You’re confined to your house, have one contact hour a week (where your lecturer spends thirty minutes trying to work out how breakout rooms work), and you can’t help but ask yourself “when is this all going to blow over?” as you devour another batch of your housemate’s cookies. We’ve all been there, but how can we try to simmer down our anxiety riddled brains? As a third year student endeavouring to finish a degree, work a part time job, and not have a mental breakdown during a global pandemic, I have found that practicing mindfulness and taking time to meditate helps to ground me in the present moment and keep me from getting too overwhelmed. We’re all so busy, especially as term starts to pick up, and sometimes we feel guilty for what appears to be sitting down and doing nothing. But maintaining your own mental state is as productive as exercising your body or making a meal and is necessary in preventing burn out and generally supporting your mental health. Continue reading Living Presently in a Pandemic