How to use mindfulness to reduce stress & create more success (with Magriet Steyn)

In a recent episode of the Stylish Study show, we spoke about exam stress, mental health and mindfulness. If you missed the episode, don’t worry today we will be sharing our highlights from the discussion and you can listen to the episode here.

One of the things we talked about was why it is so important that students work on their mental health. It is really important because it can enable you to explore all the tools for yourselves to look after your mental health and well being. We have an opportunity to learn a lot more about mental health and to communicate about it & do something about our mental health.

We also discussed the tools that students can use to actually help improve their mental health. Mindfulness is one of the best ways to have an improved relationship with stress is mindfulness, the goal is to have a better relationship with stress because stress is an inevitable part of life. While stress can be a good thing, it is very important for us to recognise what is in our control and what isn’t. How many pieces of homework we get is out of our control but when we do it and how well we do it is in our control. You also need to recognise how you might be contributing or creating stress in your life, for example it you get stressed out about homework, there are ways you can make it less stressful, like doing it as soon as it gets sets.

In the episode, we discussed mindfulness, which I am sure many of you have heard about before, but what actually is mindfulness? Mindfulness in simple terms is the process of becoming aware of your present moment experience, without judgement or criticism. Mindfulness is a great tool to just pause and it brings you back to the present moment. The best way (and most simple way!) Is to focus on your breath for a few minutes, listening to the rhythm of your breath and breathing slowing feeling the sensations in your body as your breath.

There are many different ways of practicing mindfulness but one of the most talked about and probably the one you know about is meditation. Meditation does not have to be done for hours or until you start levitating (but how cool would it be if we could levitate!), but you can meditate anywhere, when waiting for the kettle to boil, in the shower or in the car. If you. Are new to meditating you might what to try guide meditation which you find on YouTube or in apps, our favourite is headspace, which is free (although it does have a paid section for even more guided meditations!).

You can also try binaural beats, which affect different brainwaves in your brain. So when you are revising, or doing your homework or just sitting still for 10 minutes, just pop your earphones in, and on Spotify, or whatever you’re using just search for binaural beats.

And remember if you are struggling with your mental health, please reach out to someone. It can be a friend, parent, teacher or through mental health services like kooth. It is so important for you to try not to bottle it up.

Have you tried using mindfulness before?

About Magriet:

Magriet Steyn is a performance and mindset coach and mindfulness teacher. She helps women to transform their relationship with stress, anxiety and overwhelm to create the space to unlock their full potential and have the confidence to progress in their career or business.

Through focused coaching and mentoring, she helps her clients to achieve success with a sense of calm and composure, even though challenging times.

Her coaching and mentoring approach is holistic, intuitive and non-judgemental and she provides her clients with a safe and positive environment to help them get out of their own way and to achieve their goals.

You can find her on Instagram @magriet_steyn, where she shares tips and strategies to better manage stress, anxiety and overwhelm.