Grounding in October: Nurturing Yourself Amid the Chaos

Amid the hustle and bustle of October, it can be hard to find the extra time to take for yourself. Deadlines seem to be never-ending, the flu is making its annual not-so-dazzling red carpet appearance, and of course everyone is apprehensive of the infamous “mid-October life plot twist.” It’s safe to say that this spooky month is a lot! Especially with being back at college these past few months, I’ve been reminded of how fast paced our society moves. We constantly rush from one thing to the next and forget to take a second or two to breathe. This past week, my roommate and I were discussing when the last time was that we had a free weekend to do absolutely nothing. It dawned on us that it had been since the start of the school year – that’s eight weekends! And we wonder why we’re tired. It’s so important to put time and effort into work; after all, for a lot of us, our work is what drives our life’s purpose. But it’s just as important to give ourselves the time to pause and allow our roots to ground us in the present moment. Over the summer I took up hot yoga and absolutely loved it! It was the one hour a day where I completely shut off my brain and focused on really connecting with my inner-being. Back on campus, it’s been harder to find the time between classes, meetings, projects, papers, and extracurriculars. However, that’s not really an excuse. Moving forward through the rest of this semester, I’m planning to dedicate myself to carving out time during my day to move my body in some shape or form – whether that be yoga, a long walk or a workout class. Taking the time for myself graces me with the ability to reflect on how far I’ve come, where I am and where I envision myself going. Plus, a healthy body makes for a healthy mind and a healthy life. A flower needs strong roots to continue to bloom, but roots can’t gather their strength if there’s no time to water them.