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Instead of being mind-full, young Jakartans start getting mindful
In face of anxiety and fear over what the future may hold, young Jakartans are starting to turn to mindfulness through meditation and contemplative writings to improve their mental well-being.
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Practicing mindfulness could help reduce anxieties and other mental problems faced by modern society. (Shutterstock/File)
Syora Alya Eka Putri, Alya for short, wrote down “being more wise and mindful” as her new year’s resolution.
It used to be the case that the things she wrote down as resolutions were, in her own words, “more hedonistic”, but ever since she graduated, she has focused more on self-development that gravitates toward mindfulness.
The 22-year-old, who after her graduation from university last year experienced a phase that she said was “quite burdensome”, had been reading a lot of self-help books, seeing a shrink and reaching out to people.
Alya has recently been taking up meditation to help her manage her anxieties over the uncertainties of the future, as suggested by her psychiatrist.
“I became more accepting that life has its happy and sad [parts]. It is quite reassuring for a young person living in an era with many demands,” said Alya, adding that meditation helped to reduce her overthinking tendencies driven by social media.
She also started contemplative writing on her daily commute to work and then shared it over her social media.
For Adelia Dinda Sani, aka Adel, among her new year’s resolutions were restarting yoga, meditating on a daily basis, journaling and being more eco-conscious — which she said was an extension of practicing mindfulness.
