Anshumi Jhaveri, Board Member
Dulles High School - Sugar Land , Texas
Teen Board Member 2017- Present
Anshumi is a junior at Dulles High School’s Math and Science Academy where she is debates for the Varsity Debate Team. An eleven-year participant of Destination Imagination, she has placed at global finals thrice with her team. A strong advocate for women and girls’ rights, she has been on GirlUp Southeast Texas Coalition’s board for three years. She’s a team lead for March for Our Lives Sugar Land, and her lifelong dream is to become a lawyer. Anshumi enjoys reading, hanging out with friends, and binging political dramas.
Practicing Mindfulness!
In light of the Pandemic known as Covid19 which has changed the world over the past 7 months, it’s important to note that anxiety and stress levels have risen amongst the general population. With isolation and harsh times surrounding us and our loved ones, it’s easy to pick up on new stress habits and find yourself worrying more often. Furthermore, with the majority of our daily activities moving to a digital platform there is now a large lack of social interaction that is healthy for us all to engage in. Screen time usage has without fail gone up, with everything from work and school to extracurricular activities moving online. It’s easy to feel what’s known as the “Zoom Fatigue” and lose motivation to engage in your daily routine as it can be monotonous sitting in front of your laptop all day. In order to battle this stress and fatigue, something that’s helpful is practicing mindfulness to keep you refreshed and calm.
What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness is a form of meditation that helps you focus and be aware of what you’re feeling in the moment, and usually involves different breathing methods to help relieve your body and mind of any stress. Research has shown that mindfulness is extremely useful in alleviating stress and anxiety and as someone that has anxiety, I can attest to the fact that mindfulness has helped me in my own personal journey. There are many different ways to practice mindfulness – here are two of my personal favorites.
Practice Gratitude!
Gratitude is one of the simplest yet effective mindfulness techniques. It’s as simple as taking a few moments out of your day to practice feeling grateful for the things and people around you! Saying the words thank you can actually stimulate your brain and release dopamine. It allows for us to focus on our fortunes rather than our misfortunes and bring more positive energy into our lives.
Breathing Exercises
Mindfulness is rooted in focusing on your breath. The breathing exercises are pretty easy and will only take up about 5-7 minutes of your day! Just sit in a comfortable position, close your eyes and begin to focus on your breath as you inhale and exhale. Your mind will drift off, and it’s important to be aware of that and try to bring your awareness back to your breathing. Stay in this position for 5-7 minutes and see how refreshed you are when you return back to work!
In times like these, it’s important for us to take care of ourselves both physically and
mentally. I hope these tips can help you stay calm and in check with yourself!
Anshumi Jhaveri
October 18, 2020