How I incorporated mindfulness into my daily routine to help me establish the school/life balance of a grade 11 student preparing for post-secondary

When I reflect on my ability to handle the social, emotional, and academic stresses prior to practicing Mindfulness versus after, I can hardly comprehend how I was able to navigate through 10 years of schooling without such effective skills. As a grade 11 student navigating through the overwhelming pressures of maintaining competitive marks for post-secondary; nurturing the friendships I have developed; participating in the plethora of volunteer activities I have committed to; and connecting with my ever-supportive family—all the while, still making sure I am on top of the latest trends, LIFE, as I know it, is a constant balancing act. An act that I was not very good at performing until I started practicing Mindfulness.

Mindfulness has restored my confidence and has allowed me to complete projects, tests, and quizzes with more ease. I am now able to recognize when my emotional mind is activated and press the “pause button” long enough to access my wise mind, so I can successfully navigate through high stress situations with more confidence. Seeing the fruits of my labor through my letter grades have been the most rewarding and validating experience to date—my math mark increased by two letter grades!

Incorporating mindfulness into my daily routine enabled me to be the best self that I can be. It also gave me the courage to continue persevering, even when the going gets tough. I have learned that practicing self compassion, meditation and freeing myself from judgement is just as important, if not more important than diligently completing my school assignments.

My goal moving forward will be to continuously practice, practice, and practice these skills, as these are the skills that are going to carry me through and allow me to be successful in post-secondary.