Being a student is hard enough, we can all agree to that. But what if you can make this period the most relaxed period of your life? When we say “relaxed” we mean Zen.

There are plenty of benefits to having a more Zen approach to life as a student. These can include improvements to: Mental health, Academic success, Possible decreased substance abuse and addiction, Confidence, Efficiency, Physical health, Focus in class.

This all sounds amazing but what actions can you do to take up a more Zen lifestyle?

What are The Zen Origins:

The origins of Zen can be found in Chinese Buddhism and, as a result, this can be a great way of improving upon your skills once you have the basics down.

There are other philosophies that borrow similar ideologies, like Hinduism, Taoism and, more recently talked about, Kabbalah, but they all have different perspectives on the same theories.

If you want to take the concept and your learning further, it is important you do some research to figure out which philosophies closest align with your own before going down a specific path.

The 3 Zen You Can Try as A Student:

1. Mindfulness.

This is the practice of being aware of the stressors in your life and proactively dealing with them before they become more of an issue.

It involves being always aware of your emotional state.

You can start to practice mindfulness by creating a list of everything that is making life stressful for you now and, once you have that list, think of ways you can overcome the stress.

One example is financial stress, which is something that all students deal with.

So, in the stressors column you would write “financial stress”, under “emotional state” you would write how that makes you feel and, under “steps to improve”, you could write about taking out Earnest student loans from a private lender to cover college fees and living costs.

The whole idea with this is that you actively recognize the stressors in your life, recognize the emotions that they are triggering, and giving pause to consider a practical way of fixing those issues before they become too much.

2. Journaling.

Journaling is becoming hugely popular as more and more people are realizing the benefit of the written word.

Each day, take some time to write down your actions, thoughts, and feelings.

Be specific where possible and do not hold back as being honest is the only way you’ll benefit from this practice.

In time, you will be able to identify triggers that make you feel down.

You’ll become more self aware of your feelings and achieving your goals will suddenly become so much easier with the boost in confidence you’ll experience.

Practicing gratitude is also beneficial so make sure to write down five things you are grateful for each day.

3. Yoga and Meditation.

Yoga and meditation are two meditative practices that allow you to check in with yourself from time to time.

Both are highly effective, and the good news is you don’t have to be an expert, you just need to have an open mind and a willingness to learn.

There are loads of different meditation practices, from cleaning the house, sitting down in a quiet room with incense, and, yes, even prayer if you are religious.

The important thing is that you give yourself time for inward reflection, to think about your day and your activities and to ensure things are going in the direction that align with your goals.