Recently, mindfulness has become a commonly-used term in the mental health community. It is a very broad term that describes a host of different practices and exercises, but it all boils down to one specific philosophy. Mindfulness is the combination of focused sensory awareness and non-judgmental thinking. Essentially, the goal of mindfulness is to experience the world exactly as it is, without attaching labels or judgments that promote anxiety. In this way, people are able to physically remove themselves from stressors and appreciate the simplicity of everyday life.

As a college student, I don’t have much down time to sit and appreciate the world without the distractions of commitment (classes, studying, clubs, eating, sleeping) or the guilt that surrounds doing any activity other than these. Mindful walking, however, was easily accessible to me because it can be performed while in transit across our enormous, yet beautiful campus (although I did actually take a half an hour this week to just walk mindfully). Other students should also be able to try this strategy even while walking between classes or from one commitment to another. In this way, mental health and wellness can be practiced without “wasting” a single precious minute on a silent meditation.

 

For my practice, I followed a very general tutorial that I will summarize through my “thoughts journal.” Essentially, my mindful walk began and ended with a focus on touch. I cycled between sound, smell, and sight during the middle of the walk, with observations from each of these steps detailed below.

Touch: I focused on how my feet felt in my shoes and how the weight shifted within my body. I felt my arms swing slightly and my hair brushing my cheek and shoulder. It was not always easy to notice these things without making adjustments, but I tried my best to avoid judgement and just appreciate the sensations that I felt.

Sound: This one was the most enthralling for me and the easiest for me to focus on. Since it required so much effort to identify multiple different sounds over the talking and cars, I was very effectively distracted from my own thoughts and not tempted to let them drift. The only difficulty came in recognizing others’ conversations and not hearing what they were saying. Since I wasn’t supposed to label or judge what I heard, it was difficult not to try to derive meaning from the snippets of conversation that I heard.

Smell: As opposed to sound, smell was very difficult for me. When I was near trees and large patches of grass, it was easier. Also, the wind seemed to have a distinct smell. However, I would not recommend dwelling on this sense if you run out of sensory input like I quickly did.

Sight: One of the easiest ways to approach sight focus is to think like a photographer. There are so many instances where focusing on one small snapshot of an enormous visual field allows for a huge increase in attention. While viewing picturesque pieces of the world (and mine often centered around nature and architecture), it was easy to let go of the words and thoughts racing around in my mind.

 

Overall, this technique was very successful in reducing my stress and improving my mood. Another possible reason for this transformation is because walking in and of itself has been proven to have positive effects on the brain. The release of endorphins caused by physical activity, for example, can lead to mental health benefits like the ones I experienced. However, I do believe that the act of experiencing the moment in a positive and non-judgmental light enabled me to unlock a more positive part of my mindset and it allowed me to escape for an extended period of time from the stressors of college life.