How mindfulness can shift how you navigate your everyday life, allowing you to become more present, compassionate, and open to change.

A new semester brings about many different emotions for students— excitement, stress, and perhaps some anxiety as a new chapter begins. Amid the flurry of university life, it’s easy to lose sight of practices that nurture your mind and, by extension, your relationships with others. By reflecting on key teachings from Buddhism, you can become more present, compassionate and open to change.

Though I’m no Buddhism expert, I’ve had the privilege of learning from my mother, a practicing Buddhist and attending a Plum Village Buddhist retreat. These experiences have profoundly shaped my perspective, inspiring me to adopt simple yet impactful shifts in how I approach life.

Be Present

You’ve likely heard this advice many times, but practicing mindfulness can profoundly reshape your everyday experience. Being present means engaging fully with your current circumstances through all five senses (if you are able). It’s about letting go of ruminations on the past and anxieties about the future, focusing instead on what lies immediately before you.

In Buddhism, this principle is often grounded in the breath. By returning to the breath, you reconnect with the present moment, a space where life is truly lived. This practice can bring clarity and calm to university students across various situations.

During lectures, presence enables me to focus and absorb information instead of being distracted by wandering thoughts. When I feel overwhelmed by deadlines or studying ahead, I remind myself that stressing over the future doesn’t help; what matters is the action I can take right now.

Even in moments where my patience is tested—whether waiting for a bus or sitting in traffic—mindfulness helps me remain calm. There is nothing I can do to speed the bus or traffic up, so there is no point in me dwelling on it or getting agitated. I’ve learned to accept that certain things are beyond my control. Instead of stewing in agitation, I take a deep breath and appreciate what’s around me—even in the imperfect moments.

Lastly, I have—and I’m sure you have too—expressed excitement about something in the future. Perhaps that’s reading week, the end of the semester or graduating. I have now realized how quickly months, semesters and years start to fly by. It’s so easy to get caught up in wanting the next exciting thing to happen in your life that you forget what’s currently in front of you. No matter what stage of the school year you’re in, there is something to be grateful for and the present should not be taken for granted. Yes, school can be overwhelming and difficult but in those moments, I remain grateful for the opportunity to pursue higher education, live in a country where I can express myself and even just have a roof over my head. There is no better moment than the present as that’s the only time life is available. The present is when you are alive. 

Everyone is How They Are for a Reason

Another invaluable lesson I have embraced is the understanding that everyone is shaped by their unique circumstances. This lesson does not excuse harmful actions, but it helps me foster empathy by reminding me that people’s behavior often stems from their own suffering. 

You are going to meet a lot of new people at university, some of which you may not agree with. While you don’t need to befriend everyone, this mindset can help reduce judgment, negativity and resentment.

If you think about it, people truly are the way they are due to their conditions. People are products of their upbringing, experiences, and even the legacies of those who came before them. No one comes into this world wanting to be a bad person. Everyone is just trying their best and being themselves based on what they know.

This has helped me become much more empathetic. Even if I don’t support someone’s actions, I fight back the urge to be angry, and instead simply wish they are well.  Even a small shift in attitude can make a big difference in how we approach others.

Nothing is Permanent

The concept of impermanence is central to Buddhism. Everything in nature is impermanent. Even a mountain that looks as though it will never change is impermanent. It came from nothing and will eventually erode into nothing.

I lean into this lesson when facing hardships. I try to be present with the challenges instead of avoiding or denying the feelings, reminding myself that it won’t feel this way forever. That understanding of impermanence helps me to feel more at peace, and recognize that, even though this may be a difficult moment, it will likely pass. If we never have bad days, then we’ll also never have good days. Every day would feel the same and the good days would be taken for granted. 

Impermanence also encourages more gratitude for the joyful moments in life, as I know those won’t last forever either. With material things, it’s freeing to understand they will one day cease so don’t become so attached to these items. And as humans, our impermanence is what makes us alive.

Moving Forward 

As the semester unfolds, think about how these lessons can fit into your daily life. Focus on staying present during classes and study sessions, practice understanding when interacting with others and remind yourself that both challenges and successes are temporary. By building mindfulness into your routine, you can handle challenges more effectively and appreciate life and the people around you more, making the most of each day.