re bombarded by countless demands and high expectations, and feel obligated to say yes. It can often leave us appearing sweeter on the outside, but way more enraged and bitter on the inside.

Praise makes us feel better than insults, but it can be difficult to own our strengths, much less delight in them. Praise can make us feel uncomfortable and uneasy to the point where we might be tempted to invalidate the other person’s comments.

I made the decision to join this particular non-profit organization because I believe that there are many benefits to volunteering — the main one being that by helping others, you are indirectly helping yourself.

A few years ago, I had the not-so-shocking realization that my social media habits were, indeed, fueling procrastination and lowering my productivity levels. Thus, I made the decision to delete all but one of my social media accounts.

If you still find yourself facing difficulties, it may be time to seek out professional help. As scary as it sounds to ask for help and open up, have faith that you will receive help. Trust me, the kindness of strangers will never cease to amaze you.

In her book, The Gifts of Imperfection, researcher and storyteller Brené Brown writes about the importance of cultivating rest and play, and mentions the emphasis in today’s culture on “exhaustion as a status symbol and productivity as self-worth.”

We’ve all had to deal with a shitty midterm mark. It can trigger a lot of “I’m not good enough” thinking, and be a huge blow to your self esteem. So here are some steps that might help you regain your confidence after receiving a crappy grade.

Would you ever judge a friend who’s just revealed their most intimate secrets? If you think about it, in the therapy setting where people are showing off their most vulnerable selves, there is no place for judgment — only compassion.

On one hand, pursuing busyness and overexerting ourselves to the point of having no leisure time can be harmful to our health — on the other, however, research shows that having too much spare time can be just as harmful as not having enough of it