Updated on 3/8/2023
Using mindfulness can alleviate stress throughout your day. By practicing breathing exercises, listening to calming music, paying attention to your senses, walking and meditating, you can feel more calm as you move through life. Christine XP dives deeper into these mindfulness strategies in this blog post.
Hey, guys! My name is Christine Marie Frey, also known as Christine XP. I am the founder of the new and growing youth mental health project and community Brain XP, and I’m excited to collaborate with Discovery! You can learn more about Brain XP here.
There are many stressors that teenagers face on a regular basis, from studying for exams to maintaining friendships to entering adulthood. All of this can easily become overwhelming for a teen and that’s why mindfulness can them get through it. Mindfulness really focuses on living in the present moment and paying attention to how you feel in that moment. Practicing mindfulness can help us focus and feel calm. It also can help us manage our emotions in positive ways. Let’s get into five different ways that teens can use mindfulness to alleviate stress!
1. Practice Breathing Exercises
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- Breathing exercises are great for teens because they are simple and can be practiced anywhere you go.
- For example, you can take deep breaths while you are taking an important exam to help your body & mind feel more relaxed.
- Focusing on breath control can also help calm your anxieties.
2. Listen to Calming Music
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- Listening to calming music can soothe your mind and relax your body.
- There are tons of playlists on Spotify, YouTube and other music streaming platforms that contain calming songs.
- I personally like to pick a calming playlist and plug my headphones in while I listen. It is so easy and simple, and my mind always feels at peace.
3. Pay Close Attention to Your 5 Senses
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- Focusing on the 5 senses brings us to the present moment and helps us slow down any racing thoughts or chaos that is going on.
- It can be really beneficial to practice an exercise where you identify the different things that you see, smell, hear, taste and touch in the moment.
- This can be done when you’re getting ready for bed or the next time you eat a meal.
4. Go for a Mindful Walk
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- Mindful walking is all about being aware of our surroundings. This helps us feel grounded.
- It is completely up to you how long your walk is. The most important thing is to feel each step you take. When you go for your walk, incorporate the five senses if you’d like—pinpoint things, such as sounds or smells, that maybe you didn’t before.
5. Meditate
- Meditation helps our minds to calm our thoughts.
- There are many ways that we can meditate. My favorite way to meditate is to practice a few exercises on one of my mindfulness apps, such as Headspace or Calm.
- Meditating is different for every person, so there is no specific time limit or exercise you must follow. Just be sure that you are feeling calm and relaxed.
I hope you find one or more of these ways to alleviate stressors beneficial, especially if you’re a teen! We have a lot on our plate, so take the time to reset a bit with these mindfulness methods. Again, I’m Christine XP from Brain XP (which stands for Brain Expanded), and I’m proud to usher in a new movement that is helping change the language of mental health by focusing on positivity. Check out brainxp.org for tons of free resources, including a huge teen toolbox of coping skills, blogs, videos, music and so much more. Thank you so much for watching and I will see you in another video!
If stress continues and you think it’s time to seek extra help, Discovery Mood & Anxiety Program is here for you.